Reuters Health News Summary

08/17/2016 16:58

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Guatemala confirms first case of newborn with microcephaly linked to Zika

Guatemalan authorities on Wednesday confirmed the Central American country's first case of a baby born with microcephaly linked to Zika. Carlos Mejia, director of the infectious diseases department at Guatemala City's Hospital Roosevelt, said two other suspected cases were also being analyzed.

WHO appoints former NY mayor Bloomberg as global health ambassador

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday appointed the philanthropist and former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg as a global health ambassador to help governments tackle chronic diseases such as diabetes, stroke, cancer and heart disease. Bloomberg, who has a track record in public health policies such as tobacco control, soda taxes and injury prevention, will work with national and local politicians to highlight the heavy economic and health burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), United Nations health agency said.

Thousands queue in Congo for emergency yellow fever vaccinations

Thousands of people in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa queued up on Wednesday for emergency yellow fever vaccinations aimed at limiting one of the worst outbreaks in decades that has killed hundreds in the region this year. Makeshift clinics in churches and schools opened across the densely populated city of over 10 million and in other areas bordering Angola, part of a World Health Organization-led (WHO)campaign against an epidemic that has mostly affected Angola.

J&J says court finds Remicade patent invalid

Johnson & Johnson said a U.S. court had held its patent for autoimmune drug Remicade invalid, ruling in favor of two companies seeking to bring a cheaper version of the blockbuster drug to market. Remicade, J&J's biggest product, had $6.6 billion in sales last year. The drug's patent will lapse in September 2018.

Aetna warned it would cut Obamacare if Humana deal was blocked

Aetna Inc warned in July that it would exit much of the individual Obamacare health insurance market if the government challenged its deal to buy rival Humana Inc, according to a letter it sent to the U.S. Department of Justice. The public release of the letter came after Aetna said on Monday that it would pull out of selling individual insurance on the government-run websites in 11 states, citing financial losses on the business.

Tobacco companies get partial win in FDA labeling fight

Tobacco companies notched a partial victory in a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's authority to require pre-clearance for tobacco products with changed labels or quantities. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday vacated part of an FDA directive stating tobacco companies may need the agency's clearance to market products with significant labeling modifications, such as a change in color or logo.

More evidence ties insurance coverage to cancer survival

In two new studies, U.S. cancer patients who are uninsured or have government-sponsored Medicaid insurance for the poor tend to be diagnosed later, receive less optimal treatment and survive for a shorter time than people with private health insurance. In one study of testicular germ cell cancer, which usually afflicts young men, 10 percent of patients were uninsured and 13 percent had Medicaid. They were 26 percent and 62 percent, respectively, more likely than men with other insurance to have metastatic disease - cancer that had spread by the time it was diagnosed. They were also less likely to undergo lymph node dissection.

Exclusive: Merck enters race for cancer drugmaker Medivation - sources

Merck & Co Inc is one of at least five pharmaceutical companies that submitted indications of interest in buying U.S. cancer drug company Medivation Inc earlier this month, according to people familiar with the matter. The strong interest in Medivation illustrates how demand for new cancer treatments, which can possibly add years to patients' lives, could mean billions of dollars in revenue to the companies that own them.

Calcium supplements tied to higher dementia risk for some women

Some older women who take calcium supplements commonly recommended to ward off age-related bone damage may face an increased risk of developing dementia, a small study suggests. The heightened dementia risk appears limited to women who have had a stroke or suffer from other disorders that affect blood flow to the brain, researchers report in the journal Neurology.

Turkey's investigation into drugmaker Novartis 'ongoing': official

Turkey's investigation into Novartis is "ongoing," a Turkish health ministry official told Reuters on Thursday, after the Swiss drugmaker said last week it was not under investigation over bribery allegations in Turkey. The Ankara chief prosecutor's office had said in April it was investigating the Turkish unit of Novartis after allegations were made that the company benefited from bribery.

08/17/2016 16:58