Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Biohaven plunges as investors pit migraine data againstAllergan's drug
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding said its treatmentfor acute migraine cleared two late-stage studies, but investorsworried about its commercial viability as the efficacy datafailed to distinguish from Allergan's rival treatment.Shares plunged as much as 33 percent to touch a record low of$16.51 in early trading on Monday.
Sports ‘sponsorships’ often promote junk food to children
Three in four food advertisements and half of drinkpromotions during major U.S. sports programs peddlehigh-calorie, sugary products, a new study suggests. “There isan inherent message in sports about the importance of physicalfitness and health, and diet is a huge part of fitness andhealth,” lead study author Marie Bragg said by email. “Havinghighly visible sports organizations serve as a vehicle forpromoting junk food to children sends a mixed message that isincompatible with maintaining a healthy diet.”
U.S. teens often ride with impaired drivers
In a U.S. study, about one-third of young people just out ofhigh school admitted to riding with a driver who was under theinfluence of alcohol or illicit drugs. That raises their alreadyhigh risk of being in a crash - not just as a passenger, butlater as a driver, too, researchers say.
Singapore pharma on recovery path after worst output indecades
Singapore's pharmaceuticals business, among the pillars ofthe city-state's manufacturing sector, is set to return tostrength this year as big global drugmakers ramp up output andadvance automation at their production sites across the country.A recovery from dismal 2017, which marked the sector's worstcontraction in two decades, would underpin Singapore's economicgrowth. Pharmaceuticals is the No.2 contributor to the country'smanufacturing output and accounts for 3 percent of its GDP.
Roche's Tecentriq cocktail adds to lung cancer survivalsuccess
Roche's Tecentriq immunotherapy combined with otherdrugs boosted lung cancer patients' survival versus an oldercocktail, the Swiss company said as it seeks an edge on Merckand Bristol-Myers Squibb. Mixing Tecentriq withAvastin and carboplatin and paclitaxel boosted overall survivalin first-line treatment of non-squamous non-small cell lungcancer, Roche said on Monday, compared to patients who receivedonly Avastin plus the two chemotherapies.
Irish deputy PM drops resistance to easing of abortion law
Ireland's deputy premier has dropped his opposition to agovernment proposal allowing abortions up to 12 weeks into apregnancy if a referendum to loosen legal curbs and handparliament the power to legislate is passed in May. Abortion haslong been a divisive issue in once stridently Catholic Ireland,where a complete ban was lifted only in 2013 when terminationswere allowed in cases where the mother's life was in danger.
Drug shortages cripple Angola's health service
Apart from a few packs of medicine and plastic jars, theshelves at the Okanautoni health center in southern Angola arebare and lack basic drugs for saving lives. Hours from thenearest town in Cunene province, the clinic has no first-linetuberculosis drugs, no antiretrovirals for HIV, no generalantibiotics and just three anti-malarial pills.
Israel to launch Big Data health project
Israel will invest nearly 1 billion shekels ($287 million)in a project to make data about the state of health of itspopulation available to researchers and private companies, PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. Almost all ofIsrael's nine million citizens belong to four health maintenanceorganizations (HMOs) who keep members' records digitally, thuscomprising a huge medical database.
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