Reuters Health News Summary

08/05/2016 8:57

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Scientists rehash evidence on sunscreen and skin cancer

There isn't much evidence to conclusively prove that daily sunscreen use can prevent most skin cancers, a research review concludes. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't use sunscreen, doctors say. It just means it's unethical to do experiments testing the effectiveness of sunscreen by randomly assigning some people to use it and others to skip it.

Exclusive : Wendy's to ban chickens with human antibiotics by 2017

Wendy's Co, the fifth-largest U.S. fast-food chain by revenue, will quit using chickens raised with antibiotics important to human health by 2017, the company told Reuters on Thursday. Fast-food industry leader McDonald's Corp on Monday said it had completed its shift to using only using chickens raised without antibiotics important to human medicine, months ahead of its estimated March 2017 target.

Pentagon says 33 U.S. military personnel infected with Zika

Thirty-three members of the U.S. military, including a pregnant woman, are believed to have contracted the mosquito-borne Zika virus overseas, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. Air Force Major Ben Sakrisson, a Pentagon spokesman, said the U.S. service members are believed to have been infected outside the continental United States, but cautioned that it is hard to tell where exactly they may have contracted Zika.

Can a portable device make biotech drugs on demand?

A portable system that produces tiny batches of biotech drugs might one day help get crucial medicines and vaccines to remote villages and war-torn regions where they're desperately needed, scientists hope. While the manufacturing process is still experimental and may not be cheap, it could provide a way to produce single doses of medicines and vaccines on demand - even in places where biotech drugs are often unavailable because they are difficult to transport and store.

U.S. panel backs approval of Egalet's abuse-resistant painkiller

A U.S. advisory panel on Thursday recommended approval of Egalet Corp's long-acting opioid painkiller, Arymo ER, saying it dulls pain and could deter abuse by addicts seeking a quick high. The panel recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FAD) approve the drug and said it deters, but does not eliminate, the risk of abuse if addicts try to snort, chew or inject it.

Cephalon, U.S. states reach $125 million settlement over generic drugs

Cephalon has reached a $125 million settlement with 48 states in connection with its alleged efforts to delay generic versions of its blockbuster sleep disorder drug Provigil from entering the market, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said on Thursday. The settlement with Cephalon, now owned by Teva Pharmaceuticals, comes a little more than a year after the company struck a $1.2 billion parallel settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.

Gender predicts how athletes interact after game

Male pro-athletes may linger on peaceful or even loving touches after a match, while female athletes don't tend to embrace as heartily, according to a study of four sports with players from 44 countries. The researchers studied match and post-match video of pro tennis, table tennis, badminton and boxing, sourced from YouTube, the International Table Tennis Federation vault and the Badminton Link vault.

New York attorney general says fake Zika protection claims swiftly dropped

New York state's top prosecutor said on Thursday six companies have agreed to stop marketing products with claims that they can protect users from the mosquito-born Zika virus, just a day after his office sent them cease-and-desist letters. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman sent the letters to seven companies on Wednesday, warning them to stop touting bogus "Zika-preventative" products, ranging from wristbands and patches using botanical oils to ultrasonic devices.

Spraying by air for mosquitoes, Florida steps up Zika fight

Florida began aerial spraying on Thursday to kill mosquitoes in a Miami neighborhood with the first U.S. spread of the Zika virus that can cause a rare but devastating birth defect. Beginning at dawn, Miami-Dade County authorities sprayed droplets of an insecticide called Naled, marking their first aerial mission since local transmission of Zika was confirmed in an area of about a square mile (2.6 square kms) around the trendy Wynwood arts district near downtown Miami.

Obama, Senate Democrats urge Zika funding vote as reserves run low

President Barack Obama on Thursday said it was time for Congress to lay aside politics and to act to provide additional money to combat the Zika virus before government funding dries up. "Our experts at the CDC, the folks on the front lines have been doing their best in making due by moving funds from other areas, but now the money we need to fight Zika is rapidly running out," Obama said at a press conference at the Pentagon.

08/05/2016 8:57