HEALTH

SILVER SPRING, Md. — Drugs widely used to treat cholesterol may cause increases in blood sugar and other symptoms, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced it will hold a public hearing on March 22 and 23 to discuss how technology can expand which drug products can be switched from prescription to over-the-counter status.

ARLINGTON, Va. — An organic honey lemon herbal lozenge has hit the market.

AllergEase lozenges are designed to offer all-natural support to allergy sufferers by featuring such ingredients as nettle, eyebright, elderflower, plantain, vitamin C and menthol, AllergEase said. The lozenges are recommended for children ages 12 years and up.

AllergEase lozenges carry a suggested retail price of $4.99 per pack.

NEW YORK — Help Remedies on Monday announced the launch of "Help I’ve cut myself & I want to save a life," which supplements Help’s standard adhesive bandages with a bone marrow donor registry kit. By linking registry to a simple action, Help hopes to reduce barriers to donation and find matches for some of the 10,000 people in the United States who need bone marrow transplants each year.

NEW YORK — One of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies has acquired the maker and distributor of Emergen-C products.

Pfizer on Monday announced its acquisition of Alacer, a privately held company best known for its vitamin C supplement products. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but Pfizer did note that the deal would complement its Consumer Healthcare division.

NEW YORK — Online advertising is overtaking print advertising, according to a new video report by David Merrefield on PLMALive.

In 2011, spending on print advertising, which includes both newspapers and magazines, was $36 billion, topping the expenditure of online advertising at $32 billion. However, this year it is projected to reverse. Online advertising spending is likely to rise to $39.2 billion dollars while print is expected to drop under $33.8 billion, according to eMarketer.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — In preparation for spring, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology on Friday noted that avoiding certain fruits and vegetables, installing the proper air filters, closing the windows, filling any allergy prescriptions and consulting with an allergist can all prevent the delay of allergy symptom relief for more than 35 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies.

PRINCETON, N.J. — Church & Dwight on Thursday launched content aimed at giving Americans the facts about condoms as part of the National Condom Month designation for February.

Featuring Trojan condoms, C&D has partnered with sexual health experts and organizations, including the American Social Health Association, to develop a pair of videos that provide consumers with the accurate information they need to make responsible decisions.