INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

INDIANAPOLIS — Cancer patients taking a drug made by Eli Lilly extended the amount of time they survived without their disease worsening, according to results of a study announced Sunday.

Lilly said results of the phase-3 “PARAMOUNT” study of the injected drug Alimta (pemetrexed) extended progression-free survival in patients with nonsquamous nonsmall-cell lung cancer. The study focused on continuation maintenance when one of the same drugs used as a first-line treatment for cancer is continued as maintenance therapy in an effort to control the disease.

SAN DIEGO — An investigational drug improved diabetes and lipid control in patients with partial lipodystrophy, according to a new study.

Amylin Pharmaceuticals announced Saturday results of a study of metreleptin, an analog of the human hormone leptin. Results of the study were presented at the 93rd annual meeting and expo of the Endocrine Society in Boston.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Why is the news that CVS Caremark has secured the mail-order and specialty prescription drug benefit for Federal Employee Program so important? Well, some pundits might say there is no indication that the integrated retail-pharmacy benefit manager model had anything to do with why FEP chose Caremark over Medco. It doesn't matter. As any football coach would say, "A win's a win," and this is a big one.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The gold standard long-term glucose monitoring test for patients with diabetes proved to be of limited value in dialysis patients, according to a new study at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center released Wednesday.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — Anyone wondering what the future of health care under a more consumer-directed model will look like got a glimpse of it from two pieces of news this week.

(THE NEWS: Sam’s Club celebrates men’s health with free screenings. For the full story, click here)

NORTH BERGEN, N.J. — A survey conducted on behalf of The Vitamin Shoppe and released Wednesday found that 60% of adults currently take a vitamin or supplement.

NEW YORK — Capital spending for the retail industry is expected to increase 16% in 2011 to $42.5 billion, with all subsegments projecting double-digit percentage increases — except for mass merchants, whose growth is projected to rise 9% — according to a survey by Equity Research.

Although capital spending will be up, it remains well below 2007’s peak of $56 billion. Also, unlike these peak years when a significant portion of spending was dedicated to new store growth, the emphasis will be on maintenance, infrastructure upgrades, e-commerce and remodels.

WASHINGTON — According to a AAA telephone survey released last week, more than half of those surveyed have adopted such relatively simple conservation changes as utilizing trip chaining, reducing shopping trips, dining out less and driving less because of higher gas prices.

As many as 62% of respondents already have combined shopping trips and errands, and if the price of gas should reach $5 per gallon, 68% reported they would combine trips.