Reuters - Health Report

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Thursday, July 13, 2017

FDA panel backs Novartis' pioneering new cancer gene therapy

(Reuters) - Novartis AG's pioneering new cancer drug won enthusiastic support from a federal advisory panel on Wednesday, paving the way for approval of the first U.S. gene therapy.

BASF unveils new mosquito net in battle against malaria

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A new mosquito net made by German chemicals company BASF has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), containing a new class of insecticide that the company hopes will aid the fight against malaria.

U.S. to crack down on opioid treatment programs: Bloomberg

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will unveil this week a major crackdown on healthcare fraud involving opioid treatment programs, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the matter.

U.N. slams warring parties in Yemen for fueling cholera outbreak

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Top United Nations officials on Wednesday slammed the warring parties in Yemen and their international allies for fueling an unprecedented deadly cholera outbreak, driving millions closer to famine and hindering humanitarian aid access.

New York City declares war on rats with $32 million plan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City on Wednesday announced a $32 million plan to reduce the rat population by 70 percent in the city's three most infested neighborhoods by the end of 2018.

Dark hair dye and chemical relaxers linked to breast cancer

(Reuters Health) - African-American and white women who regularly chemically straightened their hair or dyed it dark brown or black had an elevated risk of breast cancer, recent research suggests.

China program to vaccinate poultry against bird flu will be nationwide

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's program to vaccinate poultry against the H7N9 strain of bird flu will be carried out nationwide from this autumn, the country's agriculture ministry said on Monday.

Toxic bacteria often lurk in children’s, dogs’ sandboxes

(Reuters Health) - Playground sandboxes can harbor deadly - and drug resistant - strains of the diarrhea-causing bacterium Clostridum difficile, research in Spain shows.

Antidepressants in pregnancy not tied to intellectual disability in kids

(Reuters Health) - Pregnant women's use of antidepressants does not increase their babies' risk of intellectual disability, a new study suggests.

Long-term, surgery for localized prostate cancer offers little extra benefit

(Reuters Health) - A large new study that has followed prostate cancer patients for up to two decades concludes that surgery is probably not the best option for most men with localized tumors.