Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Federal prosecutors open criminal probe of opioid makers, distributors: WSJ

Federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into whether pharmaceutical companies intentionally allowed opioid painkillers to flood communities, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. At least six companies have received grand-jury subpoenas from the U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of New York - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Mallinckrodt Plc , Johnson & Johnson and Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc and distributors AmerisourceBergen Corp and McKesson Corp, the Journal reported.

U.S. life expectancy declining due to more deaths in middle age

(Reuters Health) - After rising for decades, life expectancy in the U.S. decreased for three straight years, driven by higher rates of death among middle aged Americans, a new study suggests. Midlife all-cause mortality rates were increasing between 2010 and 2017, driven by higher numbers of deaths due to drug overdoses, alcohol abuse, suicides and organ system diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, according to the report published in JAMA.

FDA approves Global Blood Therapeutics sickle cell disease drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Monday it approved a drug from Global Blood Therapeutics Inc to treat sickle cell disease in adults and children 12 years or older. The treatment will be priced at $10,417 per month, or around $125,000 per year, and will be sold under the brand name Oxbryta. It is the second drug in recent days to win U.S. approval for sickle cell anemia, and the first to target the underlying cause of the disease rather than symptoms.

Roche eyes quick FDA approval in SMA race with Biogen, Novartis

Roche expects its risdiplam medicine for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) to get U.S. approval by May, the Swiss drugmaker said on Monday, as it takes on Novartis and Biogen in the lucrative rare disease area. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted priority review for risdiplam, an oral medicine for those with the potentially deadly muscle-wasting disorder. Roche, whose drug is seen as a rival for Biogen's Spinraza and Novartis's Zolgensma gene therapy, said the FDA is due to decide by May 24.

Zimbabwe senior doctors stop work as public hospital strike spreads

Senior doctors at Zimbabwe's public hospitals went on strike on Tuesday to protest against the dismissal of junior colleagues who have boycotted work over pay for nearly three months, deepening a crisis in the country's health sector. Zimbabwe is experiencing its worst economic crisis in a decade that has seen resurgent inflation soaring to three-digit levels, eroding salaries and savings and re-igniting memories of the hyperinflation era of a decade ago.

Rent subsidies, mental health care tied to housing stability for homeless

(Reuters Health) - Mentally ill homeless adults may have an easier time finding and keeping stable housing when they receive rent supplements and mental health support services, a Canadian study suggests. Researchers focused on the effectiveness of Housing First, a program in Toronto that's different from traditional approaches to housing for homeless adults with mental illness that require aid recipients to achieve sobriety and or undergo psychiatric treatment. Housing First provides immediate access to housing and mental health services without any preconditions.

Blackstone to invest $400 million in gene therapy venture with Ferring

Blackstone Group Inc said on Monday it will invest $400 million in a joint venture with Swiss drug company Ferring that is working on an experimental gene therapy for bladder cancer, the private equity giant's largest ever bet on drug development. Investing in yet-to-be-approved medicines is a lucrative but also risky proposition for buyout firms, and only few have had the stomach to place such bets. Blackstone made its foray in the sector last year, acquiring Clarus, an investment firm specializing in life sciences.

New Roche flu drug can drive resistance in influenza viruses: researchers

Roche's influenza treatment Xofluza, a one-dose pill that can clear flu symptoms within days, may cause a mutation of the virus that leads to drug resistance, researchers reported on Monday. Results of their study suggest that common flu strains can quickly acquire resistance to the drug. They caution patients who receive it - especially children - should be watched for drug resistance.

U.S. medical schools training more students with disabilities

(Reuters Health) - A growing number of doctors in training have psychological disorders and chronic health problems, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers analyzed data on disabilities reported by students at 64 U.S. medical schools in 2016 and 2019. The proportion of students reporting disabilities climbed 69% during this period, from 2.7% to 4.6%.

Teva partners with Israeli institutes for early-stage drug research

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries on Monday signed research agreements with two leading Israeli academic institutes, a move to boost its early-stage drug development with a focus on cancer treatments. The world's largest generic drugmaker has been looking to expand its specialty portfolio and said it is seeking more than 400 new laboratories within Israeli academia.