HEALTH

LOS ANGELES — Pacific Shore Holdings on Thursday launched the Energy-X SPF 30 lip balm — an “energy” lip care product infused with green tea and hoodia gordonii extracts, as well as caffeine, as an alternative to energy shots.

Energy-X SPF 30 lip balm is available in a lemon-lime flavor for a suggested $4.99.

NASHVILLE — Tennessee may be the next state to adopt an electronic tracking tool to enforce pseudoephedrine sales restrictions and combat methamphetamine production in real time.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., argued before the Senate Thursday around the value that increased access to medication therapy management can deliver to overall health care — that includes cutting into the $290 billion in annual costs associated with medication nonadherence and preventing as many as 89,000 premature deaths.

CINCINNATI — NFL commentator John Madden and the Prilosec OTC team on Thursday awarded the New England Patriots’ offensive line the 2010 Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award, presented by Prilosec OTC.

PHOENIX — A new consumer-oriented compliance tool was introduced by Medi-Ring on Tuesday.

The Medi-Ring reusable prescription label can be customized by the consumer to match prescription drugs to disease-state needs, the company said. The plastic Medi-Ring slips onto a prescription bottle, and the patient can write whatever he or she wants on it (e.g., “heart medicine” or “blood pressure”).

INDIANAPOLIS — Drug maker Eli Lilly and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will fund research to find ways to regenerate insulin-producing cells in patients with Type 1 diabetes.

The two announced Thursday that ideas included finding ways to grow new insulin-producing cells within a person’s body. Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks beta cells, the cells that allow the body to produce insulin. As many as 3 million people in the United States have Type 1 diabetes.

NEW YORK — Fera Pharmaceuticals on Wednesday announced the reintroduction of the nonprescription dry-eye remedy Puralube ophthalmic ointment due to demand for the product.

“Puralube is a product that fits perfectly with our eye care portfolio,” stated Frank DellaFera, president of Fera. “We are so pleased to make Puralube available again, giving patients, pharmacists and physicians a cost-effective and reliable treatment option for dry-eye symptoms.”

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Bayer HealthCare on Wednesday launched the Said/Heard Mishaps contest on its Alka-Seltzer Facebook page. The contest gives entrants the opportunity to trade those miscommunication experiences that may have caused some gastrointestinal distress for a chance to win $5,000.