Health News Roundup: 'no known effective' treatments for new coronavirus, says WHO

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

WHO: 'no known effective' treatments for new coronavirus

The World Health Organization played down media reports on Wednesday of "breakthrough" drugs being discovered to treat people infected with the new coronavirus, which is causing an epidemic in China and has spread to at least 20 other countries. A Chinese TV report said researchers at Zhejiang University had found an effective drug for the virus, while Britain's Sky News said researchers had made a "significant breakthrough" in developing a vaccine. Oil prices jumped on the reports.

China virus death toll jumps past 500, more cases found on cruise ship off Japan

The death toll from a new coronavirus in mainland China jumped by 73 to 563 on Thursday, its third consecutive record daily rise, as experts intensified efforts to find a vaccine for a disease that has shut down Chinese cities and forced thousands more into quarantine around the world. Hubei province, the epicenter of the epidemic, reported 70 new deaths on Wednesday and 2,987 new confirmed cases - more than 80% of the total reported by Chinese authorities. The other fatalities were in Tianjin city, the northeastern province of Heilongjiang and Guizhou province in the southwest.

Drugmakers see long road ahead in coronavirus vaccine race

Drugmakers racing to find a vaccine or effective treatment for the deadly new coronavirus in China cautioned that they have a long way to go. That runs counter to reports of a supposed "breakthrough" that on Wednesday boosted financial markets and spurred optimism not necessarily backed by reality.

Merck to slim down with asset spinoff, focus on Keytruda, vaccines

Merck & Co Inc said on Wednesday it will spin off its women's health, biosimilar drugs and older products into a separate publicly-traded company as it tightens its focus on growth drivers like cancer drug Keytruda and vaccines. The new company's assets currently makeup around 15% of Merck's total sales and around half of its drugs that treat people.

Improved access to opioid addiction treatment bypasses some communities

Despite improved access to opioid addiction treatment in recent years, more than half of the U.S. counties hardest hit by overdoses and deaths don't have enough clinicians to treat people who need help, a government study suggests. Nationwide in 2018, almost 47,000 healthcare providers had received waivers from the federal government to prescribe buprenorphine, seen as an alternative to methadone dispensed at federally approved clinics, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

Nestle invests $200 million more in Aimmune after peanut allergy drug approval

Aimmune Therapeutics Inc said on Wednesday the health science arm of Nestle SA will invest an additional $200 million, days after the drugmaker won U.S. approval for its peanut allergy therapy, touted as a potential blockbuster. The funding brings Nestle's total investment to $473 million, increasing the Swiss company's stake to 19.9% of Aimmune's outstanding stock and voting power.

U.S. government proposes higher payments to Medicare insurers in 2021

The U.S. government on Wednesday proposed an average 0.93% increase in its payments in 2021 to the health insurers that manage Medicare Advantage insurance plans for about 22 million people aged 65 or older or disabled. The government will finalize the rate in April.

WHO investigates Singapore conference linked to foreign virus spread

At least three employees of a multinational company that held a meeting of more than 100 international staff in Singapore have contracted the new coronavirus, sparking a World Health Organization investigation of the case. Malaysia and South Korea have confirmed three cases of the virus related to the mid-January company meeting held with 94 overseas staff at the Grand Hyatt hotel, and Singapore said late on Wednesday four other attendees were showing symptoms.

Data suggests virus infections under-reported, exaggerating fatality rate

Fatalities from the coronavirus epidemic are overwhelmingly concentrated in central China's Wuhan city, which accounts for over 73% of deaths despite having only one-third the number of confirmed infections. In Wuhan, the epicenter of the disease, one person has died for every 23 infections reported. That number drops to one on 50 nationally, and outside mainland China, one death has been recorded per 114 confirmed cases.

Biogen shares soar 32% on MS drug patent win over Mylan

Biogen Inc's shares surged as much as 32% on Wednesday after the drugmaker won a favorable U.S. patent ruling for its main multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera in a battle with Mylan NV. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board, an administrative court run by the U.S. Patent And Trademark Office, ruled that Mylan had failed to demonstrate that some claims were not patentable.