Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Juul's sales halted in China days after launch
U.S. e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc said on Tuesday itsproducts were not currently available on e-commerce web sites inChina, days after it entered the world's single-largest marketfor tobacco consumption with over 300 million smokers. "WhileJUUL products are not currently available on e-commerce Websites in China, we look forward to continued dialogue withstakeholders so that we can make our products available again,"the company spokesperson said, without disclosing any reason forthe halt of sales.
With a backup to the backup, insulin makers say they'reprimed for Brexit
For two men trained as scientists, the bosses of Britain'smajor insulin providers have had to become experts in ferryschedules, trucking laws and warehouse capacity as they seek toguarantee the supply of life-saving drugs through a chaoticBrexit. With Britain set to leave the European Union withinweeks, Pinder Sahota at the world's biggest insulin maker NovoNordisk, and Sanofi's Hugo Fry have rebuiltoperations to withstand the most turbulent of events.
Scientists release sterile mosquitoes in Burkina to fightmalaria
Scientists in Burkina Faso have deployed a new weapon in thefight against malaria, and waded into a thorny bioethics debate,by letting loose thousands of genetically sterilized mosquitoes.Their experiment is the first outside the lab to releasegenetically altered mosquitoes in the hope of reducing theirability to spread the often deadly disease.
Caregivers of seriously ill spouses find life improves morewhen the partner dies
(Reuters Health) - For caregivers tending to a seriously illspouse, quality of life may improve to a greater extent if thepartner dies than if the partner recovers, a German studysuggests. That paradoxical finding - that life becomes moresatisfying when sick partners die than when they recover - mayarise from the fact that on average, bereaved caregivers in thestudy had heavier caregiving burdens, with sicker spouses andmore hours spent caring for their loved one until the caregiverrole ended, said Laura Langner, a sociology researcher at theUniversity of Oxford and Nuffield College in the UK who led theresearch.
South Korea confirms second case of deadly African swinefever, pledges vigilance
South Korea has confirmed a second case of African swinefever at a pig farm near the border with North Korea, a dayafter reporting its first-ever outbreak of the virus, deadly topigs but not harmful to humans. The Ministry of Agriculture,Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday that thesecond case was detected at a farm in Yeoncheon, northwest ofthe capital Seoul, where 4,700 pigs had been raised. North Koreareported its first case in late May.
New York state ban on flavored e-cigarettes given finalapproval
New York became the second state to ban flavorede-cigarettes on Tuesday after its Democratic governor called foremergency action in response to concerns about their rising useamong teens and a nationwide spate of lung illnesses. GovernorAndrew Cuomo on Sunday called for an urgent meeting of thestate's Public Health and Health Planning Council to considerthe proposed ban.
World at risk of pandemics that could kill millions, panelwarns
The world is facing a mounting threat of disease pandemicsthat could kill millions and wreak havoc on the global economy,a international expert panel has warned, and governments shouldwork to prepare for and mitigate that risk. The GlobalPreparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB), co-convened by the WorldBank and the World Health Organization (WHO), warned thatepidemic-prone viral diseases like Ebola, flu and SARS areincreasingly tough to manage in a world dominated by lengthyconflicts, fragile states and forced migration.
Thailand culls 200 pigs amid heightened fears over Africanswine fever
Thailand has culled more than 200 pigs this week,authorities said on Tuesday, in the first such action amidheightened fears of a potential outbreak of African swine fever.Thailand has yet to report an outbreak of African swine feveramong its pigs, though neighboring Myanmar, Laos and Cambodiahave all confirmed cases of the deadly disease.
India bans e-cigarettes in setback for Juul and PhilipMorris
India banned the production, import and sale of electroniccigarettes on Wednesday, a public health decision that will dashthe expansion plans of companies such as Juul Labs and PhilipMorris International in the country. The ban will beimposed through an executive order and will include jail termsof up to three years for offenders. It was not clear whether theuse of such products would be prohibited.
Roche bid to recycle Gazyva for lupus nephritis wins FDAbreakthrough tag
Roche has won the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration's breakthrough therapy tag for its drug Gazyva inlupus nephritis, the Swiss drugmaker said on Wednesday, boostingits efforts to recycle the 2013-approved lymphoma medicine fornew indications. There are no FDA-approved drugs for lupusnephritis, a life-threatening manifestation of the autoimmunedisease lupus in which the kidneys grow inflamed. Roche hasheralded Gazyva's potential in lupus in helping turn a medicinewith 2018 sales of 390 million Swiss francs ($393 million) intoa commercial success.