Health News Roundup: Bubonic plague case in China; new study on stents vs medicines and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Merck and Bayer's heart drug meets main goal of late-stage study

Merck & Co Inc said on Monday an experimental treatment being developed with Bayer AG for patients with worsening chronic heart failure met the main goal of a late-stage study. Compared to placebo, the drug, vericiguat, reduced the risk of heart failure hospitalization or cardiovascular death in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) when given in combination with available therapies, Merck said.

China's Inner Mongolia reports fresh bubonic plague case

China's Inner Mongolia reported a fresh, confirmed case of bubonic plague on Sunday, despite an earlier declaration by the country's health officials that the risk of an outbreak was minimal. The health commission of the autonomous region said a 55-year-old man was diagnosed with the disease after he ate wild rabbit meat on Nov. 5.

Stents no better than drugs for many heart patients: U.S. study

Many patients with severe but stable heart disease who routinely undergo invasive procedures to clear and prop open clogged arteries would do as well by just taking medications and making lifestyle changes, U.S. researchers reported on Saturday. If adopted into practice, the findings could save hundreds of millions of dollars a year in healthcare costs, researchers said.

Explainer: Don't panic about China's "Black Death" plague cases

China reported a third case of bubonic plague on Sunday after two other plague cases were revealed last week, but the disease remains rare despite its fearsome reputation and authorities say the cases appear unrelated.

Novartis shifts Shanghai's focus from research to early development

Novartis is halting early-stage research in Shanghai and shifting the site's focus to commercial development three years after the Swiss drugmaker christened the new $1 billion campus as its Chinese drug discovery hub. About 150 of some 1,300 Shanghai staffers will lose their research jobs, while Novartis plans to add 340 new positions over the next four years to develop up-and-coming drug prospects.

India says e-cigarette ban implies use of devices also prohibited

The Indian government has told a court that its federal ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes implies that their use is also prohibited, legal documents seen by Reuters showed, in a further clampdown on the devices. Citing health risks, India in September banned the import, manufacture, sale, advertisement, storage and distribution of e-cigarettes, dashing future plans of companies such as U.S.-based Juul Labs and Philip Morris International.

Novartis sickle-cell drug gets U.S. FDA approval

Novartis AG on Friday won U.S. approval for its experimental sickle cell disease drug, Adakveo, making it the first of several proposed new therapies designed to offer lasting relief for patients with the debilitating blood disease to get U.S. regulatory clearance. The drug will be priced between $84,852 and $113,136 per year for most patients, who will be infused by a healthcare provider with between three and four vials each month, Novartis said.

China to launch inspection on use of illegal African swine fever vaccines

China's agriculture ministry said on Monday it will launch an investigation into the illegal production, sale and use of African swine fever vaccines in the country, citing online reports of their use by some farmers. No country has yet approved a vaccine for the usually deadly hog disease, although several institutes around the world are trying to develop one.

(With inputs from agencies.)