Reuters - Health Report

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Monday, December 18, 2017

Tiny stem cell companies close in on major heart disease goals

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The early hope that stem cell therapy would make the paralyzed walk, the blind see and cure diabetes have given way to a long list of failures, highlighted by early stem cell champion Geron Corp abandoning the field in 2011.

U.S. employers say CVS-Aetna deal would affect health-benefits decisions: survey

NEW YORK (Reuters) - CVS Corp’s proposed purchase of Aetna Inc will affect decision-making by a majority of large and mid-size U.S. corporations on employee health benefits, a survey by benefits consultant Aon Plc found.

Roche, Shire court fight escalates over haemophilia drug

ZURICH (Reuters) - Roche's patent dispute with London-listed Shire over the Swiss drugmaker's new haemophilia drug Hemlibra has escalated, with Shire filing a new motion in a U.S. court that Roche says aims to stop some patients from getting its medicine.

Hamburger chain Wendy's to reduce antibiotic use in beef supply

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Hamburger chain Wendy's Co laid out plans on Friday to trim the use of antibiotics that are important to human medicine from its beef supply, the latest step by a food company to fight concerns about resistance to the drugs in people.

Judge blocks Trump administration rules on contraceptive coverage

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday blocked President Donald Trump's administration from moving forward with new rules that undermined an Obamacare requirement for employers to provide health insurance that covers women's birth control.

Ebola victims sue Sierra Leone government over mismanaged funds

FREETOWN (Reuters) - Two Ebola survivors in Sierra Leone filed a lawsuit in a regional court on Friday, accusing the government of mismanaging funds during an epidemic that killed more than 3,000 people in the West African nation.

Germany's Merck in fresh bid to enter U.S. MS pill market

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's Merck KGaA is reviving plans to bring an oral multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment to the U.S. market, hoping for blockbuster sales despite regulatory concerns about side effects having frustrated its ambitions almost seven years ago.

Cannabis ingredient holds promise as antipsychotic medicine

LONDON (Reuters) - An ingredient in cannabis called cannabidiol or CBD has shown promise in a clinical trial as a potential new treatment for psychosis, scientists said on Friday.

Chinese tourists raid Danish supermarkets for infant milk powder

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Following a string of food safety scandals, Chinese tourists visiting Copenhagen have this year stocked up on Danish-made organic infant milk formula, prompting some supermarkets to limit the number of cans each customer can buy.

Sleep problems tied to female infertility

(Reuters Health) - Women with sleep disorders other than sleep apnea may be more than three times as likely to experience infertility as their counterparts who don’t have trouble sleeping, a recent study suggests.