Health News
UK tries out new model for gene testing in cancer patients
LONDON - Britain launched a research program on Monday that should eventually allow all cancer patients to have access to the kind of genetic analysis that led Hollywood star Angelina Jolie to decide to undergo a double mastectomy.
Putting group fitness classes in the proper light
NEW YORK - Fitness experts are shining a new light on group classes from Zumba to yoga because they believe the right lighting can transform the four walls of a fitness studio from a dance party to a meditation space, and back again.
Elan strikes more deals to repel Royalty bid
DUBLIN - Elan announced its second major drug deal inside a week on Monday and said it would buy back more shares as it continues to bat against a $5.7 billion takeover bid from U.S. investor Royalty Pharma.
Supreme Court agrees to hear Medtronic patent case
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a patent dispute concerning Medtronic Inc over medical devices it manufactures that give the heart electrical jolts when it fails to pump blood properly.
AstraZeneca closes in on site for new home in Cambridge
LONDON - AstraZeneca is closing in on a site for its new $500 million home in Cambridge, with a biomedical park just south of the English city the most likely site, property industry sources said.
Childhood ADHD tied to obesity decades later
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Boys who are diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in elementary school are more likely to grow up to be obese adults than those who don't have the condition, a new study suggests.
Peregrine Pharma agrees with FDA on lung cancer trial design
- Peregrine Pharmaceuticals said it reached an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the design of a late-stage trial for its experimental lung cancer drug.
Actavis to buy Warner Chilcott in $5 billion stock deal
- Generic drugmaker Actavis Inc, itself the subject of takeover speculation, said on Monday it would buy specialty pharmaceutical company Warner Chilcott Plc for $5 billion in stock to expand its branded drug portfolio, lower taxes and increase profits.
FDA staff says Merck's sleep drug effective, questions dosage
- Merck & Co's experimental insomnia drug suvorexant appears generally effective, according to reviewers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but they questioned the company's proposed dosing levels.
XenoPort to drop multiple sclerosis drug after trial failure
- XenoPort Inc said it will stop developing its experimental multiple sclerosis treatment after data from a late-stage trial showed the drug did not improve patients' condition significantly compared with a placebo.



