Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Up to Czechs to act against risk of infected Polish beef imports: Commission

The Czech Republic is free to take the necessary steps against the risk of imports of Polish beef that could be infected with salmonella, but the measures have to be proportionate to the risk, the European Commission said on Friday. Czech authorities informed the Commission this week that they found salmonella in beef coming from Poland, Commission spokeswoman Anca Paduraru told a regular news briefing, adding the Commission was in contact with Warsaw about the issue. Novartis gene therapy would be cost effective up to $900,000: U.S. group

An experimental gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) developed by Novartis AG would be worth up to $900,000, according to an independent U.S. nonprofit organization that reviews the value of drugs and medical treatments. The Boston-based Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) made the determination using a commonly cited cost-effectiveness threshold that values each "quality-adjusted life year" (QALY) gained at $100,000 to $150,000. Trump administration bans abortion referrals at U.S.-funded clinics

The Trump administration said on Friday that taxpayer-funded family planning clinics which primarily serve low-income Americans will no longer be able to refer patients for abortions, a move that critics vowed to challenge in court. The new regulation was announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of Title X, a government family planning program that serves about 4 million people. Morning exercise, short breaks from sitting lower high blood pressure

Combining 30 minutes of morning exercise with short walking breaks throughout the day may help control blood pressure, an Australian study suggests. Adding three-minute walking breaks to disrupt prolonged periods of sitting benefited older, overweight or obese women in particular, the study authors report in the journal Hypertension. Weight-loss surgery can bring lasting improvement in sexual function

Weight-loss surgery has more benefits than simply slimming a patient down, it may also result in lasting improvements to sexual functioning, a new study suggests. In the multicenter study that included more than 2,000 men and women who had problems with sexual functioning before surgery, researchers found that more than half reported improvements in their sex lives within a year of the surgery. The improved functioning continued for most of these patients through five years of follow-up, the study team reports in JAMA Surgery. Chemicals in e-cig flavors could harm respiratory tract

Two chemicals commonly used as e-cigarette flavors might harm users' airway passages, a small experiment suggests. The results point to the need to further study how the highly popular cigarette alternatives affect human bodies, researchers say. Catalyst Pharmaceuticals defends $375,000 drug price after Bernie Sanders rebuke

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Inc, rebuked by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders for its high drug prices, on Thursday defended its $375,000 treatment for a rare disease, saying the price was in line with similar products in the industry. Sanders, a vocal critic of high drug prices, had written to Florida-based Catalyst earlier this month, asking it to justify its price for Firdapse, a medication for a rare neuromuscular disease that affects about one in 100,000 people in the United States. Teens may smoke less pot in states with medical marijuana laws

When medical marijuana becomes legal in a state, teenagers there may be slightly less likely to use the drug, a U.S. study suggests. Even though medical and recreational marijuana laws restrict use to adults, access for adults may influence how easily teens can get the drug and whether they use it, researchers write in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. U.S. Senators launch bipartisan probe into rising insulin prices

Two top U.S. senators launched an investigation into rising insulin prices on Friday, sending letters to the three leading manufacturers seeking answers as to why the nearly 100-year-old drug's cost has rapidly risen, causing taxpayers to spend millions of dollars a year. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Ron Wyden, the committee's top Democrat, sent letters to the heads of Eli Lilly and Co, Novo Nordisk A/S and Sanofi SA, the long-time leading manufacturers of insulin. 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."