Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Severely elevated cholesterol often goes untreated

Many patients with dangerously high cholesterol or a geneticpredisposition to it don’t take statin drugs that can lowercholesterol, a U.S. study suggests. Statins were being taken byjust 52 percent of adults with what’s known as familialhypercholesterolemia, a genetic disorder that causes extremelyhigh cholesterol and an increased risk of early cardiovasculardisease.

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.

Nestle's Milkybar targets healthy sweet spot with designersugar

Nestle is launching a lower-sugar Milkybar madewith a new version of the sweetener which could help ease the$185 billion confectionery industry's growing public healthheadache. Milkybar Wowsomes, a new more expensive take on the81-year-old white chocolate made famous by the gun-slingingMilkybar Kid ads, will be on shelves in Britain and Ireland incoming weeks.

South Korea confirms foot-and-mouth disease at hog farm

South Korea has confirmed a case of foot-and-mouth diseaseat a hog farm, the country's first discovery since February lastyear, its agriculture ministry said on Tuesday. The case wasreported on Monday at a farm in Gimpo, about 30 km (18.64 miles)northwest of Seoul, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and RuralAffairs said in a statement.

U.S. jury orders AbbVie to pay $3 million in AndroGelretrial

A U.S. jury on Monday ordered AbbVie Inc to paymore than $3 million to a man who claimed the companymisrepresented the risks of its testosterone replacement drugAndroGel, causing him to suffer a heart attack, though the jurydid not find AbbVie strictly liable. The verdict in federalcourt in Chicago came down in the second trial over claims byOregon resident Jesse Mitchell after U.S. District Judge MatthewKennelly in December tossed a previous $150 million jury verdictfor being "logically incompatible."

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.

Some e-cigarette users may struggle to quit smoking

Smokers who say they want to kick the habit might have aneasier time if they don’t use e-cigarettes, a U.S. studysuggests. Researchers tested two smoking cessation approachesfor 1,357 adult smokers who were hospitalized and expressed adesire to quit. Patients were randomly assigned to receive afree supply of an approved smoking cessation aid or to join acontrol group that could call a phone hotline for cessationadvice.

Esperion's drug clears study as add-on cholesterol treatment

Esperion Therapeutics Inc said on Tuesday itsexperimental oral drug met the main goal of reducing cholesterolby 30 percent in patients, who were already on another treatmentto lower the risk of artery-clogging heart disease. Esperion'seight-week mid-stage study tested a dose of 180 milligram perday of its drug, bempedoic acid, taken in addition to Amgen'sRepatha compared with a placebo in 58 patients withhigh cholesterol.