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 for illegally practising medicine and violating research regulations, the official Xinhua news agency said. In November 2018, He Jiankui, then an associate professor at Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, said 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. Diet Dr Pepper does not promise weight loss or deceive consumers: U.S. appeals court

A U.S. federal appeals court on Monday said the maker of Diet Dr Pepper did not deceive consumers into thinking the soft drink promoted weight loss by including "diet" in its name, a decision that could doom a similar lawsuit over Diet Coke. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected California resident Shana Becerra's claim that Dr Pepper/Seven Up, now part of Keurig Dr Pepper Inc, misled consumers, including through ads featuring physically attractive models, and that its conduct violated California consumer fraud laws. 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. Chinese officials investigate cause of pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan

Chinese health authorities said they are investigating 27 cases of viral pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan, after rumors on social media suggested the outbreak could be linked to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Of the people infected, seven were in critical condition and 18 were in stable condition, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said on Tuesday on its Weibo social media account. The condition of two other patients had improved to the point where they would be discharged soon, it said. California pharmacies rarely take back unused opioids

Only 1 in 10 California pharmacies have programs to take back unused prescription opioids and just one in five give consumers accurate disposal information, according to a study that suggests drugstores could do more to help combat substance abuse. For the "secret shopper"-style study, researchers called 898 pharmacies in California to inquire about the availability of take-back programs for leftover opioids and antibiotics, and find out how to safely dispose of these medicines at home. 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%. China approves home-grown vaccines, offering alternative to global drugmakers' products

China has approved a pneumonia vaccine developed by Chinese drugmaker Walvax Biotechnology's unit, its National Medical Products Administration said in a notice on Tuesday, offering an alternative to one of Pfizer's best-selling products Prevnar 13. Pfizer's Prevnar 13, which was approved in China in 2016, was the only pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine available around the world before Walvax's product, the notice said. Syrian med students trade translation services for e-learning access

Arabic-speaking medical students in war-torn Syria are providing translation services to an online educational company in exchange for free access to videos that teach clinical processes and procedures. In a letter to The Lancet, Dr. Lamia Kouba of Damascus University and colleagues write that the eight-year-long war in Syria has prompted more than 50% of Syria's physicians to leave the country. That's left medical students more reliant on material available via the internet to supplement their education. 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.