Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Chinese court sentences 'gene-editing' scientist to three years in prison

A Chinese court sentenced the scientist who created the world's first "gene-edited" babies to three years in prison on Monday, according to the official Xinhua news agency, on charges of illegally practicing medicine. He Jiankui, then an associate professor at Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, said in November 2018 that he had used gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to change the genes of twin girls to protect them from getting infected with the AIDS virus in the future. Samoa ends measles state of emergency as infection rate slows

The South Pacific island nation of Samoa has lifted a six week-state of emergency after the infection rate from a measles outbreak that has swept the country started to come under control. Samoa's island population of just 200,000 has been gripped by the highly infectious disease that has killed 81 people, most of them babies and young children, and infected more than 5,600 people. Sol-Gel acne cream reduces marks in late-stage studies, shares soar

Sol-Gel Technologies Ltd's shares more than tripled in value on Monday after the company said its lead acne drug candidate, Twyneo, met the main goal of reducing marks in two late-stage studies. Twyneo is a once-daily topical non-antibiotic cream containing a fixed-dose combination of encapsulated benzoyl peroxide and tretinoin. China bans imports of pigs from Indonesia due to African swine fever

China's customs said it has banned imports of pigs, wild boars and related products from Indonesia due to African swine fever. The deadly disease has swept across China itself since being first detected in the country in August last year, slashing the world's top pig herd by more than 40%. AstraZeneca, Merck score win with Lynparza approval for pancreatic cancer

AstraZeneca and Merck's ovarian cancer drug Lynparza has received U.S. regulatory approval for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, cementing its lead in a niche category of cancer treatments. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug's use as a first-line maintenance therapy for patients with BRCA gene mutations whose cancer had spread beyond the pancreas and whose tumors did not worsen after chemotherapy of at least 16 weeks, the British drugmaker said on Monday.