Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Walgreens to close about 200 stores in United States

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc said on Tuesday it plans to close about 200 U.S. stores and expects to record related pre-tax charges of between $1.9 billion and $2.4 billion. The Deerfield, Illinois-based company in June said it would close about 200 stores in the United Kingdom as performance in its UK Boots business continued to lag in the latest reported quarter.

Medical professionals of both genders link the word "career" with men

Researchers who examined implicit and explicit gender biases in the U.S. medical community found that professionals of both genders are more likely to associate the word "career" with men and the word "family" with women. And U.S. surgeons broadly see surgery as a man's career and family medicine as a woman's field, the researchers also found.

Diabetes drug maker Novo Nordisk buys pill factory in North Carolina

Novo Nordisk said on Tuesday it had bought a factory in North Carolina that would assist in manufacturing and packaging its new once-daily pill for treating type 2 diabetes. The tablet version of its diabetes drug, known as semaglutide, is an important growth prospect for the Danish drugmaker, which faces pressure on prices from competitors and U.S. lawmakers, who have been critical of rising drug costs.

Ebola outbreak in east Congo's main city tests flexibility of response

Deo Bakulu has been washing his hands every chance he gets since Ebola reached eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's main city of Goma last month. But the washing station set up by local authorities near his home is only open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., from Monday through Saturday, and he doesn't have running water.

Cancer hospital affiliation tied to lower cancer surgery mortality rates

Community hospitals may have lower mortality rates for cancer surgeries when they're affiliated with a top-ranked cancer center, a U.S. study suggests. Public perception in the U.S. is that community hospitals provide better care when they're affiliated with top-ranked hospitals, researchers note in JAMA Oncology. But research to date hasn't offered a clear picture about how much these affiliations actually impact cancer surgery outcomes.

U.S. FDA says some data testing Novartis' $2 million gene therapy was manipulated

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that some data from early testing of Novartis' more than $2 million gene therapy Zolgensma was manipulated, but the agency believes the treatment should remain on the market. The FDA said it is carefully assessing the situation.

Drug assistance programs offer little charity to uninsured

Many patients who receive assistance from charities set up to defray prescription drugs costs may already have insurance that covers most the cost for their medications, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined data on the six largest independent charities offering patient assistance programs through 274 different disease-specific programs. These programs had total revenue ranging from $24 million to $532 million and expenditures on patient assistance ranging from $24 million to $353 million in 2017.

EU approves Sanofi, Regeneron's Dupixent for adolescent eczema cases

The Dupixent product developed by French healthcare company Sanofi and its U.S. partner Regeneron has won regulatory approval in Europe for moderate-to-severe cases of eczema in adolescents, the companies said. The European Commission has extended the marketing authorisation for Dupixent in the European Union to include adolescents 12 to 17 years of age with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who are candidates for systemic therapy, Sanofi and Regeneron said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

GSK ends development of Ebola vaccine, hands work to U.S. institute

British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline is giving up its work on developing three potential vaccines against the deadly Ebola and Marburg viruses, despite an ongoing Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo. While Ebola is a deadly and contagious disease, it is also still relatively rare, making the potential market for a vaccine sporadic and very likely unprofitable. This poses a dilemma for drug companies: With no real prospect of a financial return, can they justify the investment in expensive development and trials.

Amag's female libido injectable therapy to sell at $899

Amag Pharmaceuticals Inc's treatment to boost sexual desire in premenopausal women will be offered at $899 and is the only injectable drug on the market for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). The therapy, Vyleesi, was approved in June and will be available in September through the company's specialty pharmacy distribution network that would deliver the treatment to patients' homes.