HEALTH

DENVER — MusclePharm has introduced a sports nutrition supplements line through a licensing deal with MMA Elite of Ultimate Brand Management.

The line, MMA Elite Series powered by MusclePharm, includes pre-workout, recovery, vitamin, protein and fat-loss products. Such retailers as Walmart, Sam's Club and Walgreens are being targeted to distribute the supplements in third quarter 2011, MusclePharm said.

Many MusclePharm products currently are sold in GNC.

NEW YORK — It may have a goofy name, but start-up website HellaWella, HellaWella.com, 
is serious about promoting healthy living and all the good stuff that goes with it. Well, “serious” might be a little misleading, as the free website and weekly newsletter definitely is taking a fun, youthful approach to helping consumers discover the latest in health and wellness — and how to do so on the cheap.


RIDGEFIELD, Conn. — Just after the approval of their new treatment for Type 2 diabetes, Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim plan to present data in more than two dozen presentations at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions starting this week.

Lilly and BI, which recently launched the oral diabetes drug Tradjenta (linagliptin) will present data from studies of the drug, as well as studies on BI-10773, an investigational diabetes drug made by BI.

Earlier this year, Pharmavite named Bill Tullis its new EVP sales, succeeding Skip Aldridge. Drug Store News caught up with Tullis to get his take on how the supplement industry is trending. 



DSN: What are the trends today — the hot product categories and users? 



Good things come in three — like the three antacids that for the 52 weeks ended April 17 collectively generated more than $118 million in sales on top of the sales base they had established in the year-ago period.


MT. KISCO, N.Y. — Retailers and small- to mid-sized brand marketers shouldn’t be quick to dismiss social media as an effective avenue to communicate with consumers versus traditional media outreach like TV and radio. That was a key takeaway of a recent survey conducted on behalf of marketing/public relations firm Robin Leedy & Associates.


In fact, the research suggested that the balance of power already may be tipping in favor of social marketing, particularly in certain categories and definitely among certain consumers.


SALT LAKE CITY — Schiff Nutrition president and CEO Tarang Amin promised to infuse some new energy into the company with his appointment earlier this spring, and he wasted no time with the Schiff acquisition of two probiotic brands — Sustenex and Digestive Advantage — in June. 


WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy has introduced its latest initiative, designed to underscore the role pharmacists play in managing ongoing medications for chronic illnesses, particularly when a patient starts a new medication.