Abbott, AbbVie win dismissal of claims over Humira, AndroGel

Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2014


Abbott, AbbVie win dismissal of claims over Humira, AndroGel

A screen displays the share price for pharmaceutical maker AbbVie on the floor of the New York Stock ExchangeBy Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - A federal judge in Chicago dismissed racketeering claims in a lawsuit accusing Abbott Laboratories and AbbVie Inc of causing health plans to pay unnecessarily for the latter's blockbuster Humira arthritis drug and AndroGel testosterone drug instead of cheaper generics. In a decision on Thursday, U.S. ...



Europe must tackle Ebola 'world' threat, experts say

A JFK Hospital guard waits to greet patients, some suspected of suffering from the Ebola virus, in Monrovia on September 25, 2014Paris (AFP) - Health experts from 16 European countries beseeched their governments Friday to massively scale up manpower and resources to fight west Africa's Ebola epidemic, now threatening "the entire world".



Mentally ill North Carolina prisoner died of dehydration during transfer

By Colleen Jenkins WINSTON-SALEM N.C. (Reuters) - A mentally ill North Carolina inmate died from dehydration during a prison transfer last spring, according to an autopsy report released on Thursday about an incident that led to several prison employees losing their jobs. Michael Anthony Kerr, 53, was found unresponsive in March after being transported about three hours by van from a corrections facility in the western part of the state to the Central Prison in Raleigh for medical attention. ...

Utah opens criminal probe into Stericycle medical waste incinerator

(Reuters) - Utah Governor Gary Herbert asked the state's attorney general on Thursday to open a criminal probe into allegations of misconduct at a medical waste incinerator that environmental activists have accused of polluting the air. The criminal investigation comes in addition to separate probes launched last week by the state's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and its Labor Commission into activities at the plant owned by Stericycle in North Salt Lake. Herbert's office said the governor had directed that all the investigations be completed as soon as possible. ...

Ellis Island hospital complex to open to visitors

A cage covers the front end of the psychiatric ward of the Ellis Island hospital complex on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014, in New York. The complex, which will be opened to the public on Oct. 1, 2014, stopped operating in 1954. In its day, the complex was the largest U.S. Public Health Service institution. Sick and pregnant immigrants were treated and cured before they were allowed to enter the country _ or were sent back to their native land. The facility included wards for contagious diseases, mental health and obstetrics. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)NEW YORK (AP) — The crumbling old sick ward opens off a long hallway, separate from the rest of the Ellis Island hospital complex. Plaster peels from the walls. Broken porcelain light fixtures hang haphazardly above where beds once stood. The low clanging of boats and the splash of waves on the breakwater drift in through cracked windowpanes that showcase a resplendent view of the Statue of Liberty. This is where the sickest immigrants came on their final days.



EU regulators seek to limit emissions of non-road engines

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission on Thursday published draft law to reduce emissions from non-road engines as part of efforts to clean up the air and improve human health. The law would cover anything from lawn mowers to snowmobiles to diesel locomotives. The Commission has already introduced the world's toughest law on the fuel efficiency of cars to lower emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. But the rules for non-road mobile machinery, as the EU regulators refer to it, are erratic and out of date. ...

G7 warns Ebola-hit nations 'must not be isolated'

A JFK Hospital guard waits to greet patients, some suspected of suffering from the Ebola virus, in Monrovia on September 25, 2014New York (AFP) - The world's most developed economies pledged to keep open air and sea links with Ebola-hit countries Thursday, saying much-needed help had to be able to reach those nations battling the epidemic.



High Rates of Depression Among African-American Women, Low Rates of Treatment

High Rates of Depression Among African-American Women, Low Rates of TreatmentDepression is a huge health concern among African-Americans -- particularly women -- but mental health is often stigmatized in the black community. Although it can impact people from all walks of life, cultural habits and historical experiences can cause depression to be expressed and addressed differently among black women. "During slavery,...



Too little research supports newer joint implants: study

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - There is not much hard evidence that new artificial joint devices, including ceramic-on-ceramic bearings for hip replacement and high flexion knee replacement, are better than older options - and in some cases they may be worse - according to a new review. Senior author Dr. Art Sedrakyan and his team reviewed clinical trials, comparative studies and registries for evidence that five new implantable device innovations were effective and safe. ...

How to Streamline Your Fitness Business and Maximize Your Potential

Just like any small business owner, fitness entrepreneurs also face a variety of daily challenges -- from keeping track of expenses to staying on top of paperwork. But as the market grows more and more crowded and competition amongst fitness professionals and boutique studios increases, it's more important than ever to find ways to streamline...

Faint evidence for aromatherapy in reducing stress

By Madeline Kennedy NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - (This refiled version corrects typo in quote in third paragraph) Inhaling the scents of lavender or peppermint oils might help to reduce stress, but the evidence supporting that claim is too weak to rely on, according to a new analysis. Researchers reviewed the handful of previous clinical trials testing whether aromatherapy can reduce stress, and found most to be biased, although most also did show a benefit. “Aromatherapy seems to be effective for reducing stress in healthy people. ...

EU agency backs Almirall lung drug being bought by AstraZeneca

LONDON (Reuters) - A combination drug for chronic lung disease from Spain's Almirall, one of a number of respiratory medicines being acquired by AstraZeneca, has been recommended for approval by European regulators. The two companies said on Thursday that the European Medicines Agency had endorsed the so-called LAMA/LABA product, which combines Almirall's recently launched inhaled drug Eklira, or aclidinium, with another medicine called formoterol. ...

Sierra Leone quarantines 2 million to fight Ebola

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014, a woman suspected of suffering from the Ebola virus sits in an ambulance in Kenema, Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone restricted travel Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014 in three more "hotspots" of Ebola where more than 1 million people live, meaning about a third of the country's population is now under quarantine. Sierra Leone is one of the hardest hit countries in the Ebola outbreak sweeping West Africa that is believed to have killed more than 2,900 people, according to World Health Organization tolls published Thursday. (AP Photo/ Tanya Bindra)FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — Sierra Leone on Thursday took the dramatic step of sealing off districts where more than 1 million people live as it and other West African countries struggle to control the Ebola outbreak that has claimed thousands of lives.



Obama says 'significant gap' in global effort to fight Ebola

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a meeting with Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in New YorkBy Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama warned on Thursday that there was still a "significant gap between where we are and where we need to be" in the international response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and appealed for more countries to help. An outbreak that began in a remote corner of Guinea has taken hold of much of neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone, killing nearly 3,000 people in just over six months. Senegal and Nigeria have recorded cases but, for now, contained them. ...



American Doctor With Ebola Is 'Grateful' Following Release From Hospital

American Doctor With Ebola Is 'Grateful' Following Release From HospitalRichard Sacra has Been in Isolation for Weeks Undergoing Ebola Treatments







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