HEALTH

New York — Kohlberg Kravis Roberts on Monday made two massive deals in the health and wellness space, acquiring WebMD outright and taking a majority stake in Carlyle Group's Nature's Bounty Co. Taken together, the two deals couple a significant player in delivering health and wellness through retail and the go-to online source of information when consumers are researching health and wellnesss issues.

WebMD sold for $2.8 billion; financial terms regarding the stake in Nature's Bounty were not disclosed.

BOULDER, Colorado — Just in time for the heavy summer travel season and early back-to-school activities, PanTheryx has launched a new innovation for diarrhea relief that is neither a drug nor an over-the-counter medicine. DiaResQ, which is classified by the FDA as a food for special dietary use, is now available at drug stores nationwide and online retailers.

SAN DIEGO — Designer Protein announced Thursday the launch of two new Designer Whey flavors, including chocolate mocha and vanilla coconut. These new offerings will be available immediately online and in select retailers within the coming weeks.

The new Designer Whey flavors will be available in 12 oz. packages and will retail for $14.49 each.
 

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has given tentative approval to Merck’s follow-on biologic basal insulin Lusdana Nexvue (insulin glargine injection), the company announced Thursday. The tentative approval notes that the drug has met the required regulatory standards, but is subject to an automatic stay, as Sanofi has claimed patent infringement on its insulin product Lantus.

TOKYO — Improvements are being made around wearable diagnostics that can monitor one of several vital health signs. The University of Tokyo is currently developing a hypoallergenic electronic sensor that can be worn on the skin continuously for a week without discomfort and is so light and thin that users forget they even have it on.

The elastic electrode constructed of breathable nanoscale meshes holds promise for the development of noninvasive e-skin devices that can monitor a person's health continuously over a long period, the researchers reported.

WASHINGTON – The Natural Products Association on Thursday continued their strong membership growth during the second quarter of 2017, welcoming 34 new members to the organization.

CHICAGO — IRI announced earlier this week that it has reached a long-term agreement with Southeastern Grocers to leverage analytics to better serve its existing customers and attract new shoppers. SEG is the fifth-largest supermarket chain in the United States based on store count and is the parent company of Winn-Dixie, BI-LO, Harveys and Fresco y Más grocery stores, IRI reported.