FDA says asthma drug Xolair raises risk of heart, brain problems
By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The asthma drug Xolair is associated with a higher risk of heart attack, mini-stroke, chest pain and blood clots in the lungs and veins, among other problems, though the extent of increased risk is unclear, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. The FDA said it has added information about the increased risk to the drug's label after analyzing findings from a five-year safety study submitted by the drug's manufacturer, Genentech, a unit of Roche Holding AG, and 25 clinical trials comparing Xolair to a placebo. ...
Soda Pledge States the Obvious: We Will Continue to Drink Less Soda
The Clinton Global Initiative is a prestigious and convenient forum for companies to announce commitments to improve their practices, be they related to the environment, human rights, development, health, or any other facet of corporate behavior. This week executives from the big three soda makers, Coca Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper Snapple...
Texas jury finds cancer doctor guilty of poisoning lover's coffee
By Amanda Orr HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Texas jury on Friday found a Houston breast cancer specialist guilty of spiking the coffee of her lover, a fellow cancer doctor, with a compound used in antifreeze. Dr. Ana Maria Gonzalez-Angulo, 43, an oncologist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, was accused of lacing the coffee of Dr. George Blumenschein, 50, with ethylene glycol in 2013. Gonzalez-Angulo was charged with aggravated assault of a family member, which covers domestic violence in dating relationships. She showed no emotion as the verdict was read. ...
Alimera, pSivida eye implant finally wins U.S. approval
By Vidya L Nathan and Anjali Rao Koppala (Reuters) - Alimera Sciences Inc and pSivida Corp said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved their vision-loss treatment Iluvien, following three rejections. Alimera's shares jumped about 16 percent to $5.95, while pSivida rose about 10.5 percent to $4.73 in extended trading. Iluvien will treat a condition known as diabetic macular edema (DME), a swelling on the back of the retina that in the most severe cases can lead to blindness. ...
Bristol immunotherapy gets six month U.S. FDA review for melanoma
(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted a six-month, priority review to Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's application for immuno-oncology drug Opdivo as a treatment for previously treated melanoma, the company said on Friday. The FDA decision is due by March 30, 2015. Bristol said European regulators have also agreed to an accelerated review of the drug as a treatment for advanced melanoma. ...
IMF unblocks cash as desperate west Africa awaits Ebola aid
Monrovia (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund fast-tracked $130 million (102.5 million euros) in aid Friday to fight the Ebola epidemic after the governments of the worst-hit countries in west Africa said they were desperately counting on promises of global aid to be backed up with cash.
Massachusetts doctor says he knew Ebola risk
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Dr. Rick Sacra knew what he was getting into when he went to Liberia in early August to treat very ill pregnant women and deliver babies at a time when the West African nation was dealing with an outbreak of Ebola.
IMF approves $130 million in aid to three Ebola-hit countries
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund on Friday approved $130 million in aid to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to help them deal with the economic impact from the Ebola virus. "The Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone has already cost too many lives," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in a statement. "This humanitarian crisis could also have deep economic consequences." The IMF said the financial aid would become available immediately, and would be in addition to assistance the countries are receiving under existing IMF programs. ...
You're more likely to try again if the setback was your fault
By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If at first you don’t succeed, and you think you can control the outcome next time, you’re more likely to persist, suggests a new study. Using brain scans, researchers found different brain areas activated in response to a setback if the failure was perceived as something under the person’s control versus a random or uncontrollable cause, and blaming oneself led to greater persistence. ...
Third U.S. Ebola survivor says may return to Liberia
BOSTON (Reuters) - The third U.S. patient to be treated in the United States for Ebola, which he contracted while working in Liberia, said on Friday that he would like to return to Africa to continue to fight the outbreak. The patient, Dr. Rick Sacra, spoke to reporters a day after his release from Nebraska Medical Center, where he had been treated for the disease for the past three weeks. He had fallen ill while working at a hospital in Liberia, where doctors have been fighting a historic outbreak of the deadly virus. "The odds of my ending up back there are pretty high. ...
Zambia denies reports President Sata was treated in U.S
LUSAKA (Reuters) - Zambian President Michael Sata's health is "entirely normal", Vice President Guy Scott told parliament on Friday, countering reports the ailing 77-year-old had received medical treatment in the United States this week. A diplomat at the United Nations in New York told Reuters Sata had been treated by doctors in his hotel room during his visit to the annual meeting of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly. However, Scott disputed the speculation about the health of the southern African nation's leader, which grew after he missed his planned speech at the U.N. ...
Time might be 'essential ingredient' in healthier eating: study
By Shereen Lehman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who spend more time preparing and cooking meals are more likely to have healthier diets, says a new study. Those who spent the least time on food preparation also spent the most money on food away from home and were more likely to eat at fast food restaurants, the authors found. “We've known for a long time that cooking and being able to prepare your own food is associated with eating a healthier diet and it sort of just make sense, but there actually isn't much research in the area” Pablo Monsivais told Reuters Health. ...
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