Health News Roundup: Resolution on transparency in drug costs; measles outbreak grows

Scientists zoom in on bug behind Strep throat and scarlet fever

Scientists studying a bacterium that causes scarlet fever, severe sore throat and a form of heart disease say they are closer to developing a vaccine that could one day prevent hundreds of thousands of infections a year. In a study in the journal Nature Genetics, scientists from Britain and Australia found detailed differences between strains of Group A Streptococcus bacteria - known as Strep A - from 22 countries, but also found several molecular targets common across many strains, offering the potential for vaccine development.

WHO sees high risk as polio breaks out in Central African Republic

Two cases of polio have been reported in the Central African Republic, the World Health Organization said in a report on Tuesday, the latest setback for global efforts to eradicate the crippling disease. The cases, reported to WHO on May 24, were caused by "vaccine-derived" polio rather than the wild type of the virus that still circulates in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

WHO agrees watered-down resolution on transparency in drug costs

World Health Organization members agreed on Tuesday to push for clearer drug pricing but stepped back from proposals by activists to force pharmaceutical firms to disclose the cost of making medicines. Activists say drug companies can charge high prices for some medicines and governments spend too much because they negotiate without knowing how much each drug actually costs to make.

U.S. measles outbreak grows with 60 new measles cases across 26 states

The United States recorded 60 new measles cases last week, taking confirmed cases for the year to 940, the worst outbreak since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000, federal health officials said on Monday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 6.8% increase in the number of measles cases in the week ended May 24 in an outbreak that has now reached 26 states. The agency has been providing weekly updates with every Monday.

Cirrhosis, cancer risks higher with fatty liver - especially in diabetics

Fatty liver disease that's not related to alcohol use is linked with an increased risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer, especially in people with diabetes, according to a large study from Europe. "We probably need a more systematic way of detecting the liver disease in patients at risk so we can prevent progression," Dr William Alazawi from Barts Liver Center and the University of London told Reuters Health by email. "This involves raising awareness of the liver disease among patients and their doctors and also making the most of the blood tests and scans that currently exist in people who we know are at risk."

British Columbia to be first Canadian province to switch patients to biosimilars

The Canadian province of British Columbia said on Monday that its public drug plan will switch as many as 20,400 patients from three branded biologic drugs to cheap near-copies called biosimilars, saving an estimated C$96.6 million ($71.9 million)over three years. The new policy from the province's PharmaCare program targets Janssen's Remicade and Amgen's Enbrel which treat arthritis, among other conditions, and Sanofi's long-acting insulin Lantus. It is the first of its kind in a Canadian public plan and could pave the way for similar programs across the country.

Lopez Obrador says will shop abroad if necessary to fix medicine shortages

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador vowed on Monday to alleviate a medicine shortage in public hospitals, pledging to shop abroad for essential drugs if necessary and blaming the situation on companies upset about his crackdown on overpricing. The government promised on Friday to release about $126 million (2.4 billion pesos) to help alleviate shortages at Mexican public hospitals. The head of the largest public health system resigned last week citing budget cuts, a complaint echoed by several hospital directors.

Oklahoma, Johnson & Johnson face off in first opioid crisis trial

Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson is set to face trial in a multibillion-dollar lawsuit by the state of Oklahoma aimed at pinning the blame for the opioid epidemic on its painkiller marketing. Lawyers for the state and J&J are scheduled to appear on Tuesday in a state court in Norman, Oklahoma, to deliver their opening statements at the start of the first trial to result from more than 2,000 similar lawsuits against opioid manufacturers nationally.

Japan court says forced sterilizations unconstitutional, refuses compensation: media

The forced sterilization of two women decades ago as teenagers was unconstitutional, a Japanese court said on Tuesday, but rejected their demands for compensation, in the first of about 20 such cases closely watched nationwide, media said. Tens of thousands of people were sterilized, many without their consent, under a government program aimed at preventing the birth of "inferior descendants" that ran until 1996.

Newron delays schizophrenia drug trial after FDA raises concerns

Swiss-listed drugmaker Newron must delay a trial of its prospective schizophrenia medicine evenamide after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration raised concerns about the central nervous system (CNS) events that have emerged in rats and dogs. The company, whose Xadago against Parkinson's disease is already on the market, aims to broaden its stable of approved medicines with evenamide, which it is testing in concert with other drugs against schizophrenia.