WALGREENS

Walgreens on Wednesday launched its first Flu Index for the 2017-18 season. The Flu Index is a weekly report that ranks the top markets and states for flu activity in the U.S., including Puerto Rico.

Brownsville and Beaumont, Texas are among the top markets for flu this week, and Texas and Arkansas top the list of U.S. states with the most flu activity.

OraSure Technologies on Thursday announced several new HIV testing-related initiatives in recognition of World AIDS Day.  OraSure is working with The AIDS Institute to launch a grant program to encourage the development of HIV self testing programs and collaborating with both The AIDS Institute and Walgreens, based in Deerfield, Ill., to promote rapid HIV testing in cities across the U.S.

Swedish cosmetics brand, IsaDora is making its debut in the U.S. market. The beauty company has partnered with Walgreens to launch a range of products, such as mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow and lipstick on the retailer's website.

Camp Hill, Pa.-based Rite Aid late Monday announced that it has completed the pilot closing and first subsequent closings under the amended and restated asset purchase agreement with Walgreens Boots Alliance.

A recent Walgreens Center for Health and Wellbeing Research study assessed a collaboration between Piedmont Healthcare’s Hepatitis C specialty clinic and a Walgreens local specialty pharmacy and showed that a high proportion (94%) of Hepatitis C patients who were prescribed direct-acting antiretrovirals were able to achieve the primary outcome goal, sustained virologic response, even though many patients had advanced liver disease, previous treatment failure or previous liver transplants.

Wine.com has announced plans to not only expand the number of locations where consumers can pick up their order after placing it, but also to include many of the nation’s leading retailers in this new venture.

The Walgreens mobile app recently hit a milestone, earning a five-star rating in Apple’s App Store. The Deerfield, Ill.-based company said that the app’s three most popular features among users are prescription refill (including refill-by-scan), photo print ordering and paperless coupons.