Health News Roundup: China says U.S. can do more to reduce fentanyl demand; Customers can make fast-food combo meals healthier

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

China says U.S. can do more to reduce fentanyl demand

The U.S. government can do more to reduce demand for fentanyl and should stop shifting the blame onto others, China said on Monday, in another riposte to Trump administration criticism that China is not helping resolve the drug problem. U.S. officials say China is the main source of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances that are trafficked into the United States, much of it through international mail. China denies that most of the illicit fentanyl entering the United States originates in China.

China's Sichuan province to remove restrictions on pig farming

China's southwestern province of Sichuan, the country's top pig-farming province, is removing some restrictions on hog production to stabilize supply after an epidemic of African swine fever reduced herds. Sichuan produced more than 65 million pigs in 2017, according to official data, or more than 9% of the country's total, making it China's leading producer.

DEA to expand marijuana research after years of delay

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said on Monday that it will move ahead with a long-delayed expansion of its marijuana research program, in a sign that the Trump administration's hostility to the drug may be waning as a growing number of states have legalized its use. The DEA said it would roll out new guidelines that would allow more growers to produce marijuana for scientific and medical research.

FDA gives fast track status to AstraZeneca's diabetes drug Farxiga

AstraZeneca Plc said on Tuesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted fast track status for the development of its diabetes drug Farxiga to prevent heart and kidney failure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Farxiga, one of AstraZeneca's top 10 drugs by sales, is part of the SGLT2-inhibitor class of antidiabetics that cause the kidneys to expel blood sugar from the body through urine.

Venezuelan migrants to get regional vaccination cards under 10-nation pact

Venezuelan migrants will be provided with a regional vaccination card beginning in October, health officials from 10 countries agreed on Monday, in an effort to ensure they receive needed vaccines and are not given double doses. More than 4 million Venezuelans have fled an economic and political crisis in their home country that has caused widespread shortages of food and medicine.

Pureed peanuts advised for infants to stave off allergy

Feeding pureed peanut products regularly to babies before their first birthday could reduce their risk of developing peanut allergies later on, doctors advise. In a practice guide for health care providers published in CMAJ, a team of pediatricians and allergy specialists encourage introducing peanuts in pureed or powdered form as early as age 4 months for most babies, and making sure the babies continue to get exposure to "substantial" amounts of peanut products in their first years of life.

Purdue Pharma in discussion on $10 billion-$12 billion offer to settle opioid claims: sources

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP and its owners, the Sackler family, are in discussion to settle more than 2,000 lawsuits against the company for $10 billion to $12 billion, two people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Purdue is among several drugmakers and distributors that have been sued seeking to hold them responsible for fueling an opioid addiction crisis in the United States, which claimed 400,000 lives from 1999 to 2017, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

U.S. records 12 new cases of measles, raising year's total to 1,215

The United States recorded 12 new measles cases last week, bringing the total number of cases for the year to 1,215 across 30 states in the worst outbreak since 1992, federal health officials said on Monday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there had been a 1% increase in the number of cases of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease between Aug. 15 and Aug. 22.

Customers can make fast-food combo meals healthier

Combination meals in U.S. fast food and fast casual restaurants have lots of calories, saturated fat, sugar and sodium, but customers can make the meals healthier by substituting drinks and toppings, researchers say. Combination meals include an entrée (such as a burger), a side dish (such as fries), and a beverage (typically a soda), for less money than it would cost to buy each item separately.

J&J liable for $572 million in Oklahoma opioid epidemic trial; shares rise

An Oklahoma judge on Monday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $572.1 million to the state for its part in fueling an opioid epidemic by deceptively marketing addictive painkillers, a sum that was substantially less than investors had expected, driving up J&J's shares. The state's attorney general had filed the lawsuit, seeking $17 billion to address the impact of the drug crisis on Oklahoma. It had been considered a bellwether for other litigation nationwide over the opioid epidemic.

Also Read: China's Sichuan province to remove restrictions on pig farming

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