Health News Roundup: Adults need regular bedtime, Fall risk

Fund gives J&J, Oxford experts $19 million to fight deadly viruses

A global coalition set up to fight emerging epidemics said on Thursday it would give up to $19 million to drugmaker Johnson & Johnson's vaccine unit and Oxford University experts to work on immunizations against three major diseases. The research will focus on the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, the brain-damaging Nipah virus, and the Lassa virus, which causes hemorrhagic fever, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) said.

Early approval of Alnylam's gene-silencing drug in question

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Thursday it might have to hold off on plans to seek an accelerated approval for its gene-silencing drug, which showed effectiveness in a late-stage trial based on early data. Alnylam had initially planned to apply for an approval before the trial is completed early next year but it said in a conference call the U.S. Food and Drug Administration might ask the company to wait until the completion of the trial.

U.S. judge dismisses Teva lawsuits against Lilly on migraine drug

A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a pair of patent infringement lawsuits by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd that sought to block Eli Lilly and Co from bringing its migraine drug Emgality to market in the United States. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston said the lawsuits failed to raise an actual controversy that would allow her to rule in advance of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approving Lilly's product on whether it infringed Teva's patents.

Adults need a regular bedtime, too

Adults who have a regular bedtime are likely to weigh less than those who don't, to have lower blood sugar and to face a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to a U.S. study. Although scientists have talked about the importance of getting enough sleep and getting quality sleep, it matters how regular your sleep schedule is as well, the researchers write in Scientific Reports.

Fall risk may increase after heart attack patients leave the hospital

Three in five patients hospitalized for heart attacks or other serious cardiovascular problems have at least a moderate risk of falling after they go home, and this risk is tied to higher odds of premature death, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined data on 2,456 people hospitalized for heart attacks, heart failure, or a heart rhythm disorder known as atrial fibrillation. Within one year of the hospitalizations, 362 patients died, for a one-year mortality rate of 15 percent.

Bystander defibrillator use more likely for older kids

Older children in cardiac arrest are more likely than younger kids to have a bystander use a defibrillator to treat them before an ambulance arrives, a U.S. study suggests. The study focused on 1,400 cardiac arrests in kids ranging in age from 2 to 18 years. Most of these cases, 75 percent, happened in private places and 63 percent were not witnessed by other people who might have been able to treat kids with an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Some school security measures make kids feel less safe

Schools that install a lot of indoor cameras may not be improving security while in fact making children feel less safe, a U.S. study suggests. Surveys of more than 54,000 middle and high school students found that the presence of security officers as well as outdoor cameras made kids feel safer, according to the report published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. But cameras indoors made them feel more vulnerable.

Older people with more friends do better at preventive health

Older adults with bigger social networks of family members and close friends may be better at staying on top of recommended preventive health screenings and checkups than their more isolated peers, a UK study suggests. Researchers surveyed 5,362 adults born in 1946 in England, Scotland and Wales about their social relationships 24 times over several decades until they were aged 68 to 69 years. Participants also reported how often they engaged in recommended preventive health activities like routine checkups, immunizations, vision and dental exams, blood pressure and cholesterol assessments and cancer screenings.

Aetna, seeking antitrust nod, sells Medicare drug business to WellCare

Health insurer Aetna Inc said on Thursday it will sell its stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan business to WellCare Health Plans Inc as it seeks U.S. antitrust approval for a planned acquisition by CVS Health Corp. The $69 billion CVS-Aetna deal would be the second large deal this year between insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, a consolidation the companies say will help rein in rising U.S. healthcare costs.

Novartis strikes deal with the Chinese firm to make Kymriah

Novartis has enlisted Chinese manufacturer Cellular Biomedicine (CBMG) to make its $475,000 gene-modifying cancer treatment Kymriah as the Swiss drugmaker intends to win approval for the therapy in the world's most populous country. Local regulations require that Novartis manufactures Kymriah in China if it wants to treat the country's patients with the drug.

(With inputs from Reuters)