Reuters - Health Report

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Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Five workers exposed to radioactive material at Japan nuclear research facility

TOKYO (Reuters) - Five workers at a nuclear research facility in east Japan were exposed to radioactive material on Tuesday after a bag that contained it burst, the plant's state-run operator said.

AstraZeneca sells migraine drug for up to $302 million

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca continued its program of divesting old medicines on Wednesday with the sale for up to $302 million of migraine drug Zomig to Germany's Grunenthal.

Exclusive: India regulator wants medical devices added to price control list, document shows

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's drug-pricing regulator has asked the health ministry to add four more medical devices to a list of products eligible for price controls to reduce costs to patients, which if agreed could be another blow to the country's $5 billion-a-year medical-technology industry.

WHO ranks antibiotics in a bid to counter drug resistance

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization published a new classification of antibiotics on Tuesday that aims to fight drug resistance, with penicillin-type drugs recommended as the first line of defense and others only for use when absolutely necessary.

Delaware House votes to guarantee abortion rights, in stance against Trump

(Reuters) - The Delaware legislature on Tuesday approved a bill that would guarantee abortion access, taking the stance after President Donald Trump pledged to upend the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows the procedure nationally.

South Korea to cull nearly 190,000 farm bids to contain bird flu

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's agriculture ministry said on Wednesday it has ordered a cull of 186,100 farm birds to prevent the spread of bird flu after more cases of the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu were confirmed.

Anthem to leave Ohio's Obamacare insurance market in 2018

(Reuters) - Anthem Inc, which has urged Republican lawmakers to commit to paying government subsidies for the Obamacare individual health insurance system, on Tuesday announced it would exit most of the Ohio market next year.

Even moderate drinking linked to changes in brain structure, study finds

LONDON (Reuters) - Drinking even moderate amounts of alcohol is linked to changes in brain structure and an increased risk of worsening brain function, scientists said on Tuesday.

Possible ruling soon on Illinois Medicaid payment priority

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A U.S. judge could determine as soon as Tuesday whether Illinois' obligation to make payments to Medicaid providers under a federal consent decree takes precedence over state-mandated payments for debt service, pensions and other priorities.

Georgia investigating spate of opioid painkiller overdoses

(Reuters) - Dozens of drug overdoses, including four fatal ones, in a two-day period in Georgia appear to be linked to potentially lethal substances in opioid painkillers sold on the street, state public health and law enforcement officials said on Tuesday.