Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Medicare offers to partially raise payment for cancer CAR-Ts
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will slightly increase coverage for expensive CAR-T cell therapies administered at certain large hospitals, and is considering other ways to pay more for the cancer treatments, the agency said on Tuesday. CMS, which runs the federal government's healthcare plan for seniors, issued a proposed rule raising its maximum "new technology add-on payment" (NTAP) from 50% of estimated costs to 65%, which would increase reimbursement to $242,450 from the current $186,500.
U.S. brings first criminal case against major drug distributor over opioids
The U.S. government on Tuesday filed its first criminal charges against a major drug distributor and company executives over their alleged roles in fueling the nation's opioid epidemic by putting profits ahead of patients' safety. Rochester Drug Co-operative Inc (RDC), one of the 10 largest U.S. drug distributors, agreed to pay a $20 million fine and enter a five-year deferred prosecution agreement to resolve charges it turned a blind eye to thousands of suspicious orders for opioids.
Drinking water might help kids limit soda
One in five U.S. children and young adults don't drink any water at all on a typical day, and a new study suggests they consume almost twice as many calories from sodas and sugary drinks as young people who do drink water. On any given day, kids who didn't drink water consumed an average of 93 more calories from sugar sweetened beverages like sodas and juice drinks than young people who did drink some water.
Heart doctors recommend cardiac rehab for cancer patients
Cancer patients and survivors are often at high risk of heart disease, so heart and cancer doctors should consider providing cardio-oncology rehabilitation as patients move through their cancer treatment, the American Heart Association (AHA) urges in a new scientific statement. "How do we protect our patients going through cancer therapy? As we focus on curing cancer, we also need to think about the ways to protect them as a whole person," said Dr. Susan Gilchrist of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
AbbVie's Skyrizi drug to treat psoriasis wins U.S. approval
AbbVie Inc said on Tuesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its Skyrizi drug as a treatment for plaque psoriasis at a time when its blockbuster psoriasis drug, Humira, faces patent pressures. Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of psoriasis, a chronic skin condition.
Walgreens, Rite Aid set minimum age to sell tobacco products at 21 years
Drugstore retailers Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc and Rite Aid Corp will no longer sell tobacco products to customers who are below 21 years old, amid a crackdown on widespread teenage tobacco use. U.S. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell last week disclosed plans to introduce legislation to raise the minimum age for buying tobacco products, including vaping devices, to 21 from 18..
Some 156 people in 10 states infected with E. coli from ground beef: CDC
A total of 156 people in 10 states have been infected with E. coli after eating tainted ground beef at home and in restaurants since the beginning of March, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday. No deaths have been reported but 20 people have been hospitalized after they were infected with the strain E. coli O103 since March 1, the CDC said on its website.
Teva stops testing its migraine drug as cluster headache treatment
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd said on Tuesday it would stop developing its migraine drug, Ajovy, for treating cluster headaches after the company found the treatment was unlikely to meet the main goal of a late-stage trial. The drug, known generically as fremanezumab, competes with rival treatments from Eli Lilly & Co and Amgen Inc.
Tencent-backed China online healthcare venture raises $250 million
China's Tencent Trusted Doctor, a venture backed by tech giant Tencent Holdings, said it has raised $250 million in a fundraising round, as investors pile into China's online private healthcare sector. The fundraising marked the first investment since the entity was formed through a merger of Tencent Doctorwork and Trusted Doctors last year.
Bellamy's Australia gets China regulatory nod for Victoria plant infant formula
Bellamy's Australia said on Wednesday that the Chinese market regulator had released three approvals for the company's infant formula produced at its ViPlus Dairy plant in Victoria. Bellamy's said in a statement it was awaiting final certification from the China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), which it hoped to receive soon.
