Health News Roundup: Chinese trapped at home feel the strain; Jpan govt faces questions over coronavirus and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Sealed in: Chinese trapped at home by coronavirus feel the strain

During weeks holed up in her grandmother's apartment with 10 relatives and eating a restricted diet, Chinese teenager Li Yuxuan says tempers have frayed. Li and her family are among the millions of people across China's Hubei province, epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, who are subject to official orders to stay at home amid attempts to contain the spread of the disease.

Japan govt faces questions over coronavirus, Tokyo cancels events

Japan faced growing questions about whether it was doing enough to stop the spread of the coronavirus on Friday, as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said it would cancel or postpone major indoor events it has sponsored for the next three weeks. More than 400 Japanese and foreign passengers were set to disembark from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship near Tokyo after weeks aboard in quarantine, despite reports of new cases coming in from around Japan.

U.S. prepares for coronavirus pandemic, school and business closures: health officials

U.S. health officials on Friday said they are preparing for the possibility of the spread of the new coronavirus through U.S. communities that would force closures of schools and businesses. The United States has yet to see community spread of the virus that emerged in central China in late December. But health authorities are preparing medical personnel for the risk, Nancy Messonnier, an official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told reporters on a conference call.

Concern over coronavirus spread as cases jump in South Korea, Italy and Iran

International concern about the spread of coronavirus outside China grew on Sunday with sharp rises in infections in South Korea, Italy and Iran. The government in Seoul put the country on high alert after the number of infections surged over 600 with six deaths. A focal point was a church in the southeastern city of Daegu, where a 61-year-old member of the congregation with no recent record of overseas travel tested positive for the virus.

New Zealand moves to ban vaping ads, sales to minors

New Zealand's government said on Sunday it will introduce laws banning all advertisements of e-cigarettes and the sale of such products to people under 18 in a move to regulate a market that has been under pressure globally. A string of vaping-related deaths and illnesses tied to e-cigarettes, which allow users to inhale nicotine vapor, often flavored, without smoking, have been reported in the United States, leading to lawsuits and restrictions.

FDA approves Lundbeck's migraine prevention therapy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Lundbeck A/S' migraine prevention therapy, which the Danish drugmaker acquired through its near $2 billion deal for Alder BioPharmaceuticals in 2019, the company said on Friday. For Lundbeck, the approval opens doors to a lucrative but competitive market dominated by already approved rivals from Amgen Inc, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, and Eli Lilly and Co.

Esperion says cholesterol drug gets U.S. approval; eyes $10 per pill pricing

Esperion Therapeutics Inc said on Friday that U.S. health regulators approved its cholesterol-lowering drug, making it the first non-statin treatment to be cleared for sale in the country in nearly 20 years. The drug, bempedoic acid, to be used as an add-on treatment with statins, lowers bad cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by inhibiting its synthesis in the liver and is aimed at patients with high cardiovascular risk, the company said in a statement.

FDA approves Eli Lilly's Trulicity to reduce cardiovascular risks in type 2 diabetic patients

Eli Lilly and Co said on Friday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Trulicity for reducing cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetic patients. The approval makes Trulicity the first and only type 2 diabetes drug approved to reduce heart related risks in adults with and without established cardiovascular disease, the company said in a statement.