INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — It stands to reason that as the first line of health care in the community, retail pharmacy can place itself at the forefront of efforts to promote prevention of disease.

(THE NEWS: HHS secretary announced $750 million investment in prevention, public health. For the full story, click here)

CHICAGO — Hispanics will wield $1.2 trillion in buying power in less than a year, the SymphonyIRI Group and partner Synovate noted Wednesday in a new joint market research report.

The two companies created HispanicLink to help retailers and manufacturers more effectively develop marketing and merchandising programs to reach this burgeoning demographic. The analysis included intel on Hispanics’ shopping habits, cooking, eating and drinking behaviors, health-and-wellness practices and their media preferences.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Women with ovarian cancer who received a drug made by Genentech lived longer without their disease becoming worse, according to a late-stage clinical trial.

Genentech, part of Swiss drug maker Roche, announced results from its phase-3 “OCEANS” study, in which women with recurring ovarian cancer received Avastin (bevacizumab) with gemcitabine and carboplatin, both chemotherapy drugs, followed by use of Avastin alone.

SAN DIEGO — Medication education can help patients with diabetes stay compliant with their medication regimens, according to a new study published in the February issue of the journal Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

CHICAGO — While many consumers tend to choose less expensive products when times are tough, lower-income Hispanics that predominantly speak Spanish tend to buy brand-name personal care products at a higher rate than their English-dominant counterparts, according to recent research by Mintel.

CHICAGO — With many businesses implementing customer reward programs to drive sales, it seems that the ones that promise everyday value and rewards fare better than their counterparts, according to new research.

The Recommendation Index, conducted by marketing agency Zocalo Group and M/A/R/C Research, analyzed 1,000 reward program participants, who were asked about brands they most often positively and negatively recommended, and the attributes they used to make their recommendations.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — A drug used to treat inflammatory diseases improved the conditions of patients with psoriasis that affected the scalp compared with placebo, according to results of a new study.

Amgen and Pfizer on Friday announced the results of the phase-4 study of Enbrel (etanercept), in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis with scaling on the scalp, also known as scalp involvement. Data from the trial will be presented Friday at the 69th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in New Orleans.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — A new chapter officially is under way for CVS Caremark, and it comes as little surprise that the Larry Merlo era has begun with a reminder of the core principles that put him in the captain's seat to begin with — flawless execution, cross-functional thinking and management, and enhancing value.

(THE NEWS: Merlo puts stamp on his leadership in fourth-quarter earnings call. For the full story, click here)