Health News Roundup: Drug industry urges Canada to act early on U.S. import plan; Nobio gets FDA approval for anti-bacterial dental fillings

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Drug industry urges Canada to act early on U.S. import plan

Canada's main pharmaceutical lobby group has urged the government not to wait for drug shortages before responding to U.S. plans to import Canadian drugs, according to documents seen by Reuters. The talking points were prepared last month by Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC) for its staff and member companies before the Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it would allow U.S. states and other groups to start pilot programs importing cheap drugs from Canada in an effort to lower drug costs.

Roche says test showed Tecentriq helped vs bladder cancer

Roche Holding said its Tecentriq drug combined with platinum-based chemotherapy reduced the risk of the disease worsening or death in patients with advanced bladder cancer, the Swiss pharma company said on Monday. Tecentriq was the first cancer immunotherapy approved in bladder cancer, with Roche now evaluating the treatment in combination with other medicines for early and advanced forms of the disease.

Trump administration considers September unveiling of healthcare plan: WSJ

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is considering unveiling, as early as September, his healthcare plan as part of his presidential re-election campaign strategy, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. The plan would lay out an alternative to former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, which has been challenged by Republicans in court, and could include coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and a variety of insurance options, the Wall Street Journal said, citing unnamed sources.

Nobio gets FDA approval for anti-bacterial dental fillings

Israel's Nobio Ltd said on Monday it received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its anti-bacterial composite designed to remain in the teeth for decades. Nobio said it will now gain access to the $1.4 billion global dental materials market. According to iData Research, direct restoratives, or fillings, account for over a third of the market.

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