Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Bayer expects significant surge in number of U.S. glyphosate cases

Bayer expects the number of claims in the United States related to Roundup herbicide to have surged in the third quarter, as the German drugs and pesticides maker tries to reach a settlement after earlier court rulings against it. "With the substantial increase in plaintiff advertising this year, we expect to see a significant surge in the number of plaintiff filings over the third quarter," the company said in a written statement. Vietnam says African swine fever outbreak slows, urges farmers to rebuild herds

Vietnam has urged farmers to restore pig herds battered by an outbreak of African swine fever as the spread of the disease has shown signs of slowing, officials said on Thursday, to prepare for a surge in demand expected for Lunar New Year in January. Since the disease was first detected in February, it has spread to all 63 provinces in Vietnam, forcing the cull of more than 5 million pigs, or 18 percent of the total hog herd, and driving up prices nearly 70%. Tyson Foods bans growth drug from U.S. hog supply as meat firms chase China demand

Tyson Foods Inc in February will stop buying U.S. hogs raised with a growth drug banned by China, the company said on Thursday, as global meat suppliers seek an edge in boosting sales to Chinese buyers facing a huge pork shortage due to an outbreak of a fatal pig disease. The halt in the use of the drug, ractopamine, reflects a change in strategy for Tyson, company watchers say. The company previously sought to profit by filling holes in U.S. supplies that were left when industry rivals like Smithfield Foods and JBS USA sent American pork to China. China's pig herd to recover in 2020 after African swine fever devastation: official

China's hog production capacity should bottom out this year after outbreaks of African swine fever decimated the world's biggest pig herd, an official said on Thursday, forecasting a return to usual pig numbers in 2020. Analysts, however, said the time frame appeared ambitious, with the disease still spreading in parts of the country and so much of the herd gone. Drug firms offer to settle U.S. opioid suits with $50 billion package: sources

Five drugmakers and distributors are offering $22 billion in cash as well as drugs and services they value at $28 billion to resolve lawsuits alleging the industry fueled the U.S. opioid crisis, two sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The drug industry faces roughly 2,600 lawsuits brought by state and local governments, hospitals and other entities seeking to hold drugmakers and distributors responsible for the toll of opioid abuse. Local governments seek funds to cover costs of services in their communities. Factbox: U.S. vaping-related deaths rise to 31, Minnesota confirms two more deaths

Minnesota on Wednesday confirmed two more deaths from a mysterious lung illness linked to e-cigarettes, bringing the total number of deaths to 31 across the country, as U.S. health officials investigate the outbreak that has shown no signs of easing. Latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed 1,299 confirmed and probable cases of the illness as of Oct. 8. (http://bit.ly/2IlMmo5) AstraZeneca breast cancer treatment gets FDA priority review

AstraZeneca Plc said on Thursday that the U.S. drug regulator will give a speedy review to its experimental breast cancer treatment, which could put the British drugmaker in direct competition with bigger rival Roche Holding AG. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted AstraZeneca's application and granted the treatment, trastuzumab deruxtecan, a priority review for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, the drugmaker said. Brexit healthcare fears fuel expatriate insurance interest in Europe

Some Britons living in the Europe Union are worried about losing access to free healthcare after Brexit, opening up a potentially lucrative new market for European health insurers. "I am indebted to France for my life," said Beryl Roberts from Pontivy, in the north west of the country, who has the French health service to thank for spotting her cancer. Suicide attempts rising among black teens

Suicide attempts are rising among black teens in the U.S. even as they fall among youth from other racial and ethnic groups, a study suggests. Researchers examined nationwide survey data from nearly 200,000 high school students collected between 1991 and 2017. While the overall proportion of teens reporting suicidal thoughts or plans declined for all racial and ethnic groups during the study period, the proportion of black teens attempting suicide surged by 73%. As 'Cannabis 2.0' kicks off in Canada, industry strangled by limited retail outlets

A year after Canada legalized use of recreational marijuana cannabis stocks have lost half their market value, and investors betting that the launch of higher-margin pot-infused drinks and other products will quickly lift shares may be in for a bumpy ride. So-called cannabis 2.0 - legalization of marijuana derivatives including edibles, beverages, extracts and vape pens - takes effect on Thursday, with sales seen beginning in mid-December. While that is expected to help sagging share prices, the crucial factor for a turnaround is a significant increase in the number of stores selling the products, investors, companies and analysts said.