Retail Clinics

BOSTON — Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have discovered the reason why influenza may induce asthma attacks among children.

A team led by senior investigator Dale Umets found that the flu can activate a newly recognized group of immune cells called natural helper cells, which prompts asthma attacks to occur. An infection, the team found, stimulates production of a compound called IL-33, which activates natural helper cells, which in turn secrete asthma-inducing compounds.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment for diarrhea caused by a bacterial infection.

The agency announced the approval of Optimer Pharmaceuticals’ Dificid (fidaxomicin) tablets for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, also known as CDAD.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — A milk formula for babies made by Gerber Products can reduce the risk of atopic dermatitis, and Gerber has the Food and Drug Administration’s permission to say so.

Gerber said Thursday that its Good Start milk-based formulas were the first and only infant formulas to meet the FDA’s criteria for a qualified health claim. The partially hydrolyzed formula may reduce a baby’s risk of developing atopic dermatitis in the first year.

MADISON, N.J. — A recent Quest Diagnostics "Health Trends Report" released Wednesday raised the possibility that men have a higher risk for allergies than women or that men, as a function of their gender, require different reporting standards when evaluated for allergies with increasingly used blood tests.

Prior research had suggested just the opposite — that women experienced allergies more frequently than men.

WASHINGTON — CVS Caremark and a panel of health experts explored research findings and the problem of medication nonadherence Thursday morning during CVS Caremark’s first-ever national forum on medication nonadherence at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition and Virgo on Wednesday announced a continuation of their education webinar partnership, offering a minimum of two new webinars in 2011.

The first webinar will take place Sept. 14, with the topic to be announced in June. The second webinar will take place Nov. 8.

Additionally, a provisional date has been reserved for a potential third webinar Dec. 14, CRN stated.

This marks the fifth year that CRN and Virgo have partnered to produce webinars on topics of interest to the dietary supplement industry.

CROMWELL, Conn. — Amerifit Brands on Wednesday launched its Azo PMS product, which has been formulated to help reduce moodiness, irritability and bloating with a variety of ingredients, including high-potency B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, folic acid and two natural herbal blends, the company stated.

SAN DIEGO — HealthPrize Technologies and RealAge will launch a study next month that will test HealthPrize’s medication adherence technologies on patients taking asthma medications, the two companies said Wednesday.

HealthPrize is the creator of an Internet and mobile app that uses behavioral economics and gaming dynamics to improve medication adherence, while RealAge is a health website that uses the RealAge Test to assess a person’s mortality risk based on health-related factors.