Reuters - Health Report

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Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Cigarette filters may increase lung cancer risk

Cigarette filters, introduced decades ago to reduce the amount of tar smokers inhale, also alter other properties of smoke and smoking in a way that raises the risk of lung cancer, researchers say.

AstraZeneca asthma shot hits goal but diabetes drug lags rival

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca's experimental injection for severe asthma cut substantially the need for patients to take problematic oral steroid drugs in a late-stage study, boosting hopes for a medicine that is expected to reach the market later this year.

Trump administration wants Obamacare subsidy case put on hold, again

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration asked on Monday that a major federal court case weighing the fate of the Obamacare cost-sharing subsidies be put on hold again, leaving billions of dollars in payments to insurers up in the air for 2017 and 2018.

Heart safety clouds hopes for Amgen, UCB bone drug approval

(Reuters) - Amgen Inc and UCB SA no longer expect their experimental osteoporosis drug to win U.S. approval this year after a higher rate of serious heart-related side effects were observed in a late-stage clinical trial.

Novo Nordisk looks to expand Latin American obesity business

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is looking to expand its obesity business in Latin America on the back of "phenomenal" performance by its new anti-obesity injection Saxenda, a senior company official said on Monday.

UK competition watchdog accuses Merck of obstructing biosimilars

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's competition watchdog on Tuesday accused Merck & Co of operating an anti-competitive discount scheme for its medicine Remicade, designed to restrict competition from so-called biosimilar copies of the drug.

Regeneron, Sanofi rheumatoid arthritis drug wins U.S. approval

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi's biotech drug for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, the two companies said on Monday.

Japan to bring forward target for increased generic drug use: sources

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will bring forward a target to boost the use of generic drugs by six months to September 2020, two government sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.

Older doctors tied to higher patient death rates

Within the same hospital, elderly patients had higher death rates when they were treated by older physicians than when younger doctors cared for them, a recent study concludes.

Chileans grow own medical marijuana as weed ban loosens

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chileans are increasingly growing their own cannabis for medical purposes as the conservative South American nation begins loosening legal prohibitions on the formerly illegal plant.