Health News Roundup: Cannabis clinic rolls out in Thailand; Debut marathoners may add years to life and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Thailand rolls out cannabis clinic based on traditional medicine

Thailand opened its first full-time clinic specializing in traditional and alternative cannabis-based medicine on Monday, as part of a move by the government towards developing a medicinal cannabis industry. "This is a pilot clinic, because we cannot produce enough doctors with expertise in cannabis," Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, told reporters at the opening ceremony in Bangkok. Patients will receive treatment free of charge for the first two weeks, he added.

Too old? Too slow? No! Debut marathoners may add years to life

First-time marathon runners can add years to their lives and reap the health rewards of lower blood pressure and healthier arteries, even if they take on the challenge in mid- to later life, research showed on Monday. "It appears to never be too late," said co-lead researcher Charlotte Manisty of University College London.

Chinese authorities say viral pneumonia outbreak is not SARS, MERS or bird flu

Chinese healthcare authorities in Wuhan said an outbreak of viral pneumonia was not Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) or bird flu, and that they were still working to identify the cause and source. In a statement posted on its website Sunday night, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said a total of 59 cases of unknown viral pneumonia had been reported as of Sunday, including seven in a critical condition. It also said it had put 163 people who had had contacts with the patients under medical observation. Bloody

Philippine drug war fails to curb methamphetamine supply: VP

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs has only managed to curb the supply of methamphetamines by less than 1% of annual consumption, proof that it has been a bloody failure, his main political rival, the vice president, said on Monday. Thousands of suspected drug traffickers and users have been killed in the campaign that Duterte launched soon after he won election in 2016.

Drug developers take fresh aim at 'guided-missile' cancer drugs

Dozens of drugmakers are conducting human trials for a record 89 therapies that pair antibodies with toxic agents to fight cancer, evidence of renewed confidence in an approach that has long fallen short of its promise, an analysis compiled for Reuters shows. These antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, from companies including AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline, are described by researchers as "guided missiles" packing a powerful anti-cancer punch.

InterCure gets Israel's first imported medical cannabis shipment

Canndoc, an Israeli producer of medical-grade cannabis, on Sunday received a shipment of 250 kilos of dried whole cannabis flowers that it says will help alleviate a shortage in Israel. Canndoc, a unit of InterCure Ltd, last week signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Canada's Tilray Inc for the import and export of medical cannabis.

Many young women get unnecessary pelvic exams

Although guidelines say most women under age 21 don't need pelvic exams or cervical cancer screenings, a U.S. study suggests many still get these invasive tests. Nationwide, an estimated 1.4 million such women get potentially unnecessary pelvic exams and an estimated 1.6 million get cervical cancer screenings they may not need, researchers report in JAMA Internal Medicine.