Reuters - Health Report

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Friday, April 28, 2017

No vote on healthcare bill this week in U.S. House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House leaders have decided against holding a vote on a reworked healthcare system overhaul this week after failing to find the necessary support, congressional aides said on Thursday.

FDA approves Bayer's Stivarga to treat most common liver cancer

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday it has approved Bayer AG's drug Stivarga to treat liver cancer, the first such approval in nearly a decade.

South Korea fines Novartis $49 million over kickbacks, suspends insurance payment

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Thursday it has fined Swiss drugmaker Novartis 55.1 billion won ($48.80 million) for offering doctors kickbacks to recommend the company's drugs, and also suspended insurance coverage for some of its drugs.

Police-associated injury not on the rise in U.S.

(Reuters Health) - Despite increased attention to deaths and injuries resulting from clashes with police, U.S. emergency department visits for police-associated injuries have remained stable at about 51,000 a year since 2006, researchers say.

UK cancer fund was poor value and may have caused patient suffering

LONDON (Reuters) - A special U.K. Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) set up in 2010 spent over 1.2 billion pounds ($1.55 bln) but failed to deliver value for patients or society and may have caused unnecessary suffering, an analysis has found.

Can puppies protect babies from allergies and obesity?

Reuters Health) - Exposing babies to puppies and other furry pets might help them accumulate two types of bacteria in their gut that are associated with a lower risk of allergies and obesity, a Canadian study suggests.

Taking the stairs may boost energy more than drinking a soda

(Reuters Health) - For young women running on little sleep, 10 minutes of stair walking increased energy more than the amount of caffeine in a soda or half a cup of coffee, according to a small study.

Going to college may increase risk of marijuana use

(Reuters Health) - College is increasingly a gateway for young adults in the U.S. to begin using marijuana and the risk keeps growing the more “normalized” pot use becomes, researchers say.

Biomarin sets high price for rare pediatric brain disease drug

(Reuters) - Biomarin Pharmaceuticals Inc said the annual price for its drug, which won U.S. approval on Thursday, to treat a rare and fatal type of pediatric brain disease is expected to be $486,000 after mandatory government discounts and rebates.

Many exercise options are tied to better brain function

(Reuters Health) - Older adults who want to get moving to help boost their brain function have a wide variety of workouts to choose from, a research review suggests.