Health News Summary: E-cigarettes in vogue in US; FDA restricts compounding of three drugs

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

FDA approves Tetraphase Pharma's antibiotic

Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Monday U.S. health regulators approved its drug to treat complicated intra-abdominal infections, providing a new option to combat the growing threat from treatment-resistant bacteria. Xerava, the company's lead drug, uses a technology licensed from Harvard University that helps to "revitalize" the decades-old tetracycline class of antibiotics to overcome traditional resistance mechanisms that bacteria have developed over time.

Depression in pregnancy may alter babies' brains

Women with depression and anxiety during pregnancy may be more likely to have babies with altered brain development that might be linked to behaviour problems later in childhood, a small study suggests. Researchers asked 101 women to complete questionnaires about depression and anxiety symptoms during their third trimester of pregnancy. Overall, six mothers had symptoms of the major depressive disorder, five met criteria for moderate depression, and 42 met the criteria for mild depression.

Weight loss drug lorcaserin found safe in large study

Eisai's weight loss drug lorcaserin does not increase people's risk of major cardiovascular events, according to data from a study of 12,000 overweight or obese patients. Everyone in the study, which was funded by Eisai, had an atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or multiple risk factors for heart disease.

One in seven U.S. adults used marijuana in 2017

With more and more states legalizing marijuana, whether for medical use, recreational use, or both, increasing numbers of Americans are using cannabis. A new survey finds that one in seven had used marijuana in 2017, with smoking being the most common manner of consumption, according to a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. People were more likely to vape or to consume marijuana as an edible in states where recreational use has been legalized, researchers found in the nationally representative survey of 16,280 U.S. adults.

Pfizer rare heart disease drug reduces risk of death by 30 per cent in study

Pfizer Inc said on Monday that its drug tafamidis reduced the risk of death for patients with a rare and fatal heart disease by around 30 per cent, boosting the prospects of what could be a billion-dollar-a-year drug. The study showed that tafamidis reduced all-cause mortality over a 30-month period in patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy to 29.5 per cent, versus 42.9 per cent in patients who received a placebo. It also reduced the rate of cardiovascular-related hospitalization by around 32 per cent, Pfizer said.

Fewer middle-aged stroke survivors skip medicines under Obamacare

With increased access to insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare, fewer middle-aged stroke survivors are skipping medications that they previously might have struggled to afford, a U.S. study suggests. Stroke survivors take an average of 11 medications a day, researchers note in JAMA Neurology. Half of the stroke survivors under age 65 spend at least 10 per cent of their disposable income on health care, and these middle-aged people are more likely to be uninsured than older people who qualify for Medicare.

Novartis wins EU approval for blood cancer therapy Kymriah

Novartis has received European approval for Kymriah, its gene-modifying therapy for blood cancer, but said its introduction would vary from country to country as the Swiss drugmaker works out payment details and builds manufacturing capacity. The company aims initially to use the therapy in Europe for young people up to 25 years of age with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and later for adult patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Almost one in 20 U.S. adults now use e-cigarettes

Roughly 10.8 million American adults are currently using e-cigarettes, and more than half of them are under 35 years old, a U.S. study suggests. One in three e-cigarette users are vaping daily, researchers report in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

FDA proposes restricting compounding of three drug substances

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday proposed excluding three substances from a list of ingredients that could be used to manufacture compounded medications in bulk for use by hospitals and doctors' offices. The action was the first time the regulator has moved to exclude any substance from a list of ingredients that may be used to produce in bulk compounded medications that do not need to go through the agency's safety approval process.

Seniors healthier when medical care is coordinated

As America's population ages, experts are exploring how best to keep older people with multiple chronic illnesses healthy. A new study suggests that coordination between physicians may be key. In a reanalysis of 25 earlier studies including 12,579 patients, researchers found that coordination of care for older adults with multiple medical conditions resulted in improved health. Patients in the study had combinations of disorders such as heart failure and obstructive lung disease, arthritis and depression, diabetes and depression, or diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

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