Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
L.A.’s richest man ups the ante for city, cancer fight
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – As owner of 5 percent of the Los
Angeles Lakers, Patrick Soon-Shiong could walk into the locker
room of the storied basketball franchise any time for a chat
with stars like Kobe Bryant. But the richest man in Los Angeles
chooses to sit with the rest of his team’s fans. “He’s not one
of those owners who wants to be seen everywhere. He’s just one
of the fans,” said Bryant. The NBA star gives his owner a hug
before every game for luck “and maybe some of the success” of
the slender Los Angles surgeon who built a fortune exceeding $7
billion as a biotechnology entrepreneur.
Tennessee fungal meningitis outbreak spreads to other
states
NASHVILLE (Reuters) – State and federal health officials
said on Wednesday that they expected more cases to be reported
in a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis they believe is
linked to steroid injections given for pain at two clinics in
Tennessee. So far two people have died and 18 others have been
sickened in Tennessee from meningitis linked to the outbreak.
Four other states have reported cases, with a total of 26
illnesses and four deaths, said Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention spokesman Curtis Allen.
Moderate drinking linked to abnormal heart rhythm
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People with heart disease who
drink, even moderately, may have a slightly increased risk of a
common heart rhythm problem, a new study suggests. The study is
not the first to link moderate drinking to the heart
arrhythmia, known as atrial fibrillation (AF). But it’s still
not clear that the habit, itself, is the problem.
Alere reaches deal with FDA on manufacture of cardiac test
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Common solvents tied to birth defects
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Pregnant women with frequent
exposure to solvents at work may be at higher risk of having
babies with birth defects, French researchers have found. Both
self-reported exposure and urine samples supported the link
between the chemicals and newborn malformations such as cleft
palate and limb deformities, they report in the journal
Epidemiology.
Drop in hospital visits seen with lower drug copay
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – After Pitney Bowes Inc cut
copayments for two essential heart drugs, employees at the
Stamford, Connecticut-based company began filling their
prescriptions more regularly, according to a new report. They
also were less likely to visit the doctor, end up in the ER or
be admitted to a hospital, slashing their out-of-pocket
expenses beyond the copay reductions, researchers found.
Infant fussiness not tied to later mental health
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Babies who fuss and cry a lot
may not have a greater chance of mental health issues later in
life – despite what their mothers might think, a new study
suggests. Parents sometimes worry that if their baby seems
overly irritable, that could be an omen of distress later in
life, too.
Merck’s once-a-week diabetes drug effective in clinical
study
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Alipes launches sale of Nordic optician group Synsam:
sources
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – The owners of Nordic optician chain
Synsam are launching a sale of the company which could fetch
around 500 million euros, sources familiar with the matter told
Reuters. The people, who are corporate finance advisors, said
on Wednesday that information about the firm will be sent to
potential buyers within days.
Sanofi, Bristol shake up alliance as patents end
PARIS (Reuters) – Drugmakers Sanofi and
Bristol-Myers Squibb plan to revamp their 15-year-old
alliance from January 1 in response to lost exclusivity on two
key drugs and the arrival of generic competition in major
markets. The move will see Bristol-Myers return rights to blood
clot preventer Plavix and blood pressure treatment
Avapro/Avalide to the French drugmaker in all markets, the
companies said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
