HEALTH

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Healthcare Products Association on Wednesday testified before a House subcommittee to urge legislators to restore over-the-counter medicines' eligibility under flexible spending accounts.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. — Luna has introduced a high-fiber snack that provides women with the essential nutrients they need most.

The soft-baked and fruit-filled bar, available in peanut butter strawberry, blueberry vanilla and chocolate raspberry flavors, touts 7 g of fiber, as well as calcium, folic acid, iron and vitamin D. Each bar contains 110 to 120 calories each, the company said.

Luna Fiber will be available in stores nationwide in May for a suggested retail price of $1.39.

NEW YORK — GlaxoSmithKline said its offer to buy Human Genome Sciences was "full and fair" Wednesday after HGS turned it down last week, according to published reports.

Reuters reported that GSK's $13-per-share, $2.6 billion offer for HGS would give the former full control of Benlysta (belimumab), the first new drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for lupus in more than half a century. The two companies developed the drug together under a partnership, and the drug received approval in March 2011.

ABBOTT PARK, Ill. — Abbott on Wednesday announced that its EAS sports nutrition brand has launched a new line of performance nutrition products.

The lineup includes EAS Recovery protein powder, EAS Lean 15 protein powder, EAS Myoplex original with Revigor and EAS Myoplex 30 bars. All of the products are designed to rapidly deliver needed nutrients to fatigued muscles and help athletes recover and build muscle, the company said.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — Globalization has led to a rapid increase in the drugs and foods arriving on U.S. shores from abroad, a trend that has prompted U.S. regulators to transform their approach.

The Food and Drug Administration released a report Monday detailing its strategies for what it called transforming from a domestic to a global public health agency.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy took center stage on the latest episode of "The Doctors," as one of the chain's pharmacists sat down with one of the show's co-hosts to discuss how patients can manage diabetes on a budget.

Speaking with emergency room physician Dr. Travis Stork, CVS pharmacist Usheema Thomas told an audience member that recently was diagnosed with diabetes how to manage her condition by using a blood-glucose monitoring system. Thomas also discussed CVS/pharmacy's free ExtraCare for Diabetes program and the benefits of enrolling into the program.

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition and the Food Marketing Institute announced they are working together to remind pharmacists about their legal obligations when selling dietary supplements in a retail setting.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Watson Pharmaceuticals announced the launch of an authorized generic version of a drug used to lower blood glucose in patients with Type 2 diabetes.