Reuters Health News Summary

09/14/2016 16:55

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Spectrum bladder cancer drug not effective: U.S. FDA panel

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc's experimental bladder cancer treatment apaziquone is not effective in delaying the time to recurrence of the disease, an advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded on Wednesday. Spectrum's shares fell 6.2 percent to $5.15.

U.N. panel challenges market-based approach to drug R&D

The world cannot rely solely on free markets to deliver medicines needed by billions of people in poor countries, so governments should commit to a legally binding convention to coordinate and fund research and development. That's the conclusion of a major United Nations report, which is bound to stir fierce debate between supporters of the current market-based system of drug development and those favoring a greater role for the state.

Asterias stem cell therapy shows promise in spinal cord paralysis: U.S. study

An experimental stem cell therapy developed by Asterias Biotherapeutics restored some movement to patients paralyzed by recent spinal cord injuries, according to interim data from a small study being presented on Wednesday. One of the five patients in the trial regained use of both arms and hands, and is now able to feed himself, send texts on a phone and operate a wheelchair, the Fremont, California-based company said.

Parents may misuse results of infant genetic testing

When parents find out their newborn carries a gene mutation linked to cystic fibrosis, many use the information unexpectedly or inappropriately, according to a new study. More than 30,000 people in the U.S. are living with cystic fibrosis, an inherited condition causing mucus buildup in the lungs, lung infections and difficulty breathing, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Two copies of the mutated gene, one from each parent, are normally required to cause the disease.

Flint residents seek bottled water delivery as lead exposure persists

Residents of Flint, Michigan, on Wednesday asked a federal judge to order bottled water or filters be provided to them to prevent further lead exposure, 2-1/2 years after the city's water supply was found to be contaminated. Attorneys for residents and for advocacy groups Concerned Pastors for Social Action, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan argued in U.S. District Court in Detroit that the city and state should be required to deliver bottled water to people's homes or launch a program to install water filters.

Bayer's Monsanto acquisition to face politically charged scrutiny

As the global agricultural sector races to consolidate, Bayer AG's $66 billion all-cash deal to acquire Monsanto Co will test growing political and consumer unease in the United States and abroad over the future of food production. Bayer's pesticide-focused agricultural business has few overlaps with Monsanto's dominant seed franchise, according to the companies' executives. Still, marrying two of the world's top farm suppliers, at a time when rivals are also merging, is fueling concern over fewer players competing in the $100 billion global market.

Scottish nurse who had Ebola cleared of hiding symptom

A Scottish nurse who contracted Ebola while caring for patients in Sierra Leone was cleared on Wednesday of allegations that she had put the public at risk by hiding the fact that she had a raised temperature when she returned to Britain. Pauline Cafferkey, 40, was infected in 2014, during an outbreak of the highly contagious disease that killed more than 11,300 people in three West African countries.

Shire's treatment for primary immunodeficiency wins FDA approval

Shire Plc said the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its treatment for patients with primary immunodeficiency, a group of genetic disorders in which part of the body's immune system is missing or functions improperly. The drug, Cuvitru, is already approved in 17 European countries, and the company expects to launch it in the United States in the coming weeks, Shire said on Wednesday.

Switch to public insurance tied to shorter survival after heart transplant

When health insurance changes after a heart transplant, so do survival odds, according to a U.S. study. Patients who switch from private to public insurance, like Medicare or Medicaid, have shorter lifespans than those who stay with private insurance in the year after the transplant, researchers found. At the same time, people who had public insurance and switched to private in the year after surgery improved their survival odds.

France to lift bird flu restriction zone on Thursday

France will lift a restriction zone on Thursday it imposed late last year in the country's southwest to stop the spread of a bird flu virus that prompted trade restrictions on French poultry products, it said on Wednesday. France, the European Union's largest agricultural producer, imposed stricter controls and then banned all duck and goose production in 17 administrative departments, to contain a highly pathogenic bird flu outbreak that spread throughout southwestern France.

09/14/2016 16:55