Reuters - Health Report

Click to View in Browser

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Trump struggles to win over moderate Republicans on healthcare overhaul

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Time was running short for President Donald Trump to attract enough votes to pass a new bill to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system this week as Republican party moderates held out, fearing a backlash from voters worried about losing insurance benefits.

U.S. blacks living longer, but health gaps persist: CDC study

ATLANTA (Reuters) - African-Americans are generally living longer than in 2000, but health disparities mean they are still more likely to die at a younger age on average than whites, a federal study showed on Tuesday.

AstraZeneca boosts early respiratory medicine with Pieris deal

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca boosted its early-stage respiratory medicine pipeline on Wednesday by signing a deal with Pieris Pharmaceuticals to develop novel inhaled drugs that could fight asthma in new ways.

White House seeks quick vote on healthcare overhaul but hurdles remain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top aides to President Donald Trump on Monday predicted the House of Representatives would move this week to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system, though Republicans remained divided on how to protect sick Americans from insurance price hikes.

AstraZeneca immunotherapy wins first approval in bladder cancer

(Reuters) - U.S. regulators have approved AstraZeneca's key immunotherapy drug durvalumab as a treatment for bladder cancer, marking the first commercial green light for a product the company hopes will go on to sell billions of dollars.

U.S. sues UnitedHealth, accuses company of false claims

(Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has accused UnitedHealth Group Inc of obtaining inflated risk adjustment payments based on inaccurate information about the health status of patients enrolled in its largest Medicare Advantage Plan.

Seniors face steep costs for many generic skin creams

(Reuters Health) - Prices for generic topical steroids to treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis are on the rise, and many seniors may pay more for generic medications than the brand-name versions, a U.S. study finds.

Limits on doctor-drug rep interactions tied to prescribing changes

(Reuters Health) - Policies that limit or regulate interactions between doctors and pharmaceutical company representatives may affect what drugs are prescribed to patients, according to a new study.

Wide variation in quality at U.S. weight loss surgery centers

(Reuters Health) - Quality varies widely at U.S. centers of excellence for bariatric surgery, with serious complication rates of less than 1 percent at some places and more than 10 percent at others, a recent study suggests.

Carmat buoyed by approval to resume artificial heart trial

(Reuters) - Artificial heart maker Carmat has obtained approval from France's national drugs agency (ANSM) to resume a heart implant trial, sending the company's shares more than one fifth higher on Wednesday.