Health News Roundup: WHO drug pricing talks may fail to end secrecy; African swine fever vaccine

WHO drug pricing talks may fail to end secrecy, activists fear

Governments are working on a drug pricing transparency deal at the World Health Organization's (WHO) annual assembly, but activists said on Thursday they fear crucial costs may be left out, enabling pharmaceutical firms to keep prices high. Campaigners say some drugs are exorbitantly priced, even though they are often developed with public funding, and health providers often pay far too much, since governments negotiate prices without knowing what the treatment cost to develop.

China says making progress on African swine fever vaccine

China will start work on clinical trials of an African swine fever vaccine, state media said on Friday, as the disease continues to spread through the world's biggest hog herd. State-owned Harbin Veterinary Research Institute has found two vaccine candidates, proven in laboratory tests to offer immunity to the disease, China National Radio said in a post on China's microblogging site Weibo.

Exclusive: JPMorgan cuts ties with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma - sources

JPMorgan Chase & Co has cut ties with Purdue Pharma LP over the OxyContin maker's alleged role in the U.S. opioid crisis, forcing it to find a new bank to manage cash and bill payments, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The move makes JPMorgan, the largest U.S. bank by assets, the most high-profile corporation known to have distanced itself from Purdue and its wealthy owners, the Sackler family, amid thousands of lawsuits alleging the company pushed addictive painkillers while downplaying their abuse and overdose risks.

Oklahoma takes on drugmakers J&J, Teva in landmark opioid trial

Gail Box vividly remembers the day in May 2011 when she first learned her 22-year-old son Austin, a University of Oklahoma linebacker, was abusing opioid painkillers: It was the day he died of an overdose. In a few months he had gone from taking pills prescribed for a back injury to illicitly obtaining more of the addictive drugs from acquaintances.

Trump campaign views healthcare as a 2020 campaign weapon

U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign believes he can turn Republicans' biggest liability from last year's congressional elections - the debate about the future of healthcare in America - into a winning issue for his reelection. That would have appeared highly unlikely just months ago, when Democrats seized upon the issue of coverage for pre-existing medical conditions to capture control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Procrastinating genius: did da Vinci have attention disorder?

Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci's litany of exquisite but unfinished work shows he probably had an attention disorder common to modern society. That is the view of psychiatry professor Marco Catani, who believes Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) explains both da Vinci's chronic procrastination and his creative drive in the arts and sciences.

Swimming, s'mores and shots: Camps harden vaccine rules in U.S. measles outbreak

As the United States battles its worst measles outbreak in 25 years, summer camps are tightening their policies on vaccines, with some prepared to turn away children whose parents opted not to vaccinate them against the disease. With more than 10 million American children attending summer day and overnight camps, camp owners and industry associations said they are urging parents to follow medical experts' advice to prevent their camps from becoming transmission sites for the highly contagious and sometimes deadly illness.

GSK's shingles vaccine approved for use in China in adults aged 50 and above

GlaxoSmithKline Plc said on Thursday its shingles vaccine had been approved for use in China in adults aged 50 and above. Shingrix was launched in 2017 and has witnessed robust growth, with the British drugmaker predicting the sale of the vaccine to be "significantly" more than 1 billion pounds in 2019.

Novartis has 25 blockbusters in the pipeline: CEO

Novartis has 25 potential blockbuster treatments in development, the company said ahead of a management event in the United States on Thursday. "Our pipeline is industry-leading with more than 25 potential blockbusters and this pace of innovation positions Novartis well for the future", said Novartis Chief Executive Vas Narasimhan in a statement.

U.N. creates new Ebola chief role to tackle security, political issues in Congo

The United Nations named an Emergency Ebola Response Coordinator on Thursday, creating a new position to boost efforts to contain a 10-month epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has killed more than 1,200 people. The drive to rein in the deadly virus has been hampered by attacks on treatment centers by armed groups operating in Congo's lawless east as well as by distrust among local residents, many of whom view the disease as a conspiracy.