News Briefs

Clif Kid Zbar is expanding its organic, whole-grain energy snack bar line with a brand-new flavor addition.

The Emeryville, Calif.-based company is releasing a new blueberry muffin flavor, made to be reminiscent of a blueberry muffin straight from the oven.

Made with organic, non-GMO ingredients, the easily storable and portable bar contains 12 g of whole grains from organic oats and organic wild blueberries, the company said.

“Clif Kid is thrilled to roll out our brand new Zbar blueberry muffin flavor. It’s the perfect addition to our expansive portfolio of Zbar flavors that kids crave and parents trust,” said Valerie Van Arkel, senior brand manager at Clif Kid. “Summer break is for playing, adventuring and making priceless family memories, and Clif Kid Zbar blueberry muffin flavor is the perfect energy snack to accompany all the fun of childhood summers.”

Retailing for $5.49, Clif Kid Zbar’s blueberry muffin flavor is available at such retailers as Target, Kroger, Meijer, Wegmans, Stop & Shop, Hannaford, Hy-Vee and Raley’s, as well as online.

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, or CHPA, announced Lisa Paley as Chair-elect of the CHPA Board of Directors.

Paley will assume the position of board chair in March 2023, when current CHPA board chair Michelle Goodridge, president, U.S. Self Care, Johnson & Johnson Consumer, concludes her chairmanship. 

At its June meeting in Washington, CHPA also welcomed two new manufacturer members to its board of directors, including Kristin Recchiuti, CEO of Advantice Health, and Paul Wood, executive vice president, chief commercial officer and executive vice president, U.S. sales of Church & Dwight.

“I am delighted to welcome Kristin and Paul as our two newest board members,” said Scott Melville, president and CEO of CHPA, “and to congratulate Lisa on her appointment as chair-elect. Collectively, these individuals bring decades of consumer healthcare experience to our board that will help guide the association during these exciting times for self-care in the world’s largest market. I look forward to continuing to work together with each of them as we shape the industry we want for the future.”

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association is the national trade association representing the leading manufacturers and marketers of consumer healthcare products, including over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements and consumer medical devices.

Wonderbelly is looking to change the way people deal with their digestive health by launching its flagship product — Wonderbelly Antacid.

The better-for-you, over-the-counter heartburn medication is formulated to treat heartburn, acid reflux and acid digestion symptoms, the company said.

Made with non-GMO and gluten-free ingredients, the antacid does not contain talc, artificial dyes or flavors, common allergens, or artificial sweeteners.

Inspired by co-founder Lucas Kraft’s journey with an eating disorder and subsequently suffering from long-lasting gut issues, his brother Noah Kraft worked alongside him to create a better, more thoughtful and tastier alternative to other products out on the market, the company said.

Available in three flavors — Strawberry Milkshake, Citrus Mint and Watermelon Mint — Wonderbelly Antacid comes in plastic-free packaging and retails for $14.99 per bottle. 

Coram, CVS Specialty Infusion Services, in Albany, N.Y. is set to close its doors at 12 Jupiter Lane.

In a notice on June 1, the New York State Department of Labor’s Office of dislocated workers program stated that the business will be permanently closing its Albany facility, affecting a total of 70 employees.

Separations will occur during the 14-day period starting on Sept. 4, 2022. The closing date is Sept. 18, 2022, according to the NYS Department of Labor.

The department cited "economic" as the reason for the closure of the clinic.

Commenting on the closure, a CVS spokesperson provided the following statement, "As the leading health solutions company, we use our unique combination of assets to lower costs, increase access to care and improve health outcomes. We regularly review operations to focus resources as efficiently as possible and pivot when necessary to invest in healthcare services and solutions that will make the greatest impact. After a recent review, we’ve decided to focus more resources on patients who receive infusion services for specialty medications and limit the delivery of acute infusion services (such as infused antibiotics and total parenteral nutrition)."

The statement continued, "As a result, we are closing the Coram pharmacy location in Albany, New York. Patient safety and continuity of care remain of utmost importance to us. We have a comprehensive transition plan in place for any patient affected by these changes. A dedicated team will work directly with impacted patients to help them find a new provider and seamlessly transition their care."

"We will also work to help any impacted colleagues find other suitable roles within Coram or CVS Health and will provide career transition support for those who are not able to do so," CVS Health said. 

The statement concluded, "The market for infusion services for specialty medications continues to see sustained growth. Coram has been a leading provider of infusion services for specialty medication for over 30 years and is uniquely positioned to continue to meet the needs of this growing market and service our patients in a more targeted, resourced way."

There’s a brand-new Twix bar hitting shelves this year.

The Newark, N.J.-based company is showcasing its new cookie dough bar, which features a creamy cookie dough-flavored layer, chocolate cookie bits and a milk chocolate coating.

Although the bar will officially be available for purchase in December, Twix is giving away 1,000 exclusive first-taste samples to Mars candy fans in celebration of National Cookie Dough Day on June 21.

“Mars is thrilled to announce Twix cookie dough as our newest flavor innovation,” said Michelle Deignan, Mars Wrigley senior brand director. “Twix cookie dough is the perfect mashup of two fan favorites — our classic Twix bar and the nostalgic flavors of cookie dough — all wrapped into one. We're looking forward to making superfans happy with an exclusive first taste now, in celebration of National Cookie Dough Day, and then to sharing Twix cookie dough with all fans when it hits shelves later this year.”

In December, Twix’s cookie dough bar will be available in a 1.36-oz. single size bar, 2.27-oz. share bar and minis stand-up pouches.

The Food and Drug Administration has granted Eli Lilly permission for Olumiant (baricitinib) oral tablets to treat adult patients with severe alopecia areata, a disorder that often appears as patchy baldness and affects more than 300,000 people in the United States. each year.

Today's action marks the first FDA approval of a systemic treatment, which treats the entire body rather than a specific location,) for alopecia areata.

"Access to safe and effective treatment options is crucial for the significant number of Americans affected by severe alopecia," said Kendall Marcus, director of the division of dermatology and dentistry in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Today's approval will help fulfill a significant unmet need for patients with severe alopecia areata."

“There is a significant unmet medical need for people with alopecia areata given there has never been an FDA-approved medicine," said Patrik Jonsson, Lilly's senior vice president, president of Lilly Immunology and Lilly USA, and chief customer officer. "Our mission is to make life better for people living with debilitating immune-mediated diseases, and we’re delighted about what this medicine, as a first-in-disease treatment, can mean for adults with severe alopecia areata.”  

Alopecia areata, commonly referred to as just alopecia, is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own hair follicles, causing hair to fall out, often in clumps. Olumiant is a Janus kinase inhibitor that blocks the activity of one or more of a specific family of enzymes, interfering with the pathway that leads to inflammation.

Olumiant was originally approved in 2018 as a treatment for certain adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis. Olumiant also is approved for the treatment of COVID-19 in certain hospitalized adults.