Reuters - Health Report

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Wednesday, October 18, 2017

McDonald's South Korea office raided in burger probe: reports

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean investigators raided the Seoul office of McDonald's Corp on Wednesday, following a series of complaints that children fell ill after eating hamburger patties alleged to have been undercooked, Yonhap News Agency and other media said.

Allergan ruling casts doubt on tribal patent strategy

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge’s ruling on Monday invalidating Allergan Plc's patents on its blockbuster $1.5 billion dry-eye medicine, Restasis, has cast doubt on the company's novel strategy to enlist a Native American tribe to help shield those patents from challenge by generic drugmakers, legal experts said.

Johnson & Johnson wins reversal of $72 million verdict over talc cancer risks

(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday won the reversal of a $72 million verdict in favor of the family of a woman whose death from ovarian cancer they claimed stemmed from her use of the company's talc-based products like Johnson's Baby Powder.

Astra and Merck win speedy review for Lynparza in breast cancer

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators have granted a priority review to AstraZeneca's ovarian cancer drug Lynparza as a treatment for breast cancer, putting it on track for potential approval in the new disease area during the first quarter of 2018.

Trump's drug czar nominee withdraws from consideration

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. lawmaker who was President Donald Trump's pick for drug czar withdrew on Tuesday after a report he spearheaded a bill that hurt the government's ability to crack down on opioid makers flooding the market with the addictive painkillers.

New cancer drugs help Johnson & Johnson top profit estimates

(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson posted better-than-expected third-quarter earnings, raising its full-year forecast due to growth from new cancer drugs and high-margin treatments picked up in its $30 billion acquisition of Actelion earlier this year.

Novartis says ‍revolade shows long-term disease control for chronic/persistent immune thrombocytopenia

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis said on Wednesday a long term study of ‍its Revolade drug showed good results in treating chronic and persistent immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) - a condition where patients' blood does not clot normally.

Florida needs more pet-friendly hurricane shelters for the elderly

(Reuters Health) - When pet owners need to flee from disasters like hurricanes and fires, they often think first of their animals, but a new study suggests a scarcity of pet-friendly emergency shelters could make older evacuees all the more vulnerable.

Should donor sex influence blood transfusion practices?

(Reuters Health) - Sick or injured men who receive blood transfusions may be more likely to die if their donor was a woman who has been pregnant in the past, a new study suggests.

UnitedHealth sees growth in 2018, opportunities in Trump plans

(Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group Inc, the largest U.S. health insurer, said earnings will grow 13 to 16 percent in 2018 as medical costs remain low, and that it expects to benefit from new insurance products backed by U.S. President Donald Trump.