Diabetes

The market for drugs to treat diabetes — especially Type 2 diabetes — has shown quite a bit of activity lately. At the end of January, the Food and Drug Administration approved Bydureon (exenatide), a once-weekly version of the drug Byetta, which was originally developed by Alkermes and subsequently developed further under an alliance between Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly that the two companies formed in 2002. In November 2011, however, Amylin and Lilly terminated their alliance in the wake of an announced diabetes drug partnership between Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim.

INDIANAPOLIS — A new drug for Type 2 diabetes made by Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim is available in pharmacies, the companies said Wednesday.

The two companies announced the availability of Jentadueto (linagliptin and metformin hydrochloride). The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug on Jan. 30.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — EyeScience Labs on Wednesday introduced a new eye vitamin for people with diabetes.

LAS VEGAS — Walgreens last week outlined how the company's research has demonstrated the ability of face-to-face pharmacy and Take Care Clinic programs to drive better health outcomes at the IMS Managed Markets Services/Data Niche Conference held here.

Some of the savings advantages inherent in the offerings provided by Walgreens include:

TORONTO — Patients in Canada increasingly are tapping into the healthcare knowledge, expertise and services available at their local pharmacy, with many of them talking to their pharmacist about one or more healthcare issues other than filling a prescription, according to the findings of a new Nielsen survey commissioned by the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association has renewed two of its pharmacy niche programs.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The American Diabetes Association said it is urging people with diabetes who currently are taking a statin to continue their medication unless instructed otherwise by their healthcare provider.

PHILADELPHIA — UnitedHealth Group is looking to evaluate the effectiveness of using video-on-demand programming to deliver its Diabetes Prevention Program.

The insurance company has tapped Comcast to find participants for the study, which will be test marketed in Philadelphia, and Knoxville, Tenn. Enrollment began on Feb. 13; the first VOD programming will be available Feb. 27.