Reuters Health News Summary

The U.S. government is concerned that certain Chinese biotech companies are contributing technology or research and development for use by China's military, and the proposed legislation would restrict U.S. government funds going to those Chinese companies. Surging dengue cases in Americas cause alarm as potentially worst-ever season looms Dengue cases in the Americas rose in the first three months of this year by three times the number of infections reported in the same period last year, the head of the Pan American Health Organization said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Exclusive-China's WuXi AppTec shared US client's data with Beijing, US intelligence officials told senators

U.S. intelligence officials in late February told senators working on a biotech security bill that Chinese pharmaceutical firm WuXi AppTec had transferred U.S. intellectual property to Beijing without consent, according to two sources. The U.S. government is concerned that certain Chinese biotech companies are contributing technology or research and development for use by China's military, and the proposed legislation would restrict U.S. government funds going to those Chinese companies.

Surging dengue cases in Americas cause alarm as potentially worst-ever season looms

Dengue cases in the Americas rose in the first three months of this year by three times the number of infections reported in the same period last year, the head of the Pan American Health Organization said on Thursday. Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay are the countries hardest hit by dengue in what PAHO officials described as potentially the worst outbreak in the Americas to date for the deadly mosquito-borne viral illness.

European regulators close in on Big Tobacco's new tea sticks

European governments are weighing the introduction of tougher rules on cigarette makers' new zero-tobacco heat sticks, moving to close the loopholes they were designed to exploit just months after their launch. Big tobacco companies including Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco announced the launch of the sticks, made from nicotine-infused substances like rooibos tea, late last year as a way to counter an incoming European Union ban on flavoured heated tobacco products.

US CDC alerts healthcare providers of increase in meningococcal disease

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an advisory on Thursday alerting healthcare providers about an increase in invasive meningococcal disease and urging them to ensure necessary vaccinations against the deadly disease. Meningococcal disease, caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, is a serious bacterial infection that commonly affects the brain, spinal cord and bloodstream.

UnitedHealth offers over $3.3 billion in loans to providers hit by attack on unit

UnitedHealth Group said on Wednesday it has advanced more than $3.3 billion in loans to care providers impacted by a cyberattack on the U.S. healthcare conglomerate' tech unit last month. Earlier this month, UnitedHealth launched a temporary funding program for providers after a ransomware attack on Feb. 21 on Change Healthcare delayed their insurance claims processing, causing a severe cash crunch for them.

Rite Aid moves ahead on restructuring as sale efforts continue

Rite Aid, one of the largest U.S. pharmacy chains, received permission from a U.S. judge on Thursday to begin voting on a bankruptcy restructuring plan that would turn over most of the company's equity to its bondholders, while still leaving open the possibility of a sale. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan approved Rite Aid's voting proposal at a court hearing in Trenton, New Jersey, saying that the bankruptcy case needed to move quickly to avoid further restructuring costs that could push the company into liquidation.

US FDA extends review of Applied Therapeutics' genetic disease drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extended its review of Applied Therapeutics' experimental drug to treat galactosemia, a rare genetic metabolic disease, the company said on Thursday. The health regulator will now give its decision by Nov. 28, 2024, compared with its previous action date of Aug. 28.

U.S. FDA approves Akebia's anemia drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Akebia Therapeutics' drug, vadadustat, to treat anemia caused by chronic kidney disease (CKD) in dialysis patients, the drugmaker said on Wednesday. The drug will be available under the brand name Vafseo, it added.

Bristol Myers' bowel disease drug fails in late-stage study

Bristol Myers Squibb said on Thursday its experimental drug to treat Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel condition, did not help patients achieve disease remission in a late-stage study. Crohn's is a chronic bowel disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract, and can lead to diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue and weight loss. It affects about 12.6 million people worldwide, according to the company.

AI fails to detect depression signs in social media posts by Black Americans, study finds

Analyzing social media using artificial intelligence may pick up signals of depression in white Americans but not in Black counterparts, according to a study that highlights the risk of training AI models for healthcare-related tasks without data from diverse racial and ethnic groups. The AI model used for the study was more than three times less predictive for depression when applied to Black people who use Meta Platforms' Facebook than for white people, the researchers reported.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)