Today's Reuters Health News Headlines - Yahoo! News:
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California's Senate passes bill to ban gay therapy
Wed,30 May 2012 07:46 PM PDT
Reuters - SACRAMENTO (Reuters) - A bill that would ban a therapy that aims to reverse homosexuality in children and teens passed California's Senate on Wednesday, moving the state a step closer to becoming the first in the nation to ban the controversial treatment. The 23-13 vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate marked a major victory for gay rights advocates who say the therapy has no medical basis because homosexuality is not a disorder, and that it can cause depression and lead to substance abuse and suicide. ... Full Story | Top |
States crack down on prescription-drug "doctor shopping"
Wed,30 May 2012 05:37 PM PDT
Reuters - CHICAGO (Reuters) - When a new patient comes into Dr. Shawn Jones' office in Paducah, Kentucky complaining of pain and asks for a specific drug without talking about other symptoms, Jones gets suspicious. "The first thing they say is they're in horrible pain and they need pain medicine," said Jones. "The other thing that gives it away is they want to tell you what works - they tell you they want Percocet. They don't talk about their symptoms - they don't say, 'Oh, two weeks ago I hurt my back. ... Full Story | Top |
House votes to approve FDA funding bill
Wed,30 May 2012 04:44 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill that helps fund the Food and Drug Administration and gives it new authority to prevent drug shortages and speed reviews of medical devices. Passed by a vote of 387-5, the bill also helps ensure the safety of drugs imported from abroad by collecting higher fees from companies to fund FDA inspections of foreign facilities, and gives drugmakers incentives to make antibiotics for conditions where few treatments exist. ... Full Story | Top |
Alkermes to halt development of constipation drug
Wed,30 May 2012 03:41 PM PDT
Reuters - (Reuters) - Biotechnology company Alkermes Plc said it would stop development of its experimental drug to treat opioid-induced constipation after it failed to meet the main goal of a mid-stage study. The company said it would consider out-licensing the product after it wraps up a second mid-stage study of the drug, codenamed ALKS 37. "We will focus our future clinical development efforts on our other development programs including ALKS 9070 for schizophrenia and ALKS 5461 for major depressive disorder," Chief Medical Officer Elliot Ehrich said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
Alberta to seek C$10 billion from tobacco industry
Wed,30 May 2012 03:07 PM PDT
Reuters - CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - The Canadian province of Alberta will file a lawsuit against tobacco manufacturers seeking C$10 billion ($9.7 billion) to recover healthcare costs from smoking-related illnesses, the province's government said on Wednesday. The government said in a statement it has retained Tobacco Recovery Partners LLP, a consortium of law firms, to file the suit on its behalf but did not specify when the filing will be made. Alberta will be the fifth Canadian province to file suit against the tobacco industry. ... Full Story | Top |
Osiris rises on nod for wound treatment reimbursement
Wed,30 May 2012 10:50 AM PDT
Reuters - (Reuters) - Shares of Osiris Therapeutics Inc rose 15 percent on Wednesday, after U.S. health regulators said the stem-cell technology company's wound treatment was eligible for reimbursement when used in hospitals in out-patient settings or in ambulances. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services also cleared the pathway for a permanent reimbursement code for Grafix, Osiris's wound-care matrix containing stem cells, on Tuesday. A permanent code makes reimbursement for the treatment faster and easier, thus increasing the chances of a physician prescribing it. ... Full Story | Top |
Tomato genome project bears fruit
Wed,30 May 2012 10:02 AM PDT
Reuters -  LONDON (Reuters) - An international team of scientists has cracked the genetic code of the domesticated tomato and its wild ancestor, an achievement which should help breeders identify the genes needed to develop tastier and more nutritious varieties. The full genome sequence of a tomato breed known as Heinz 1706, and a draft sequence for its closest wild relative Solanum pimpinellifolium, were published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. ...
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Drug LSD may be behind Miami face-eating attack, police say
Wed,30 May 2012 09:57 AM PDT
Reuters - MIAMI (Reuters) - A Miami man fatally shot by police after he refused to stop gnawing on another man's face may have been under the influence of a new form of the 1960s hallucinatory drug LSD, a top police officer said on Wednesday. Police are investigating the ghoulish weekend incident involving 31-year-old Rudy Eugene, who was found naked and chewing on the face and neck of his victim on the off-ramp of a bridge in downtown Miami. Police shot and killed Eugene when he failed to respond to orders to stop and back away. ... Full Story | Top |
Exclusive: GSK eyes replacing Human Genome board
Wed,30 May 2012 09:53 AM PDT
Reuters -  NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc plans to launch a campaign to replace the entire board of Human Genome Sciences Inc with its own nominees, stepping up its $2.6 billion hostile bid for the U.S. biotech company, sources familiar with the situation said on Wednesday. The British company has started reaching out to executives in the pharmaceutical industry as well as finance and governance experts who could be nominated as independent directors on Human Genome's 12-member board, they said. ...
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Exercise, vitamin D may prevent falls: guidelines
Wed,30 May 2012 09:42 AM PDT
Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older adults who are at high risk of falls should have physical therapy and take vitamin D supplements to reduce their chance of injury, according to new recommendations from a government-backed panel. Falling is "a common problem and it's often overlooked because doctors may not be aware of their patients' fall risk," said Dr. Albert Siu, a professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and vice co-chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which came out with the recommendations on Monday. ... Full Story | Top |
Sleepy, drunken drivers equally dangerous: study
Wed,30 May 2012 09:33 AM PDT
Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Being sleepy behind the wheel is almost as bad as drinking and driving, suggests a new study from France. The study, published as a letter in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that drivers who were either drunk or sleepy were at least twice as likely to be responsible for a vehicle accident compared to their well-rested or sober counterparts. Christopher Drake, an associate scientist at the Henry Ford Hospital Sleep Disorders and Research Center in Detroit, said the findings do not change what was already known, but the study is still "interesting. ... Full Story | Top |
More questions on antidepressants during pregnancy
Wed,30 May 2012 09:30 AM PDT
Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When moms-to-be use antidepressants, their babies may be more likely to be born early or have a seizure soon after birth, a large U.S. study suggests. The findings, reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, add to evidence linking antidepressants to certain pregnancy risks -- including preterm birth and smaller size at birth. Experts are not sure if the medications, themselves, are to blame. But in general, they say the safest course is to stop using antidepressants during pregnancy, if possible. ... Full Story | Top |
Fatty acids in formula don't make babies smarter
Wed,30 May 2012 09:13 AM PDT
Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Baby formula that is supplemented with fatty acids in an attempt to mimic breast milk doesn't boost infants' brainpower any more than formula without extra fatty acids, according to a new review of several studies. The results don't necessarily mean fatty acids in formula have no benefit. But they suggest the fats don't give children the thinking and language advantage that's been tied to breastfeeding. ... Full Story | Top |
Digital records show no effect on diabetes care
Wed,30 May 2012 08:25 AM PDT
Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Electronic health records have been held up as a way to improve medical care, but a new study suggests they are not necessarily making a difference in diabetes treatment. The study, of 42 physician practices in two U.S. states, found offices that used electronic records actually gave lower-quality diabetes care than those that stuck with old-fashioned paper records. On the bright side, diabetes management actually improved across all the practices over the course of the study period. But offices using electronic records lagged. ... Full Story | Top |
S.Africa's Mandela on TV, first time since illness
Wed,30 May 2012 06:50 AM PDT
Reuters -  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Former South African President Nelson Mandela, making his first appearance on television since a hospital stay in February, was shown on Wednesday receiving a flame marking the centenary of his ruling ANC party. The 93-year-old, anti-apartheid hero, sitting upright in a chair and surrounded by family at his rural home in the town of Qunu, spoke briefly during the ceremony, saying "I used to be the leader of the ANC" and that he was "happy" to see the flame. ...
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