Health News
Pfizer takes its shot at a vaccine for evasive superbug
CHICAGO - Kathrin Jansen is a microbiologist with at least two breakthrough vaccines to her name: she brought the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil to market for Merck and helped develop the $4 billion a year pneumonia and meningitis vaccine Prevnar 13 for Pfizer.
GSK flu shot may raise adult narcolepsy risk: Finnish scientists
HELSINKI/LONDON - GlaxoSmithKline Plc's H1N1 pandemic flu shot may put adults at higher risk of developing narcolepsy, not only children as previous studies found, Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare said on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia confirms another death from SARS-like virus
DUBAI - Saudi Arabia has announced another death from the SARS-like novel coronavirus (nCoV) in its central al-Qassim region, bringing the total number of deaths in the kingdom to 17.
J&J plans filing on more than 10 new drugs by 2017
- Johnson & Johnson said on Thursday it plans to submit more than 10 new products for regulatory approval by 2017, including drugs to treat hepatitis C, immune diseases and schizophrenia, and vaccines for flu, rabies and polio.
Merck's insomnia drug moves a step closer to U.S. approval
WASHINGTON - Merck & Co's experimental insomnia drug moved a step closer to U.S. approval on Wednesday after a panel of medical experts said it is effective and safe at lower doses.
Health officials probe deadly respiratory illness in Alabama
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - U.S. and state health authorities are investigating an unidentified respiratory illness that has killed two of 10 people hospitalized with it in Alabama since last week.
Senate committee advances drug compounding bill
NEW YORK - A U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday unanimously approved legislation that would increase federal oversight for companies that compound and sell sterile drugs across state lines.
BTG says interventional medicine buys could boost sales to $1 bln
LONDON - British pharmaceutical company BTG announced two deals on Thursday that it said could create an interventional medicine business with potential sales of $1 billion.
Online tool helps control blood pressure long term
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a new study, people with high blood pressure who could communicate with their pharmacists online had better blood pressure control a year after that service ended.
Texas lawmakers OK drug tests for some unemployment applicants
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas came a step closer to requiring some applicants for unemployment benefits to first undergo drug testing, when lawmakers gave final approval to a Republican-backed bill mandating such checks on Wednesday.



