Reuters - Health Report

Click to View in Browser

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Roche's star cancer drug stumbles in study, raising doubts about future

ZURICH (Reuters) - Roche's Tecentriq immuno-oncology drug failed a late-stage follow-up trial against advanced bladder cancer, the Swiss drugmaker said on Wednesday, raising questions about whether regulators could scale back their approval of the medicine.

AstraZeneca asthma drug fails, after similar setback at Roche

(Reuters) - An experimental biotech drug for severe asthma from AstraZeneca failed to meet its goal of significantly reducing attacks in a late-stage study, dealing a blow to an approach that had already run into problems at Roche .

Pfizer immuno-oncology drug wins U.S. approval for bladder cancer

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators on Tuesday granted accelerated approval for Pfizer Inc's immuno-oncology drug Bavencio to treat advanced bladder cancer, marking the second approval in less than two months for the treatment developed along with Germany's Merck KGaA.

Infant mortality and malaria soar in Venezuela, according to government data

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's infant mortality rose 30 percent last year, maternal mortality shot up 65 percent and cases of malaria jumped 76 percent, according to government data, sharp increases reflecting how the country's deep economic crisis has hammered at citizens' health.

Delaware legislature moves to guarantee abortion access in Trump era

(Reuters) - The Delaware state Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would keep abortion legal in the state if a future U.S. Supreme Court shaped by President Donald Trump overturns the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized it nationally.

Obamacare spared some families from medical financial catastrophe

(Reuters Health) - Americans who bought health insurance on their own or in government marketplaces were less likely to go broke from the strain of medical costs under Obamacare than before the law took effect.

New CERN particle accelerator may help both doctors and art sleuths

GENEVA (Reuters) - A new particle accelerator unveiled at CERN, the European physics research center, is expected to spawn portable accelerators that could help doctors treat cancer patients and experts analyze artwork.

Sanofi pegs U.S. drug price rises to below healthcare inflation

(Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi has pledged to peg U.S. drug price rises to below healthcare inflation in a move that limits increases for any product this year to 5.4 percent, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Bullied teens more likely to smoke, drink and use drugs

(Reuters Health) - Children who are bullied in fifth grade are more likely to become depressed and experiment with drugs and alcohol during their teen years than their peers who weren’t victimized by other kids, a U.S. study suggests.

Cotton-tip swabs send dozens of kids to the ER every day

(Reuters Health) - Almost three dozen children end up in U.S. hospital emergency departments every day thanks to injuries that result from using cotton-tipped swabs to clean their ears, according to a new study.