Reuters - Health Report

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Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Trump tells lawmakers he expects deal 'very quickly' on healthcare

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told a group of senators on Tuesday that he expected lawmakers would be able to reach a deal on healthcare, without offering specifics on how they would do it or what had changed since a healthcare reform bill was pulled last week for insufficient support.

U.S. senator launches probe into five top opioid drugmakers

(Reuters) - U.S. Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill sought on Tuesday details from the nation's top opioid drugmakers on their sales and marketing practices, as lawmakers step up efforts to tackle the country's deadly opioid crisis.

FDA silence on generic Advair may be good news for GSK

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline shares gained on Wednesday as lack of news about U.S. approval of a generic copy of its blockbuster inhaled lung drug Advair buoyed speculation that a threat to profits might be delayed.

Brain implant lets paralyzed man feed himself using his thoughts

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A paralyzed man in Cleveland fed himself mashed potatoes for the first time in eight years, aided by a computer-brain interface that reads his thoughts and sends signals to move muscles in his arm, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

Roche MS drug Ocrevus approved by FDA after three-month delay

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday approved Roche Holding AG's multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Ocrevus, putting the potential blockbuster drug back on track after a delay by regulators over manufacturing issues.

New budget test puts UK on front line in global drug price fight

LONDON (Reuters) - Can society afford modern medicines? It's a question facing governments worldwide and nowhere more so than in Britain, where a new budget test due to take effect on April 1 threatens to throw up another hurdle to patients getting the drugs.

FDA approves Regeneron, Sanofi $37,000 per year eczema drug

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and Sanofi SA's drug for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, a product widely seen as the most important future growth driver for the two companies.

DHA supplements during pregnancy don't raise kids' IQ

(Reuters Health) - Children of women who took DHA supplements during pregnancy are no smarter than peers whose mothers didn’t take the supplements, a recent study concludes.

Vertex cystic fibrosis combination succeeds in late-stage trials

(Reuters) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday its Kalydeco cystic fibrosis treatment given with an experimental drug demonstrated significant improvements in lung function in a pair of late-stage trials the company plans to use to seek approval of the combination therapy.

Universal celiac testing lacks evidence - U.S. panel

(Reuters Health) - There is not enough evidence to encourage or discourage doctors from testing all their patients for celiac disease, according to a U.S. government-backed panel.