HEALTH

DANBURY, Conn. — A drug maker specializing in the treatment of diabetes announced the retirement of its chief scientific officer.

Biodel this week said Solomon Steiner, who is a company co-founder, will remain on the company's board of directors. Prior to holding his chief scientific officer position, Steiner was chairman, president and CEO of Biodel from its inception in late 2003 through March of this year, at which point Errol De Souza was appointed to be the company's president and chief executive, and Charles Sanders was named board chairman.

MUSKEGON, Mich. — "The Billboard Family," a family of four that has attracted national media attention for donning sponsored T-shirts, wearing them all around the St. Louis area and then plastering that day’s photos all over such social media sites as Facebook, Flickr and YouTube, has gained an exclusive sponsor for the baby Billboard that’s on the way.

MODESTO, Calif. — A recent scientific study showed that incorporating almonds into a person’s diet can help treat and possibly prevent Type 2 diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease, the Almond Board of California announced Wednesday.

The study, published in the June 2010 Journal of the American College of Nutrition illustrated that consuming a diet rich in almonds may help improve insulin sensitivity and decrease LDL-cholesterol levels in those with pre-diabetes.

WASHINGTON — The dietary supplement industry’s leading trade associations on Wednesday joined forces with the Food and Drug Administration to support heightened efforts to address public health problems posed by products that are illegally marketed as dietary supplements but contain the same active ingredients as FDA-approved drugs or other ingredients that do not qualify as dietary ingredients.

WASHINGTON — A new Consumer Reports poll released Monday found that only one-fifth of U.S. adults were aware of having purchased food, medication or a product (other than a car) that was recalled in the past three years.

Americans surveyed believed it is important to know about product recalls, but they were not confident that they are getting adequate information delivered to them, the poll also revealed.

BASEL, Switzerland — Novartis on Wednesday announced that its merger agreement with Alcon has been settled to the tune of $12.9 billion. The new $8.7 billion Alcon eye care division, which includes CIBA Vision and selected ophthalmic medicines, will be led by current Alcon president and CEO Kevin Buehler.

Shares of Novartis were up 7.6% to more than $60 in early morning trading.

"The full merger is the logical conclusion of our initial strategic investment in Alcon,” stated Daniel Vasella, Novartis chairman.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday announced that Alex Gorsky, currently worldwide chairman of medical devices and diagnostics, and Sheri McCoy, currently worldwide chairman of pharmaceuticals, have been appointed vice chairmen of the executive committee, joining William Weldon, J&J chairman and CEO, in an expanded Office of the Chairman.

Both appointments are effective Jan. 3.

CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble on Tuesday afternoon named a healthcare veteran to its board. Susan Desmond-Hellmann, 53, chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco, was named to the board, effective Dec. 13.