HEALTH

SAN DIEGO — Cardium Therapeutics earlier this week announced its To Go Brands operating unit has expanded its VitaRocks kids' vitamins product line and that retail distribution has been expanded into select Target stores.

The VitaRocks products are inspired by a popping pellet candy that is popular with kids and represents a next-generation, easy-use delivery platform for multivitamins and nutrients, dietary supplements, and potentially over-the-counter medicines for children as well as adults, Cardium Therapeutics suggested. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri attorney general Chris Koster joined Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker and leaders from the Missouri Pharmacy Association and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday to launch the state’s new voluntary retail Anti-Smurfing Campaign.

ATLANTA — SoloHealth on Thursday announced it has been selected as one of the Technology Association of Georgia’s Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies. SoloHealth was recognized for its FDA-approved health and wellness kiosk, the SoloHealth Station.

"The Top 10 awards are given to an elite group of companies whose products and solutions are not only changing their respective industries, they also are putting Georgia on the map as a state where technology innovation can thrive," stated Tino Mantella, president & CEO of TAG. 

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition on Wednesday announced it is taking its annual executive conference to Utah for the first time in its 40-year history. 

Both The Workshop: CRN’s Day of Science and The Conference: CRN’s Annual Symposium for the Dietary Supplement Industry, will be held in tandem Sept. 18-21 at the Montage Deer Valley resort in Park City, Utah. Tyler Whitehead, general counsel at Utah-based Nu Skin Enterprises, and a long-serving director on CRN’s Board, will serve as 2013 conference chair.

NAPLES, Fla. — The Consumer Healthcare Products Association on Wednesday officially elected James Mackey, SVP U.S. region head for Merck Consumer Care, as the association's chairman. Paul Sturman, president and general manager Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, will serve as immediate past chairman. 

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Walgreens was singled out in a lawsuit earlier this week here for suggesting a vitamin E supplement may help improve cardiovascular health. 

Specifically, according to a Reuters report Monday, the complainant stated that Walgreens' Vitamin E 400 IU purported to "naturally contribute to cardiovascular health by helping to protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation which may cause cellular damage." 

PITTSBURGH — Mylan has settled a patent-infringement lawsuit filed by Shionogi over its generic version of a drug for diabetes, Mylan said.

The generic drug maker said that under the agreement, it can launch a generic version of Shionogi's Fortamet (metformin hydrochloride) extended-release tablets in the 500-mg and 1,000-mg strengths on Aug. 1.

Metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets in those two strengths had sales of about $125 million during the 12-month period that ended in September, according to IMS Health.

CALABASH, N.C. — It seems that Fluffy is getting a little fluffy as a new survey indicates that pet obesity is on the rise, particularly among cats.

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention found in its sixth annual National Pet Obesity Awareness Day survey that 52.5% of dogs and 58.3% of cats were overweight or obese, meaning that about 80 million dogs and cats are at increased risk for weight-related disorders such as diabetes, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure and cancers. The survey included 1,485 dogs and 450 cats.