Reuters - Health Report

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Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Johnson & Johnson fined 25 million euros by French competition watchdog

PARIS (Reuters) - France's competition authority said on Wednesday it had fined U.S. healthcare group Johnson & Johnson 25 million euros ($29.62 million) relating to a case involving the pain killer product durogesic.

Traffic pollution tied to low-birth-weight risk

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - - Air pollution, but not traffic noise, appears to be linked to an increased risk of having low-birth-weight babies, reports a new study from the UK.

Physicians groups resolve U.S. patient referral probe for over $33 million

(Reuters) - Two physicians groups including one operated by Envision Healthcare Corp will pay over $33 million to resolve claims they received illegal inducements to refer patients to a hospital operator's facilities, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.

Gene therapy developer Orchard Therapeutics raises $110 million

(Reuters) - Orchard Therapeutics said on Wednesday it raised $110 million in the second round of funding as the drug developer looks to launch its gene therapy to treat a rare inherited disorder and beef up manufacturing facilities.

Got sex questions? Google before you ask Siri

(Reuters Health) - - If you need to know how to have sex, use contraception or avoid sexually transmitted infections, you may want to do a Google search before you ask Siri for help, a new suggests.

South Korea's Samsung Bioepis says FDA to review Herceptin copy

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's Samsung Bioepis Co Ltd said on Wednesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review its copy of Swiss drugmaker Roche's blockbuster breast cancer drug Herceptin for potential approval.

One in four gay, lesbian, bisexual teens attempt suicide

(Reuters Health) - - Lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning (LGBQ) teens are more than three times as likely to attempt suicide as their heterosexual peers, a U.S. study suggests.

Pfizer, Exelixis cancer drugs get FDA approval for wider use

(Reuters) - Cancer treatments from Pfizer Inc and Exelixis Inc on Tuesday won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for expanded use in previously untreated patients.

Humana, private equity firms buy Kindred Healthcare for $810 million

(Reuters) - U.S. health insurer Humana Inc and two private equity firms agreed to buy home healthcare and long-term care operator Kindred Healthcare Inc on Tuesday for about $810 million, the latest expansion by an American health insurer into patient care.

U.S. approves first gene therapy for inherited disease

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Spark Therapeutics Inc's treatment for a rare form of blindness, marking the first time the agency has approved a gene therapy for an inherited disease.