HEALTH

C&D's latest Replens moisturizer addresses chafing for women
EWING, N.J. —Church & Dwight on Tuesday introduced a hormone-free and fragrance-free Replens Moisture Restore External Comfort Gel, for soothing relief from external vaginal dryness, in menopause, post-partum and after a cancer diagnosis.
Limited assortment, smaller format stores yield greater sales gains for suppliers
CATONSVILLE, Md. — Suppliers who gain distribution through limited assortment and small format retailers are afforded much larger increases in sales, relative to that from large assortment stores, according to the study "The Effect of Retail Distribution on Sales of Alcoholic Beverages," co-authored by Richard Friberg and Mark Sanctuary of the Stockholm School of Economics.

More supermarkets investing in health and wellness as growth vehicle, FMI reports

ARLINGTON, Va. — Health and wellness represents a significant growth opportunity for supermarket retailers, according to 81% of the food retailers who participated in a recent Food Marketing Institute survey. That's up from 70% in 2014, FMI reported.
CVS Health, Cigna unveil Cigna Health Works collaboration

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. and WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health and Cigna on Thursday announced a new collaboration aimed at revamping the experience of patients on Cigna employer-sponsored health plans. Cigna Health Works will align Cigna-administered health benefits with CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic services to create a personalized health-and-wellness program for Cigna-covered patients in select markets, the companies said.
J.A.R. Laboratories' LidoPatch as effective as Rx lidocaine in clinical trials

CHICAGO — J.A.R. Laboratories on Tuesday announced the results of a trial comparing its OTC LidoPatch (lidocaine 3.6%, menthol 1.25%), prescription (Rx) (lidocaine 5%) and placebo in patients who suffer from arthritis and back pain.
Cold and allergy category promising for independents, HRG says

WAUKESHA, Wis. — Cold and allergy is the leading front-of-store category as measured by dollar sales for independents, Hamacher Resource Group reported in a blog on Monday. All told, the category represents 17.9% of all health, beauty and wellness sales.

That total is slightly down, 0.6%, from last year’s percentage, but HRG is confident cough cold sales will swing up in the coming season.
Prevagen NASCAR sponsorship continued at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

MADISON, Wis. — Prevagen's sponsorship of Josh Bilicki continued this weekend as he competed in the second of three road courses in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Prevagen first announced its sponsorship of Bilicki, a native of Richfield, Wisconsin, last week. Bilicki raced in the No. 8 B.J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
WSJ: WebMD looking to transform from info provider to health engagement tool

NEW YORK — WebMD is in the process of transforming its flagship site for consumers, WebMD.com, from a one-stop shop for information to a platform people can engage with and take action to improve their health, the company's CFO Blake DeSimone shared with The Wall Street Journal in a report published Sunday.
Study: Patients more likely to get the flu shot when it's available at retail

ARLINGTON, Va. — Making influenza immunizations available through retail pharmacy increases the odds that a patient will get the flu shot, according to an article published in Clinical Therapeutics last week.

The research cited by Clinical Therapeutics was conducted by Avalere and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores.
The Vitamin Shoppe's new auto replenishment service includes sampling opportunity

SECAUCUS, N.J. — The Vitamin Shoppe on Monday launched Spark Auto Delivery, a convenient and differentiated product subscription service that will allow customers to save on their favorite wellness items while receiving them on a flexible, automated shipping schedule.