From staff reports

Humana Inc. and Novo Nordisk have announced a one-year partnership aimed at identifying ways to improve the care and treatment of patients with diabetes. The companies say they will bring together researchers to study the treatment and progression of the disease in an effort to further enhance the health and well-being of people with diabetes.

Healthcare providers and pharmacists will be able to identify and intervene in cases of potential prescription drug abuse through a new pilot program launched recently by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, according to an HHS statement.

The University of Southern California School of Pharmacy has received the largest grant the school has ever received, for a massive medication adherence project.

FDA issued a complete response letter regarding a supplemental New Drug Application for rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Janssen Research & Development) for the reduction of the risk of secondary cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Pharmacy groups supported yesterday's approval by the U.S. House of Representatives of the FDA Safety and Innovation Act of 2012, also known as the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA).

Walgreens announced today that it has entered into a strategic transaction with Alliance Boots GmbH, creating a global pharmacy retail and wholesale business with more than 11,000 retail stores in 12 countries and more than 370 distribution centers delivering to more than 170,000 pharmacies, doctors, health centers, and hospitals in 21 countries.

What's different in your drug stores this month? An omega-3 product for vegetarians. A no-mess scar-diminishing serum. New, more affordable toothpastes that are gentle on sensitive teeth. An omega-3 that also contains vitamin D3. A portable grip bar for shower and bath safety. An appetite suppressant that is enhanced with antioxidants. And there are even more new over-the-counter items featured in the print edition of Drug Topics.

A participant-driven reinforcement program for diabetes self-management education can have a positive effect on self-care behaviors as well as metabolic and cardiovascular health, according to a study published recently in Preventing Chronic Disease.

FDA has approved the first combination vaccination for use in children aged 6 weeks through 18 months for the prevention of invasive disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups C and Y and Haemophilus influenza type b, according to an FDA statement.

Afatinib used in lung cancer treatment helped patients live longer, according to the results of a new phase 3 clinical trial.

Men with advanced prostate cancer treated with enzalutamide (formerly MDV3100) demonstrated a significantly higher response rate in health-related quality of life, according to new data from the phase 3 AFFIRM study.

Label prescribing information for dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim) capsules has been updated to affirm that the 150-mg twice-daily dose is superior to warfarin in reducing ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Daily vitamin D (≤400 IU) and calcium (1,000 mg) supplements for the primary prevention of fractures in postmenopausal women are no longer recommended as they don't help prevent fractures and may cause harm, according to draft guidance from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

U.S. Marshals recently seized misbranded Global Biotechnologies dietary supplements at the request of the FDA, and per a warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, according to an FDA statement.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may prevent the development of skin cancer, according to a new study, published online first in the journal Cancer on May 29.

FDA has approved pertuzumab (Perjeta, Roche) in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and docetaxel chemotherapy for the treatment of people with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who have not received prior anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic disease.

FDA has approved gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant, GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort) extended-release tablets for the management of postherpetic neuralgia in adults.

Botanical Laboratories Inc. is recalling 38 bottles of 33.8-oz. "Wellesse Digestive 3 in 1 Health" liquid dietary supplement and 275 bottles of 16-oz. liquid dietary supplement, after a supplier said one of the ingredients could be contaminated with Salmonella, which can be fatal in young children, frail and elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

A bill has passed in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 436, the "Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2012") that will allow consumers to purchase OTC medications through their flexible health spending accounts and health savings accounts without first obtaining a prescription.

The American Pharmacists Association's website, www.pharmacist.com, is back online. The organization learned that their computer servers were accessed by an unauthorized person or persons on the evening of May 28, according to a statement on the website. As soon as the information was received, APhA shut down the site to protect users and the content.

Sandoz, a division of Novartis, is voluntarily recalling 10 lots of its generic oral contraceptive Introvale (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol) tablets in the United States, after a consumer reported a packaging flaw.

The industry should collaborate to develop a U.S. Biopharmacopeia Registry of Biopharmaceutical Products to help resolve biosimilar and broader biopharmaceutical nomenclature issues, according to a leading author and publisher.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is partnering with providers, caregivers, and patients to ensure appropriate use of antipsychotic medications for nursing home patients, the government announced last week.

The Obama administration?s plan to close the racial and ethnic gap on childhood asthma has drawn strong support from the Merck Childhood Asthma Network.

Intensive control of blood-sugar levels among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus may reduce the risk of microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria, signs of kidney damage, but evidence is lacking regarding the effect over renal end points, according to the results of a study published May 28 in Archives of Internal Medicine.

The Health Data Initiative Forum III: The Health Datapalooza cohosted by the Institute of Medicine and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is convening this week in Washington, DC, focusing on innovative applications and services that harness the power of open data from HHS and other sources to help improve health and healthcare.

Patients taking statins for the first time demonstrated better medication adherence if they participated in face-to-face counseling sessions with a community pharmacist than patients who did not, according to a new study by Walgreens.

Walgreens, the nation's largest drugstore chain, and OptumRx, one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the United States, today announced they will extend a multi-year agreement that provides access to OptumRx's members at Walgreens' 7,800 locations.

The American Pharmacists Association was forced to take its website offline this week after the site was hacked into and defaced.

Three major pharmacy associations have sent recommendations to FDA for maximizing the health benefit and costs savings of generic biologic products.