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. 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. Auto plant closures tied to surge in opioid overdose deaths

Opioid overdose deaths have spiked in the wake of automotive assembly plant closures across the U.S. South and Midwest, a new study suggests. Plant closures were associated with an 85% surge in opioid overdose mortality rates among working-age adults five years later, compared with what would have been expected if these factories had remained open, researchers report in JAMA Internal Medicine. U.S. vaping-related deaths rise to 55, cases of illness to 2,561

U.S. health officials said on Tuesday one more death occurred since last week from a mysterious respiratory illness tied to vaping, taking the total toll to 55. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also reported 2,561 cases from the illness associated with use of e-cigarettes, or vaping products, as of Dec. 27. 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%. U.S. appeals court upholds risk payments to health insurers

A U.S. appeals court upheld the validity of a federal program governing the payment of billions of dollars to insurers under the Affordable Care Act, reversing a lower court ruling that had prompted the White House to temporarily suspend payments. Tuesday's 3-0 decision by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver is a victory for insurers that feared the Feb. 2018 lower court ruling and payments suspension could drive up premium costs and cause market turmoil. 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. 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.