Diabetes

Medication nonadherence costs the U.S. healthcare system about $290 billion per year, according to New England Healthcare Institute. That big and scary number — the kind whose sheer enormity can make one’s eyes glaze over — is now even bigger.


BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — Amneal Pharmaceuticals is adding blackberry flavoring to a generic diabetes drug following feedback from customers, the company said Wednesday.

Amneal announced the changes to its metformin hydrochloride immediate-release tablets in the 500-mg, 850-mg and 1,000-mg strengths, designed to cover up the smell of metformin.

CHICAGO — MinuteClinic, which is owned by CVS Caremark, announced on Monday that it has joined a coalition of organizations dedicated to raising diabetes awareness among families on Chicago's South Side.

The coalition is working with Perspectives Charter School Calumet Campus to educate, screen, diagnose and, if needed, provide follow-up care to any student diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes.

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — The number of healthcare diagnostic products featuring a direct link to Apple's iPhone or iPod Touch increased by one on Wednesday as Sanofi US announced the launch of the iBGStar Blood Glucose Monitoring System.

iBGStar is available for purchase at Apple Retail Stores and all Walgreens stores nationwide, online at Apple.com, Walgreens.com and through Diabetic Care Services, the company added.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — The Food and Drug Administration declined to approve a drug made by Takeda Pharmaceutical, the drug maker said.

Takeda announced that the FDA issued a complete response letter for its regulatory applications for the Type 2 diabetes drug alogliptin and a combination pill that includes alogliptin and pioglitazone, the active ingredient in the drug Actos.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens unveiled the results of research, conducted by the drug store chain, that demonstrated how its approach to community pharmacy ultimately helped improve outcomes through cost savings, pharmacist-led face-to-face patient counseling and specialized services for disease management.

New research results, presented by Walgreens at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's 24th Annual Meeting and Expo last week in San Francisco, included:

NEW YORK — GlaxoSmithKline said its offer to buy Human Genome Sciences was "full and fair" Wednesday after HGS turned it down last week, according to published reports.

Reuters reported that GSK's $13-per-share, $2.6 billion offer for HGS would give the former full control of Benlysta (belimumab), the first new drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for lupus in more than half a century. The two companies developed the drug together under a partnership, and the drug received approval in March 2011.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy took center stage on the latest episode of "The Doctors," as one of the chain's pharmacists sat down with one of the show's co-hosts to discuss how patients can manage diabetes on a budget.

Speaking with emergency room physician Dr. Travis Stork, CVS pharmacist Usheema Thomas told an audience member that recently was diagnosed with diabetes how to manage her condition by using a blood-glucose monitoring system. Thomas also discussed CVS/pharmacy's free ExtraCare for Diabetes program and the benefits of enrolling into the program.