Health News Roundup: Bayer soars on report of proposed $8 billion Roundup settlement; FDA tells four firms to stop selling flavored e-cigarette, hookah products

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Smart home tech makes inroads into China's emerging elderly care market

Charging elderly clients just 1 yuan or about 15 cents a day, little-known Lanchuang Network Technology Corp has embarked on one of the most ambitious undertakings in aged care by a private sector firm in China. Provided with a setup box, a webcam paired with a TV set and "Xiaoyi", a Siri-like voice assistant, customers gain access to telemedicine and an SOS system as well as for-pay services that include housekeeping and meal deliveries.

Bayer soars on report of proposed $8 billion Roundup settlement

Bayer shares soared as much as 11% on Friday on a report that the German company has proposed to pay up to $8 billion to settle more than 18,000 U.S. lawsuits related to its weedkiller Roundup. The stock was on track for its best single-day gain in a decade as traders said the settlement report from Bloomberg could relieve pressure on Bayer shares.

AstraZeneca's Tagrisso helps lung cancer patients live longer: study

AstraZeneca Plc said on Friday a late-stage study showed its top-selling drug, Tagrisso, had significantly helped patients with a type of lung cancer live longer without the disease worsening. The British drugmaker announced overall positive survival results from the study in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

More evidence preemies may grow up to be unlucky in love

Adults who were underweight babies or early arrivals may be less likely to have romantic or sexual relations or become parents than their counterparts who were full-term infants, a research review suggests. Compared to adults who were full-term babies, those who were premature or low birth weight infants were 57% less likely to have sexual intercourse, 28% less likely to have romantic relationships and 23% less likely to become parents, the analysis of data on more than 4 million people found.

Dense breast notification laws not leading to more screening ultrasounds

State laws requiring women with dense breasts to be told about the benefits of further imaging after mammography may not lead more women to get extra screening, a U.S. study suggests. Roughly half of U.S. women in their 40s and 50s have dense breast tissue, which increases their risk of breast cancer and makes it harder to detect tumors with mammography. Several states require healthcare providers to send notification letters to women whose mammograms show dense breast tissue. Some states also require that these higher-risk women be advised to get screened with ultrasound or MRI.

Study shows Apple devices in combo with apps could identify dementia

Drugmaker Eli Lilly said on Thursday early results from a study suggest that Apple Inc devices, including the iPhone, in combination with digital apps could differentiate people with mild Alzheimer's disease dementia and those without symptoms. The study, tested in 113 participants over the age of 60, was conducted by Apple along with Eli Lilly and Evidation Health.

South Africa puts initial universal healthcare cost at $17 billion

South Africa published its draft National Health Insurance (NHI) bill on Thursday, with one senior official estimating universal healthcare for millions of poorer citizens would cost about 256 billion rands ($16.89 billion) to implement by 2022. The bill creating an NHI Fund paves the way for a comprehensive overhaul of South Africa's health system that would be one of the biggest policy changes since the ruling African National Congress ended white minority rule in 1994.

Sarepta says adverse event report for DMD gene therapy erroneously submitted

Sarepta Therapeutics Inc said on Thursday it was informed that an adverse event report was erroneously submitted to the U.S. health regulator regarding an ongoing study of the company's gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Shares of the company plunged as much as 19% earlier after a notice from the Food and Drug Administration showed a patient in the study was reported to have developed a serious illness. The stock pared losses to close down about 7% after the company's statement.

FDA tells four firms to stop selling flavored e-cigarette, hookah products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has told four companies to remove 44 of their flavored e-liquid and hookah tobacco products that do not have the required approval for sale in the U.S., the agency said on Thursday. The move comes against the backdrop of the FDA's efforts to curb the usage of the addictive substances among young adults.

Canada makes drug price crackdown official over industry opposition

The Canadian government on Friday announced final regulations to reduce patented drug prices it said would save Canadians C$13.2 billion ($10 billion) over a decade, overriding heavy opposition from pharmaceutical companies. The changes are the biggest reform to Canada's drug price regime since 1987 and could eventually cut the earnings of drugmakers in the United States, the world's largest pharmaceutical market.

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