Health News Roundup: Apple Watch, breast Cancer, Ebola outbreak in Congo

The number of Yemenis on the brink of famine could rise to 12 million - or two in five of the population - from around 8.5 million in coming months due to escalating war and a deepening economic crisis, the United Nations food agency said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

J&J beats profit estimates, lifts outlook on pharma unit strength

Johnson & Johnson reported slightly better-than-expected third quarter profit and raised its full-year forecast on Tuesday as increased demand for cancer drugs and immune disorder treatments powered strong results for its pharmaceutical unit. Shares of the healthcare conglomerate were up 2.3 per cent at $137 in morning trading after it raised its adjusted 2018 earnings forecast to a range of $8.13 to $8.18 per share from a prior view of $8.07 to $8.17.

Hip and knee surgeons to use Apple Watch to monitor patients

Up to 10,000 Americans due to having hip or knee replacements will be able to funnel basic health data directly from their Apple Watches to their surgeons under a new app being tested by orthopaedics company Zimmer Biomet. Four hospitals and more than a dozen other medical facilities in states including Massachusetts, California, Colorado and Michigan will receive stats including heart rate, steps taken and standing hours from patients waiting for or recovering from hip and knee replacement surgery.

China's Changsheng Biotechnology hit by heavy penalties in vaccine scandal

A unit of China's vaccine maker Changsheng Biotechnology Co Ltd has been hit with penalties totalling 9.1 billion yuan ($1.32 billion) after it was embroiled in a scandal over falsifying data for a rabies vaccine. China's drug regulator said on Tuesday it had imposed the penalties on the unit Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences Ltd and banned 14 of its executives from working in the drugs sector.

Amgen, Novartis kick off fight for AbbVie blockbuster drug in EU

Rival versions of the world’s top-selling drug, AbbVie's Humira, went on sale in Europe on Tuesday, years ahead of similar cut-price copies being available in the United States. Amgen is rolling out its so-called biosimilar form of Humira, branded as Amgevita, across Europe from Oct. 16, while Novartis said its Sandoz unit was launching its product Hyrimoz initially in Britain, with other markets set to follow.

Yemen conflict could push millions more to the brink of famine: U.N.

The number of Yemenis on the brink of famine could rise to 12 million - or two in five of the population - from around 8.5 million in coming months due to escalating war and a deepening economic crisis, the United Nations food agency said on Monday. Yemen has been torn apart by more than three years of civil war between the internationally recognized government, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition and based in the south, and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that controls the north, including the capital Sanaa. The nation of some 30 million is the Arabian peninsula's poorest.

Minnesota accuses insulin makers of deceptive drug pricing

Minnesota's attorney general on Tuesday filed a lawsuit accusing drug manufacturers Sanofi SA, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Co of deceptively raising prices for insulin. In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Trenton, New Jersey, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson took aim at the companies after the list price for some insulin products more than tripled since 2002.

FDA approves Pfizer's drug for advanced breast cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it approved Pfizer Inc's drug for an advanced form of breast cancer tied to an inherited gene mutation. The drug, talazoparib, belongs to a closely watched class of new medicines called PARP inhibitors, which block enzymes involved in repairing damaged DNA, thereby helping to kill cancer cells.

China's Dabeinong reports suspected African swine fever case on related farm: media

One of China's top animal feed producers said on Tuesday an affiliated firm has culled nearly 20,000 pigs due to a suspected case of African swine fever, according to a report by the China Securities Journal. Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Co Ltd reported the information to investors in an online platform on Tuesday, the state-owned journal said. The company could not be reached for comment by Reuters.

WHO to meet on Congo's Ebola outbreak as toll soars

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday it would convene an emergency committee to decide whether Congo's Ebola outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern as confirmed cases and deaths from the virus spiralled. The committee of experts may make recommendations to manage the outbreak, which was declared on Aug. 1 and has worsened, with a risk of the virus spreading from the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo into Uganda and Rwanda.

Restless legs syndrome linked with risk for suicidal thoughts

People with restless legs syndrome may be more likely to think about suicide or to actually make plans to take their own lives, compared to people without the troublesome condition, a new study suggests. Typically, people with restless legs syndrome say that when they're lying down, "they have a creepy-crawly feeling in their legs plus an irresistible urge to move," explained study co-author Dr Brian Koo, an associate professor of neurology at the Yale Medical School. "That urge to move prevents them from staying in bed."

(With inputs from Reuters)

(With inputs from agencies.)