Health News Roundup: Cough syrup deaths overseas prompt US crackdown on toxic testing; Britain's first supervised drug-injection site approved and more

The Food and Drug Administration has reprimanded at least 28 companies this year, saying they failed to prove sufficient testing of ingredients used in over-the-counter drugs and consumer products for the toxins ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG), according to a Reuters analysis of agency import alerts and warning letters to manufacturers. Exclusive-Edwards Lifesciences cooperating with EU antitrust regulators Edwards Lifesciences is working with EU antitrust regulators after they raided one of its facilities in an EU country a week ago, the U.S. medical device maker said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Britain's first supervised drug-injection site approved

Britain's first official supervised drug consumption room was approved on Wednesday, seeking to reduce infectious diseases and overdoses in Scotland which suffers from the highest level of drug-related deaths in Europe. Following similar projects in Europe, Canada and Australia, Glasgow City Council, which runs the largest city in Scotland, approved plans for the facility that will allow people to legally take illicit drugs under the supervision of trained professionals and will provide them with clean equipment.

Biden plans $100 million drive to combat drug-resistant 'superbugs'

U.S. President Joe Biden will announce on Wednesday a $100 million research drive to fight deadly drug-resistant bacteria, according to a White House official. More than a million people worldwide lose their lives each year due to infections resulting from bacteria resistant to antibiotics, according to the World Health Organization.

Gritstone bio wins $433 million US contract for COVID vaccine study

Gritstone bio on Wednesday secured a $433 million contract by the U.S. government to conduct a mid-stage study of its self-amplifying mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The contract is a part of "Project NextGen," an initiative by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to advance a pipeline of new, innovative vaccines and therapeutics providing broader and more durable protection against COVID-19 infection.

Pharma lobby says EU ban on 'forever chemicals' would halt drug production

European drugmakers warned that a proposed complete ban on substances known as PFAS or "forever chemicals" would render medicine production in the region impossible, part of a high-stakes wrangle between manufacturers and environmental regulators. The European Union started to consider in February a ban of the widely used but potentially harmful substances, in what could become the bloc's most extensive piece of regulation of the chemical industry.

Montana judge blocks ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth

A Montana judge on Wednesday blocked enforcement of the state's recently enacted ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors, marking the latest ruling nationally in battles over state restrictions on treatments for transgender youth. Missoula County District Judge Jason Marks ruled that the law likely discriminated based on minors' transgender status and infringed on their privacy rights in violation of Montana's constitution.

Consulting firm McKinsey to pay $230 million in latest US opioid settlements

Consulting firm McKinsey & Co has agreed to pay $230 million to resolve lawsuits by hundreds of U.S. local governments and school districts alleging it fueled an epidemic of opioid addiction through its work for bankrupt OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and other drug companies. The settlements, which require a judge's approval, were disclosed in papers filed on Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco. The money is on top of $641.5 million that McKinsey already paid to resolve claims by state attorneys-general.

Cough syrup deaths overseas prompt US crackdown on toxic testing

The U.S. FDA is cracking down on lax testing practices by dozens of makers of healthcare products following hundreds of deaths overseas from contaminated cough syrups, a Reuters review of regulatory alerts found. The Food and Drug Administration has reprimanded at least 28 companies this year, saying they failed to prove sufficient testing of ingredients used in over-the-counter drugs and consumer products for the toxins ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG), according to a Reuters analysis of agency import alerts and warning letters to manufacturers.

Exclusive-Edwards Lifesciences cooperating with EU antitrust regulators

Edwards Lifesciences is working with EU antitrust regulators after they raided one of its facilities in an EU country a week ago, the U.S. medical device maker said on Tuesday. Edwards Lifesciences' shares had dipped 2.5% in pre-market trade after Reuters published a story citing two people with direct knowledge of the EU raid. The stock recovered and is now up 0.8%.

Ohio urges top court to revive abortion ban ahead of statewide vote

Ohio on Wednesday urged the state's highest court to let a ban on abortion at about six weeks of pregnancy take effect, just weeks before voters in the state will decide whether to enshrine a right to abortion in the state constitution. While the arguments before the Ohio Supreme Court focused on procedural questions and will not lead to a final ruling in the case, a decision reviving the ban even temporarily could draw attention to abortion rights in the weeks before the November referendum.

Sudan medics warn that cholera and dengue fever are spreading

Medics in Sudan have warned that cases of cholera and dengue fever are spreading due to the arrival of seasonal rains and the impact of more than five months of war on a health system that was already struggling before fighting began. Health authorities have confirmed cases of cholera for the first time since the war between rival military factions began in mid-April, saying that the earliest case had been detected in al-Qadarif state in late August.

(With inputs from agencies.)