Health News Roundup: W. Africa's Ebola outbreak cost $53 bln, FDA approves first new flu drug
Japan's Shionogi & Co Ltd and Swiss drugmaker Roche won U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for their flu treatment, the first new flu drug approved by the agency in nearly 20 years.
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
West Africa's Ebola outbreak cost $53 billion - study
An Ebola outbreak that ravaged Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia in 2014 cost economies an estimated $53 billion, according to a study in this month's Journal of Infectious Diseases. The study aimed to combine the direct economic burden and the indirect social impact to generate a comprehensive cost of the outbreak, which was the worst in the world.
Hearing loss patients at higher risk of hospital readmission
Hard-of-hearing hospital patients who have trouble communicating with medical personnel are more likely to end up back in the hospital within 30 days, compared to patients who don't have trouble hearing, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers at New York University in New York City examined data from a nationally representative survey and found that discharged hospital patients who reported trouble communicating with their doctors had 32 per cent greater odds of hospital readmission in the next month.
Bayer, Orion drug shown to delay spread of prostate cancer
German drugmaker Bayer and Finland's Orion said on Wednesday a study showed a prostate cancer drug they are jointly developing can delay the spread of the disease to other parts of the body, boosting Orion's shares. A study on men with non-metastatic prostate cancer that could not be helped with hormonal therapy met the primary goal of showing oral drug darolutamide can delay the spread of metastases, the companies said in a statement.
Surgeon age doesn't affect cataract surgery outcomes
Late-career surgeons perform a large proportion of cataract operations, and they do it with an overall low rate of adverse events, a Canadian study suggests. In recent years, researchers have analyzed whether surgeons' age affects their skills, dexterity and risk for mistakes in the operating room, the study authors note in JAMA Ophthalmology.
FDA approves first new flu drug in almost two decades
Japan's Shionogi & Co Ltd and Swiss drugmaker Roche won U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for their flu treatment, the first new flu drug approved by the agency in nearly 20 years. Xofluza was approved to treat acute uncomplicated influenza, a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses, in patients 12 years of age and older who have had symptoms for no more than two days, the FDA said.
NMC Health, Hassana Investment sign agreement to build Saudi healthcare network
NMC Health said it has signed an agreement with Hassana Investment Company, the investment arm of the General Organization for Social Insurance (GoSI) of Saudi Arabia, to develop a pan Saudi Arabian network of world-class healthcare facilities. The memorandum of understanding targets a total investment of 6 billion Saudi riyals and the employment of up to 10,000 staff over the next five years, NMC said in a statement.
Trump enacts anti-opioid abuse package in rare bipartisan step
Medical treatment will be more widely available to opioid abusers while mailing illicit drugs will be more difficult under a measure to fight drug addiction that was signed into law on Wednesday by U.S. President Donald Trump. In a year more typically marked by partisan gridlock, Trump signed the rare bipartisan package passed by Congress earlier this month to tackle a problem that led to a record 72,000 drug overdose deaths in 2017.
Amgen cuts price of cholesterol drug Repatha by 60 per cent
Amgen Inc, looking to boost use of its potent cholesterol drug Repatha, has cut the medication's U.S. list price by 60 per cent to $5,850, the U.S. biotechnology company said on Wednesday. Repatha and rival drug Praluent from partners Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and Sanofi SA were launched in 2015 at list prices of more than $14,000 a year.
Evidence supports screening for intimate partner violence: task force
Women of reproductive age should be screened for intimate partner violence by their doctors, and physicians should help those who screen positive to get ongoing support services, according to updated recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). "Intimate partner violence (IPV) can have devastating consequences to one's health and wellbeing, and people experiencing IPV often do not tell others about it and do not ask for help," said Dr John W. Epling, Jr., a task force member from Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke.
China reports new African swine fever outbreak in Guizhou province
China reported a new African swine fever outbreak in the province of Guizhou on Thursday. The new case, the first confirmed in the southwestern province, was found on a small farm with 10 pigs in Biji city, Guizhou, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement published on its website.
(With inputs from Reuters)
(With inputs from agencies.)
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