Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Expired drugs may remain effective, safe to use in a pinch

Even medicines that are years past their expiration date and haven't always been kept in strict climate-controlled conditions may still retain their original potency, a small study suggests. That is good news for people working in remote areas of the world where sometimes an expired medication is the only one available and the alternative is having no way to treat a serious illness, the study authors write in the journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. U.S. health spending to rise 5.5 percent per year over next decade: CMS

U.S. health spending is expected to grow at an average rate of 5.5 percent every year from 2018 over the next decade and will reach nearly $6 trillion by 2027 as more people become eligible for Medicare, a government health agency said on Wednesday. Rising income levels, better employment rate and more people enrolling for Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people aged 65 and above and the disabled, will cause healthcare spending to rise to 19.4 percent of the U.S. economy by 2027, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said. Friendly texts tied to fewer suicide attempts in the military

Military service members who are at risk for suicide may be less likely to attempt to harm themselves when they receive supportive text messages, a U.S. study suggests. Soldiers in the study had all received behavioral health services for considering or attempting suicide in the past, and all were on active duty, in the Reserve or in the National Guard. They all received standard treatments like medication or psychotherapy as needed; half of the 650 participants were also randomly assigned to received occasional texts with messages like "hope you're having a good day." Israeli biopharma firm BiomX raises $32 million in private funding

Israeli biopharma firm BiomX said on Wednesday it raised $32 million in a private funding round that will primarily be used to advance the company's drug candidates for the treatment of acne and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The round was led by existing investors OrbiMed, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC Inc, Takeda Ventures Inc, 8VC, MiraeAsset, Seventure Partners’ Health for Life Capital I, and SBI Japan-Israel Innovation Fund. They were joined by additional European investors and new investors. Czechs order inspection of all Polish beef imports: CTK agency

Czech authorities will inspect all beef imported into the Czech Republic from neighboring Poland following the discovery of salmonella in a 700 kg batch of imported Polish beef, news agency CTK said on Wednesday. The agency reported that Agriculture Minister Miroslav Toman had said the government was also considering a ban on Polish imports. China reports new African swine fever outbreak in Yunnan province

China has confirmed a new outbreak of African swine fever in Yunnan province, authorities said on Thursday, as the highly contagious disease spreads through the world's largest hog herd. The outbreak in Lushui city killed two animals on a farm of 300 pigs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement on its website. Younger siblings with older brothers more likely to be bullied

That younger siblings are most likely to experience bullying within a family, and the eldest is most likely to do the bullying may not come as a surprise to those who grew up in large broods. The bigger the family, the more likely there will be bullying within sibling ranks, a UK study suggests. Indivior launches generic version of its Suboxone opioid drug

British drugmaker Indivior Plc said on Wednesday it had launched a copycat version of its blockbuster opioid addiction drug Suboxone in the United States, just one day after a court decision cleared the way for its rivals to market generic versions of it. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling marked a victory for India-based generic drugmaker Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, which had earlier been blocked. Prescription opioids may play role in some fatal two-car crashes

In fatal two-car crashes, drivers deemed to have caused the wreck were almost twice as likely as those who were not at fault to test positive for opioids, a U.S. study finds. The most common error leading to fatal crashes, whether or not opioids were involved, was drivers veering out of their lanes, according to the results published in JAMA Network Open. Johnson & Johnson receives federal subpoenas related to baby powder litigation

Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday it has received subpoenas from the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) related to litigation involving alleged asbestos contamination in its signature Baby Powder product line. The company said it intends to "cooperate fully with these inquiries and will continue to defend the Company in the talc-related litigation."