Reuters Health News Summary

08/11/2016 0:59

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Brain chemical dopamine bounces back after quitting smoking

The brain makes less dopamine, a chemical involved in both pleasure and addiction, when people smoke but this temporary deficit may be reversed when smokers kick the habit, a small experiment suggests. "It is assumed that the brain adapts to the repeated nicotine-induced release of dopamine by producing less dopamine," said lead study author Dr. Lena Rademacher of Lubeck University in Germany.

Consumer groups press Yum's KFC to tighten antibiotic rules

Consumer groups will deliver a petition from more than 350,000 people to the KFC restaurant chain on Wednesday, calling on the Yum Brands Inc unit to stop the routine use of antibiotics by the companies that supply its chicken. Several fast-food restaurants, which have been under fire for selling unhealthy meals, are assuming the role of public health change agent by forcing their respective meat suppliers to adopt new practices aimed at keeping vital antibiotics working.

AstraZeneca bets another $140 million on Moderna's 'messenger' drugs

AstraZeneca has invested another $140 million in Moderna Therapeutics, the U.S. biotech "unicorn" which already has a cash pile of around $1 billion and is developing drugs based on a molecule known as messenger RNA. The British drugmaker said on Wednesday that the new investment, part of a preferred-stock financing, lifted its stake in Moderna to 9 percent. AstraZeneca first invested in Moderna in 2013.

Parents who insist on vegan diet for children may risk jail in Italy

If parliamentarian Elvira Savino has her way, Italian parents who insist on a vegan diet for their children will risk up to four years in jail. Savino, from the conservative Forza Italia party, has put forward a law that would hold parents legally responsible for feeding their children on "a diet devoid of elements essential for healthy and balanced growth," according to its text.

U.S. panel says not enough evidence to support lipid screenings for kids

A U.S. government-backed panel says there is not enough evidence to say all children should have blood tests to check for high levels of fat-like substances known as lipids. The statement from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is similar to the conclusion it reached in 2007, when members of the panel last considered screening all children for lipid disorders.

Lilly breast cancer drug stumbles, but trial continues

U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co on Wednesday said it would continue a late-stage trial of its experimental breast cancer drug in combination with a widely used treatment even though an independent panel determined the combination therapy failed to meet its interim effectiveness goal. The independent data monitoring committee recommended the trial continue without modification through the first half of 2017 despite the fact that its interim look at the data suggested the combination treatment was not delaying progression of the disease.

Women in combat, like men, at risk for PTSD

Women in the military who experience combat have a much greater risk than those who don't of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues, a U.S. study suggests. Compared to their peers without any combat exposure, enlisted women who had just one combat experience were over four times more likely to screen positive for PTSD in post-deployment exams, the study found.

U.S. to allow more marijuana research: sources

The U.S. government will announce on Thursday that it will allow more research into marijuana but has rejected requests to relax the classification of the substance as a dangerous, highly addictive drug with no medical use, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. The decision is the Drug Enforcement Administration's response to a 2011 petition by two former state governors who had urged federal agencies to re-classify marijuana as a drug with accepted medical uses, the two sources said on Wednesday. They requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

FDA approves Heron's therapy for chemotherapy-induced nausea

Heron Therapeutics Inc's twice-rejected long-acting injection to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting was finally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, marking the biotech's first regulatory approval. The Redwood City, California-based company's shares rose as much as 21 percent to $24 on Wednesday.

Florida says four new locally transmitted Zika cases, Congress must act on funds

Florida has four new cases of people likely infected with Zika through mosquito bites in Miami, Governor Rick Scott said on Tuesday, as he urged Congress to reconvene and approve additional money to combat the virus. The additional cases are all in a one-square mile area in Miami-Dade County that includes Miami's Wynwood district, Scott said, bringing the total of locally transmitted cases in the state to 21.

08/11/2016 0:59