Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. BAT CEO says supports FDA on youth vaping, challenges idea there is basis for menthol ban

British American Tobacco does not believe there is scientific evidence to support potential U.S. restrictions on menthol cigarettes and believes such restrictions would have no impact on smoking rates, its chief executive told Reuters on Thursday. The U.S. FDA said in 2017 it would consider possibly banning menthol flavouring in tobacco products as part of efforts to curb underage smoking. Vaginal laser treatment tied to complications like scarring

Vaginal laser treatments may help relieve problems associated with menopause, like dryness, pain and sexual dysfunction, but the safety of this technique is not clear, suggest the authors of a small study describing complications including scarring and penetration injuries. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration hasn't approved vaginal laser treatments for what's known as vulvovaginal atrophy, a condition that often accompanies menopause and can include symptoms like vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and urinary incontinence. These laser treatments are approved for other gynecologic and dermatologic conditions, however, and the current study examines the cases of four women whose doctors tried it for vaginal atrophy. Novartis faces shareholder criticism over drug prices at AGM

Novartis's shift into high-tech drugs won praise for providing patients with new options but criticism over prices that may run into the millions of dollars at the Swiss drugmaker's annual general meeting on Thursday. Shareholders at the event in Basel also approved Novartis's planned spin-off of its Alcon eyecare unit, due for coming months, with investors with five Novartis shares due to receive one share of Alcon stock. U.S. Senator Sanders urges FDA to allow older versions of $375,000 drug

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders this week urged regulators to allow pharmacies and manufacturers to resume distributing unbranded, lower-cost versions of a drug used to treat a rare neuromuscular disorder, according to a letter provided by his office to Reuters. The drug is now sold at a list price of $375,000 a year by Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Inc under the brand name Firdapse. It is used to treat Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS), which affects about one in 100,000 people in the United States. Chemical exposure in womb and early childhood tied to worse lung function

Exposure to certain common chemical pollutants, even before birth, may be permanently reducing kids' lung function, a study of European children suggests. There is a large body of evidence linking early-life exposure to a variety of pollutants and chemicals with respiratory problems in childhood. But much of this research targets individual chemicals or toxins, not the full array of exposures a child faces, the study team notes in The Lancet Planetary Health. After attacks, MSF suspends Ebola treatment in epicenter of Congo outbreak

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has suspended medical activities at the epicenter of an Ebola epidemic in Democratic Republic of Congo after two of its facilities were torched by unidentified assailants, the French charity said on Thursday. Two MSF facilities treating Ebola patients in North Kivu province were attacked in separate incidents earlier this week. Aid workers have faced mistrust in some areas as they work to contain the Ebola outbreak, which has become the worst in Congo's history. Pfizer unit Meridian under civil investigation by U.S. Attorney

Pfizer Inc said on Thursday it received a request for documents as part of a U.S. investigation related to quality issues involving the manufacture of auto-injectors at its Meridian Medical Technologies site. Pfizer, in a regulatory filing, said it would be producing records in response to the civil investigative demand from the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York. No added health risks for pregnancy within a year of a stillbirth

Women who become pregnant within a year of having a stillbirth are no more likely than those who wait longer to have a second stillbirth, a preterm birth or a small-for-gestational-age baby, a large new study suggests. The analysis of data from three high-income countries on births among women who previously had a stillbirth found the length of time between the two pregnancies was not an important factor, according to the report published in The Lancet. J&J resumes production of baby talc in India after tests find no asbestos

Johnson & Johnson has resumed production of its baby powder at plants in India after government tests found no asbestos in the product, the company said on Thursday. "Johnson & Johnson has resumed production of its Johnson's Baby Powder at plants in Baddi and Mulund, India, after government sanctioned testing reaffirmed that the product does not contain asbestos," J&J said in a statement to Reuters. Swiss may let 5,000 people use marijuana legally for studies

Switzerland may let up to 5,000 people smoke marijuana legally in pilot studies to help shape new rules for recreational use of the drug, the government said on Thursday. The cabinet proposed limited pilot projects that may lead to changes in laws banning cannabis that date back to 1951. The plan will be put out for public comment until mid-year, the Federal Health Office said.