Diabetes

WASHINGTON — New guidelines that will ensure women receive preventive health services at no additional cost were announced Monday by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Developed by the independent Institute of Medicine, the new guidelines require new health insurance plans to cover women’s preventive services, such as well-woman visits, breast-feeding support, domestic violence screening and contraception without charging a co-payment, co-insurance or a deductible.

NEW DELHI — Eli Lilly’s India division and Indian generic drug maker Lupin will distribute Lilly’s insulin products in India and Nepal under an agreement between the two companies announced Friday.

Under the collaboration, Lilly and Lupin will promote and distribute Huminsulin R, Huminsulin NPH, Huminsulin 50/50, Huminsulin 30/70 and Humapen Ergo II. The companies said the deal would double the current customer base.

ORLANDO, Fla. — This year’s fourth annual Retail Clinician Education Congress kicked off on Monday, bringing together hundreds of retail healthcare professionals to network, receive exclusive accreditation and honor those providers and key executive leaders whose work throughout the year has distinguished them among their peers in retail health care.

BANGALORE, India — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic drug for diabetes made by Indian generic drug maker Strides Arcolab.

The FDA approved acarbose tablets in the 25-mg, 50-mg and 100-mg strengths. The drug is a niche drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes, Strides said.

Acarbose tablets have sales of about $21 million, according to IMS Health.

INDIANAPOLIS — Drug makers Eli Lilly, Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Alkermes are giving their long-acting form of an injected drug for Type 2 diabetes another try at the Food and Drug Administration.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix will offer free diabetes screenings at more than 800 Publix stores this year, the grocer announced Wednesday.

OSAKA, Japan — Japanese drug maker Takeda Pharmaceutical is reapplying for approval of two drugs to treat Type 2 diabetes after the Food and Drug Administration turned down its last applications, the company said.

Takeda announced that it resubmitted its applications for alogliptin and a drug that combines alogliptin with pioglitazone, the active ingredient in Actos, which the FDA approved in 1999.

The FDA will review the applications over the next six months, the drug maker said.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new means of administration for a drug made by Daiichi Sankyo, the drug maker said Monday.

Daiichi Sankyo announced the FDA approval of Welchol (colesevelam hydrochloride) for oral suspension to be mixed with fruit juice or diet soft drinks. The drug, used to improve blood-sugar control and cholesterol levels in patients with Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, received approval in 2009 for mixing with water.