Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
EU approves Roche's Cotellic in combo therapy against skin cancer
The European Union gave its green light to Roche's Cotellic for use in combination with the drug Zelboraf against advanced melanoma, the company said on Wednesday. Roche is counting on Cotellic to help it revive flagging sales of five-year-old Zelboraf, which dropped 25 percent during the first nine months of 2015. It has been under intense pressure from rivals' drugs as the standard of care moves to combination therapy.
Second language linked to better brain function after stroke
People who speak two languages are twice as likely as those who only speak one to regain normal cognitive function after a stroke, according to a new study. In recent years it has become clear that life experiences modify the way disease expresses itself in the brain, said lead author Dr. Suvarna Alladi, a neurology professor at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, India.
CDC says at least 19 E. coli infections linked to Costco chicken salad
At least 19 people in seven states may have been infected by E. coli after eating rotisserie chicken salad sold at Costco Wholesale Corp's stores, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday. Five people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported, but two individuals developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, a type of kidney failure that can lead to permanent organ damage.
U.S. court rejects Linden Care's request for temporary restraining order
A U.S. District Court on Wednesday denied specialty pharmacy Linden Care LLC's request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Express Scripts Holding Co for dropping it from its network earlier this month. Express Scripts, the largest manager of prescription drug plans in the United States, severed ties with Linden Care for dispensing drugs from Horizon Pharma Plc, which has come under fire for charging high prices.
Red meat linked to increased stroke risk
Red meat - but not other types of protein - is linked to an increased stroke risk, and the odds go up the more meat people eat, a recent study suggests. Researchers analyzed data on about 11,000 middle-aged people who didn't have other risk factors for strokes such as diabetes or heart disease, and followed half of them for around 23 years.
Amgen files for U.S. approval of biosimilar to Humira
Amgen Inc on Wednesday said it filed with U.S. health regulators seeking approval to sell its first biosimilar drug, which would be a less expensive alternative to AbbVie's Humira, the world's top-selling prescription medicine. Amgen said its drug, ABP 501, has demonstrated clinical equivalence and comparable safety to Humira (adalimumab) in late stage clinical trials for rheumatoid arthritis and the skin condition plaque psoriasis.
Dermatology drug prices in U.S. soared in recent years
The price of many drugs prescribed by U.S. dermatologists has skyrocketed over the past six years, far exceeding increases in overall health care costs and stretching patients' budgets in an era of high insurance deductibles, according to a new study from Florida. Of the 19 drugs analyzed, price increases between 2009 and 2015 ranged from about 60 percent to 1,698 percent, with an average rise of more than 400 percent.
Wheelchair users more likely to die in car crashes
Wheelchair users may be more likely to die in collisions with cars than other pedestrians, an analysis of U.S. crash data suggests. Pedestrians in wheelchairs were 36 percent more likely to die in these crashes than other people, the examination of accident records found.
France detects first bird flu outbreak in eight years
France, the European Union's biggest agricultural producer, reported its first outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in eight years after detecting it in a backyard in a southwestern region home to many foie gras and poultry producers. The highly pathogenic H5N1 virus killed 22 chickens out of 32 kept in a family backyard at Biras in the Perigord region, officials said.
For women with diabetes, air pollution has higher heart risks
Particle pollution like soot is a known health hazard and linked to the risk of heart disease and stroke, but women with diabetes are even more vulnerable than most people, according to a new U.S. study. "There is a convincing literature that long-term air pollution is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease," said lead author Jaime E. Hart of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, adding, "a number of studies of short-term air pollution exposures have suggested that individuals with diabetes are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease."
