HEALTH

ATLANTA — The influenza season is officially underway as flu incidence is already above the national threshold, Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters during a teleconference Monday. "This is the earliest regular flu season we've had in nearly a decade, since the 2003-2004 flu season," he said. "That was an early and severe flu year, and while flu is always unpredictable, the early nature of the cases as well as the specific strains we're seeing suggest that this could be a bad flu year."

ST. LOUIS – Westport Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday launched Zephrex-D, a tamper-resistant pseudoephedrine-based decongestant that now is available in retail stores throughout the St. Louis region and the state of Missouri. 

LOS ANGELES — Kowa Health Care America recently launched two supplement products into the U.S. marketplace — NutriDiet, a diet aid, and Okinawa Life. 

NutriDiet has been formulated to aid in the digestion of food and absorption of key nutrients necessary for internal balance. The formulation includes probiotics, prebiotics and green tea catechins in an effort to improve overall health. The combination helps to promote intestinal health, while assisting in burning fat to create a healthy weight balance.

NEW YORK — Women with ovarian cancer and diabetes who took the generic diabetes drug metformin showed better survival rates than those who did not take the drug, according to a new study led by the Mayo Clinic.

The study, published in the journal Cancer, enrolled 61 patients who took metformin and 178 who didn't. Of those who took the drug, 67% were surviving after five years, compared with 47% of those who didn't take it. Further analysis indicated that patients taking metformin were almost four times likelier to survive than those not taking it.

DALLAS — Personal care company Naterra has announced the national launch of Phase+, a skin care line designed to address the cosmetic effects that diabetes has on the skin. 

Phase+, which is now available at all Walgreens stores, is infused with anti-microbial ingredients to help prevent such skin care problems as cracked heels and ultra-dry skin from becoming a larger problem for diabetics, the company stated.    

NEW YORK — Pfizer on Friday announced that it has completed the sale of its nutrition business to Nestlé for $11.9 billion in cash, following the conclusion of the required regulatory process in most markets. In certain countries where completion will be delayed due to ongoing regulatory review, Pfizer will continue to operate the business on an interim basis.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — HIV test maker OraSure Technologies has appointed a new executive to head its consumer marketing division as it prepares to launch a nationwide TV campaign on Saturday.

The TV campaign will be timed to coincide with World AIDS Day on Saturday and will air on MTV, A&E, BET, E!, Bravo and Logo, as well as on the NBC reality show "The Voice" on Dec. 17.

By the time it had unveiled the latest evolution of its hot, new Wellness store concept this fall in Lemoyne, Pa., Rite Aid was coming off seven consecutive quarters of Adjusted EBITDA and same-store prescription count growth — the strongest growth period for the company in several years.