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Retailers looking to move plasma TV's
Hanging stockings by the chimney with care? Retailers hope that St. Nicholas soon will be there -- to hang a 42-inch plasma-screen TV. As prices drop for high-end televisions, sales are leaping. Retailers expect to sell twice as many plasma-screen televisions and three times as many LCD televisions this year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association...
Forbes

Safeway to invest in marketing in 2005
Safeway has said it plans to spend more on brand building and other marketing investments in 2005 as it tries to boost sales. For the year 2005, the company said it is expecting earnings per share of $1.50 to $1.60, excluding the expensing of stock options. The company said it anticipates a gradual strike recovery at its Southern California chain Vons. In 2005, the Vons strike is projected to have an impact on earnings of approximately 20 cents per share compared to pre-strike results...
just-food

Additional News:

• Grocer Winn-Dixie to name new CEO Yahoo/Reuters
• A&P reorganization targets significant cost reductions Progressive Grocer
• Food Lion named Retailer of the Year by Progressive Grocer Retail Merchandiser
• Costco Q1 revenue up 10%; comps up 7% Retail Merchandiser

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Bextra label updated with boxed warning
The FDA this week announced important new information on side effects associated with the use of Bextra, a COX-2 selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which is indicated for the treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and dysmenorrhea. A "boxed" warning, strengthening previous warnings about the risk of life-threatening skin reactions and a new bolded warning contraindicating the use of Bextra in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery will be added to the label...
FDA

Eli Lilly CEO Taurel: 'Our company is not for sale'
Eli Lilly & Co. isn't for sale and a merger with another pharmaceutical company will not happen, said Sidney Taurel, chairman and chief executive. "Our company is not for sale," Taurel said on CNBC Thursday. Taurel, speaking minutes reaffirming fourth-quarter and full-year guidance, said his company's pipeline is healthy and that "we should be producing growth at the top end of our industry for the near future."
Morningstar

Additional News:

• Andrx gets FDA OK for generic Monopril Yahoo/AP
• Lilly sees 2005 profit in line with views CNBC
• Ivax gets tentative generic Zoloft OK CNBC
• Alzheimer drug may also help Parkinson's patients Reuters
• New drug approved for the treatment of pain in osteoarthritis of the knee Facts & Comparisons

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Folic acid supplements linked to breast cancer risk in prelim data
Pregnant women who take folic acid supplements to protect their babies from birth defects may also increase their long-term risk of breast cancer, according to preliminary data published in BMJ. The report, making headlines across global media today, raises doubts about the safety of one of the most widely used and longest established supplements in pregnancy. But the researchers say women should not yet stop taking the supplements...
NutraIngredients

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Eucerin develops skin care line to fight facial redness
Looking to help those women who suffer from facial redness, Eucerin, a Beiersdorf brand, is bringing to the mass market a new skin care system designed to provide immediate redness relief and improve the condition of visibly red skin in four weeks. The products will be available in March in CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Duane Reade, Eckerd, Brooks, Osco Savon and Longs Drug Stores. The suggested retail price will range from $8.99 to $14.99...
Drug Store News (Sub Req'd)

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Cott Corp. taps former Pepsico exec for lead role
Cott Corp., the world's largest retailer-brand soft drink supplier, announced former PepsiCo executive Robert Flaherty has been named president of Cott’s U.S. business unit, and executive vice president of Cott Corp., effective beginning Jan. 3. Flaherty's experience includes 18 years at PepsiCo and Pepsi Bottling Group, where his executive responsibilities ranged across finance, strategic planning, and sales and marketing, to general management of a number of the soft drink maker’s U.S. business units. Most recently, he ran a consulting firm, providing services to corporate clients and private equity firms...
Drug Store News (Sub Req'd) | Canada.com

Kraft sells UK dessert biz
Kraft Foods Inc. said Thursday it agreed to sell its U.K. desserts business to Premier Foods PLC for $135 million. Kraft said the transaction, which is subject to required approvals, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2005. In the deal Premier, a U.K.-based supplier of ambient grocery products, will receive the Bird's, Angel Delight and Dream Topping brands, which generated 2003 annual revenues of $72 million...
Food Ingredients First

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CVS to carry prepaid music download cards
CVS will sell prepaid music download cards, possibly in time for this holiday season. The Virgin Digital Music Download Cards will be available in increments of $14.85, which buys 15 song downloads through the Virgin Digital Megastore, which offers more than 1 million different tracks from which to choose. After purchasing the cards, consumers will receive a redemption code printed on their receipt to be used for downloads...
Drug Store News (Sub Req'd)

Paper Mate inks deal for new printer cartridges
Paper Mate inked a licensing deal with Legacy Manufacturing, LLC to produce a new line of inkjet printer cartridges under the AccuSharp brand name. The national rollout will begin January 2005, and products will begin shipping to retail by mid-January. "We know this will shake up the inkjet market," said Rory Leyden, president of Sanford, makers of Paper Mate products. "Consumers want a reasonably priced and reliable alternative to expensive inkjet cartridges...
Drug Store News (Sub Req'd) | PRNewswire

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Web site compares drugs for 'best buys'
The publisher of Consumer Reports launched a free Web site Thursday to do for prescription drugs what it has already done for cars, refrigerators and other gadgets: rate them on safety, effectiveness and cost. The first-of-a-kind Web site -- crbestbuydrugs.org -- compares drugs for high cholesterol, pain relief and heartburn, choosing a "best buy" in each category. In the next two years, 20 categories of drugs will be analyzed...
USA Today

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