HEALTH

Earlier this month Innovus Pharmaceuticals launched FlutiCare OTC in the U.S., making it the third branded fluticasone propionate nasal spray on the market. Innovus, based in San Diego, secured distribution through more than 10,000 independent pharmacies through AmerisourceBergen and McKesson and Walmart online.

As a second phase of its launch, Innovus Pharma will launch FlutiCare to large retail stores.

Semma Therapeutics has announced the completion of a highly oversubscribed $114 million Series B financing. Proceeds will be used to bring the company’s lead development program of encapsulated stem cell-derived islets, through proof-of-concept in patients while continuing exploration of other regenerative medicine therapeutics.

With the increasing trend of self-management and the rising awareness around the diabetes disease state within developing countries, blood glucose meters can be utilized to aid in adjustment of therapeutic regimen in response to blood glucose values and to help patients adjust their dietary intake, physical activity and insulin doses to improve glycaemic control on a regular basis.

This and several other factors are covered in the latest Research and Marekts report focused on diabetes care devices.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be working with the American Pharmacists Association to build infrastructure to expand a program from the National Diabetes Prevention Program within community pharmacies.

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.

This season, WebMD and Parsippany, N.J.-based Reckitt Benckiser are expanding their partnership with a new cold and flu chatbot designed to allow for more timely, targeted and personal connections with consumers.

Johnson & Johnson’s LifeScan brand, makers of OneTouch Verio Flex, plans to honors those across the country with diabetes by launching a new campaign. #SmallVictories will feature in-person surprises celebrating everyday lifestyle changes that have helped in moving forward with managing blood glucose. This new venture resulted from a new survey showing that while 83% of people living with Type 2 diabetes feel like they are working to make everyday lifestyles changes, more than a quarter cannot remember the last time they received any recognition for their efforts.

New Research from the New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business is highlighting the role that mobile health applications can have on outcomes among patients with diabetes. NYU Stern professor Anindya Ghose and co-authors Beibei Li of Carnegie Mellon University and Citong Guo of the Harbin Institute of Technology found that over 15 months, patients who adopted a Chinese mobile health platform saw a more than 2000% reduction in glucose levels over time, on average.