Health News Roundup: Novartis gets U.S. nod for long-delayed Amgen copycat; Mallinckrodt receives SEC subpoena over Acthar gel lawsuit


Reuters | Updated: 07-11-2019 02:36 IST | Created: 07-11-2019 02:33 IST
Health News Roundup: Novartis gets U.S. nod for long-delayed Amgen copycat; Mallinckrodt receives SEC subpoena over Acthar gel lawsuit
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Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Novartis gets U.S. nod for long-delayed Amgen copycat

Novartis on Tuesday won U.S. approval for its long-delayed version of Amgen's $4 billion seller Neulasta drug, helping the Swiss drugmaker in its uphill battle to sell copies of rivals' blockbusters in the world's top drug market. Novartis's biosimilar, called Ziextenzo, is aimed at helping cancer patients boost infection-fighting white blood cells during chemotherapy.

Trump's 'conscience' rule for healthcare workers struck down by U.S. judge

A federal judge on Wednesday voided a White House-backed rule making it easier for doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers to avoid performing abortions and other medical services on religious or moral grounds. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan said the "conscience" rule was unconstitutionally coercive because it would let the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) withhold billions of dollars of funding from hospitals, clinics, universities and other healthcare providers that did not comply.

Britain's AstraZeneca to distribute Sun Pharma cancer drugs in China

Top Indian drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd said on Wednesday Britain's AstraZeneca would distribute some of Sun's cancer treatment drugs in China, the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market. Shares of the Mumbai-based company rose as much as 5.4% to a nine-week high after the announcement.

Indonesia swine fever outbreak kills more than 4,000 pigs

More than 4,000 pigs have died after an outbreak of swine fever in the Indonesian province of North Sumatra, the head of the area's food security and livestock agency said on Wednesday. Carcasses have reportedly been found in rivers and on streets as owners discarded them out of fear of contagion, though the agency head M. Azhar Harahap stressed the virus is only infectious to pigs, not humans.

UPS drone makes first home prescription deliveries for CVS

United Parcel Service Inc Flight Forward drones have flown prescription medications to the front lawn of a private home and to a retirement center, the UPS unit's first revenue-generating deliveries for drugstore chain CVS Health Corp. Flight Forward's maiden delivery flight on Friday in Cary, North Carolina, beat rivals in one phase of the race for the nascent market. The second drone flight delivered medications to a public space at a retirement community.

Mallinckrodt receives SEC subpoena over Acthar gel lawsuit

Mallinckrodt Plc said on Tuesday it has received a subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for documents related to the drugmaker's lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The lawsuit against the HHS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was filed in May over changes in the calculation of Medicaid discounts for Acthar gel, the company's biggest money-spinner.

Researchers use drones to pilot a new tool to fight malaria

Scientists seeking a breakthrough in the fight against malaria have used drones to spray rice fields in Zanzibar - not with traditional pesticides but with a thin, non-toxic film. The fields are typical breeding grounds for the anopheles mosquito - the type that transmits malaria, which the United Nations says kills a young child every minute and causes 75 percent of all under five deaths.

China's pork imports to peak in 2022, driven by fatal swine fever: consultancy

Global meat shippers have three years to make the most of the outbreak of a fatal pig disease in China before Chinese pork imports peak, according to a report released by the U.S. pork industry, which is competing for sales against Europe and South America. The forecast issued on Wednesday starts a clock ticking for companies to profit from the epidemic of African swine fever (ASF), which has killed up to half of China's hog herd since August 2018 and pushed Chinese pork prices to record highs.

Put down that phone! Indonesians invent device to aid internet-addicted

From browsing social media to watching videos and chatting with friends, Indonesian university student Tyas Sisianindita spends about eight hours a day on her phone. "I realize that I am addicted," the university student admitted, saying she checks her phone continuously from the time she wakes up, even when she is in classes.

Apple rolls out health records on iPhones for U.S. military veterans

Apple Inc on Wednesday said that U.S. military veterans who use its iOS devices and get medical care from the Veterans Health Administration will be able to access their health records on the devices. The Department of Veterans Affairs runs the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, with 9 million veterans enrolled and more than 1,200 facilities. Apple began working with the department this summer to allow access to health records from the system on iPhones and other Apple mobile devices running its iOS operating system.

Also Read: Health News Summary: Novartis gets U.S. nod for long-delayed Amgen copycat

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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