Regulatory and Washington

LONDON — Based on its recent analysis of the sleep apnea therapy market, Frost & Sullivan on Wednesday recognized SnooZeal with the 2017 European New Product Innovation Award.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Following its support of a similar measure introduced in the House of Representatives, the National Community Pharmacists Association last week endorsed bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., that would prohibit pharmacy direct and indirect remuneration fees from being applied after the point-of-sale for prescription drugs dispensed to Medicare beneficiaries.

SILVER SPRING, Md.— U.S. District Judge Robert G. James for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana last week entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against Pick and Pay/Cili Minerals, and its owner, Anton Botha, for unlawfully manufacturing and distributing unapproved new drugs, misbranded drugs, adulterated dietary supplements and misbranded dietary supplements.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump nominated Alex Acosta as his choice for Labor Secretary, according to several news reports.

Acosta served as assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division under President George W. Bush, selected by the president in August 2003. He was also a member of the National Labor Relations Board and served as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division. Most recently, he was the dean of Florida International University College of Law.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Target CEO Brian Cornell was among eight retailers who headed to Washington Wednesday to express their disapproval of the proposed Border Adjustment Tax. The group, which also includes Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly, Gap CEO Art Peck and Autozone CEO William Rhodes, met with President Donald Trump, Kevin Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee — responsible for writing taxes — and members of the U.S. Senate.

WASHINGTON — The Generic Pharmaceutical Association on Tuesday unveiled a new national effort to contain the cost of prescription medicines. To help accomplish this goal, the group will now be called the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM).

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked a significant increase in the proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness for the week ended Feb. 4.

ILI nationwide reached 4.8%, well above the national baseline of 2.2% and a sharp uptick in the 3.9% in ILI reported the week prior. All 10 regions reported ILI at or above their region-specific baseline levels, with New York City and 23 states experiencing high ILI activity and 10 states experiencing moderate ILI activity.