Reuters - Health Report

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Thursday, February 8, 2018

U.S. FDA approves Gilead triple HIV drug, rival files lawsuit

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Biktarvy, Gilead Sciences Inc's once-daily, triple-combination tablet for treatment of HIV infection, paving the way for the biotech company to capture more of the multibillion-dollar HIV drug market.

Drugmaker GSK wins fresh Advair reprieve as Novartis copy delayed

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline has won another reprieve for its blockbuster Advair lung drug after U.S. regulators delayed approval of a generic copy from Novartis's Sandoz division.

Norovirus outbreak worsens though athletes unaffected

PYEONGCHANG (Reuters) - The number of people struck down by a virus causing vomiting and diarrhoea at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics has more than doubled to 86, though athletes remain unaffected, the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.

U.S. senators ask FDA to reject Philip Morris' iQOS application

WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Ten U.S. senators called on the Food and Drug Administration to reject Philip Morris International Inc's application to market its iQOS smoking device as being less risky than cigarettes, according to a letter to the agency's commissioner.

Exclusive: States need U.S. help to protect drug-affected infants - GAO

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The federal government needs to take more steps to help states protect infants born affected by drugs such as opioids, the U.S. Government Accountability Office says in a new report released Wednesday.

GlaxoSmithKline sees light at end of Advair tunnel

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline sees growth strengthening over the next few years as the drugmaker weathers increased competition in its core respiratory and HIV businesses that could cause earnings to dip this year.

Sanofi's return to profit growth this year slower than hoped

PARIS (Reuters) - Sanofi forecast on Wednesday a return to profit growth this year, but its shares fell as analysts had hoped for a bigger boost from recent deals and a revamped drugs pipeline.

Saudi Arabia temporarily bans poultry imports from India over bird flu

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has temporarily banned imports of live birds, hatching eggs and chicks from India after a form of bird flu that is highly lethal for poultry was found in the south Asian country, the Saudi agriculture ministry said on Thursday.

Many breast cancer survivors may die of heart disease, doctors warn

(Reuters Health) - The same advances in breast cancer treatment that have dramatically improved survival in recent years have also left a growing number of women vulnerable to potentially fatal cardiovascular problems, the American Heart Association warns.

Common drug for PTSD doesn’t stem nightmares, sleep problems in veterans

(Reuters Health) - The blood pressure drug prazosin, widely prescribed to relieve symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has failed to show it can reduce distressing dreams or improve sleep quality in a trial of 304 military veterans at 13 Veterans Affairs medical centers.