Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Synthetic marijuana substitutes are likely not safe
Drugs known as K2 or Spice, often sold as "safe" or "legal" versions of marijuana, are none of those things, a research review concludes. These synthetic cannabinoids (SCBs) are not detectable with standard drug screening for the active substance in marijuana because they are very different, and potentially dangerous, molecules, the study team writes in Trends in Pharmacological Sciences.
FTC sues Shire ViroPharma for fighting generic entry of Vancocin
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against Shire ViroPharma on Tuesday, accusing it of abusing government processes in order to fend off generic competition to its antibiotic Vancocin HCl, the agency said in a statement. The company filed repeated and "unsupported filings" with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2006 and 2012 in order to slow approval of generic competitors to Vancocin, the FTC said.
FDA approves Amgen drug for secondary hyperparathyroidism
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Amgen Inc's treatment for secondary hyperparathyroidism in adult patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, the U.S. biotech company said on Tuesday. The drug, etelcalcetide, will be sold under the brand name Parsabiv, Amgen said, adding that it is the first new therapy approved for the condition in 12 years.
Adults urged to get vaccinated
Too many U.S. adults are not getting vaccinated, putting themselves and others at risk, immunization experts say. According to the latest available data, about 44 percent of adults over age 19 had a flu shot; 20 percent had a Tdap vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis; and 20 percent of 19-to-64-year-olds at risk of pneumonia had that vaccine (compared to 60 percent of those over 65).
U.S. House speaker says Obamacare replacement will pass this year
The U.S. House of Representatives' Republican leader said on Tuesday that legislation to replace former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law would be completed this year, trying to dispel the idea that the party is retreating from its campaign promise to dismantle Obamacare quickly. "The question is how long does it take to implement the full replacement of Obamacare," House Speaker Paul Ryan told a news briefing. "We hope to get this done as fast as possible."
Study of cancer-causing toxins finds e-cigarettes much safer than smoking
Consuming e-cigarettes is far safer and less toxic than smoking conventional tobacco cigarettes, according to the findings of a study analyzing levels of dangerous and cancer-causing substances in the body. Researchers found that people who switched from smoking regular cigarettes to e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) such as gum or patches for at least six months had much lower levels of toxins in their saliva and urine than those who continued to smoke.
Sickle cell trait skews common diabetes test
A genetic trait that affects red blood cells and is fairly common among African Americans and Hispanic Americans can cause an important blood sugar test to miss signs of diabetes, researchers say. The test known as hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) estimates long-term blood sugar levels by measuring the amount of glucose sticking to red blood cells, but blood cells from people with sickle cell trait don't live as long, so they have less time to collect glucose.
China 'mending its ways' on unethical organ transplants, official says
Beijing's top official on transplants said on Tuesday Beijing was "mending its ways" from a murky past when organs were taken from detained or executed prisoners. Dr Huang Jiefu also told a Vatican conference bringing together nearly 80 doctors, law enforcement officials and representatives of health and non-government organizations that his participation, which medical ethics groups have criticized, was not an attempt to whitewash the past.
Too few U.S. teens getting flu and cancer vaccines
Less than half of U.S. adolescents get vaccinated to protect against seasonal influenza, and even fewer teens receive shots to help prevent cancers of the cervix and throat, new research suggests. "Immunization rates for teenagers are lower than for younger children who see the doctor more often," said Dr. Henry Bernstein of Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine in Hempstead, New York.
Trump backs negotiating drug prices under Medicare: White House
President Donald Trump supports the government negotiating directly with drug companies on prices for drugs covered by the Medicare insurance program, the White House said on Tuesday. "He's for it," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, when asked at a briefing whether Trump still supports negotiating drug prices for the healthcare program.
