Reuters Health News Summary

GSK sees little prospect of U.S. generic Advair in 2016

After relying for years on its top-selling lung drug Advair, GlaxoSmithKline is now braced for the worst in the form of cheap generics - but not just yet. Chief Executive Andrew Witty said on Wednesday that the chances of cheap copies of its highly profitable inhaled medicine reaching the world's biggest market in 2016 were "vanishingly small".

Venezuela says probing drugmakers for improper use of hard currency

Venezuela is investigating whether drug companies including Germany's Merck KGaA and Bayer AG have improperly profited from subsidized foreign exchange amid growing medicine shortages, the country's health minister said. Those firms have received a favorable exchange rate through Venezuela's currency controls to produce or import price-controlled medication to treat chronic ailments such as thyroid conditions, Health Minister Henry Ventura said in an interview late on Tuesday.

Latest draftees could benefit from new-age concussion test

The 2015 NFL Draft class has now been welcomed into the league, one that could grow safer as their careers unfold through new-age research into identifying concussions. Following a final settlement of a lawsuit brought by former players over concussions that could cost the league $1 billion, and a stunning retirement by a young player concerned about brain injury risks, there is high-tech hope for the future.

EU watchdog disagrees with negative view on UniQure gene therapy

European regulators do not agree with the negative view expressed by one adviser about the efficacy of UniQure's drug Glybera, the Western world's first gene therapy. The Dutch company said it had received a final assessment report from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) following doubts raised by the adviser, a so-called rapporteur.

Youth who receive tobacco coupons may be more susceptible to smoking

Middle and high school students exposed to tobacco coupons were more likely to find smoking "cool" and less likely to feel confident in quitting if they already smoked, according to recent U.S. survey data. Some kids may encounter the coupons for free or discounted tobacco products passively, via direct mail campaigns aimed at their parents, but the coupons are also often sent by email and are readily available on the Internet.

China launches new campaign against sex-selective abortions

China has begun a new campaign against illegal prenatal gender tests and sex-selective abortions to help address the country's gender imbalance, state news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday. Like most Asian nations, China has a traditional bias for sons, who are seen the only guarantee to pass on the family line.

WHO projections warn of burgeoning obesity crisis in Europe

Europe will face an obesity crisis of vast proportions by 2030, according to new World Health Organization projections, with many countries likely to see far more than half of adults above the healthy weight limit. The figures, which predict 89 percent of Irish men and 77 percent of Greek men will be overweight by 2030, present "a worrying picture of rising obesity across Europe", researchers said, with very few countries showing decreasing trends.

Alexion to bolster rare disease offering with $8.4 billion deal

Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc on Wednesday said it agreed to buy Synageva BioPharma Corp for $8.4 billion, more than twice its market value, to expand its offering of potentially high-priced medicines for rare diseases. Alexion's willingness to pay an eye-popping premium for Synageva demonstrates that the appetite for large acquisitions in healthcare continues unabated. It also highlights the attraction of medicines for rare diseases that can command exceptionally high prices with little payer pushback because of the limited number of patients.

UN hails progress on Ebola as new weekly cases below 20

The U.N. envoy on Ebola on Tuesday hailed "extraordinary progress" against the outbreak in West Africa after new cases last week fell below 20 for the first time since mid-2014, but he warned it would take time to end the epidemic completely. David Nabarro said that in the week to May 3 only nine new cases were reported in Guinea and the same number in neighboring Sierra Leone. Liberia once again had no new cases.

EU drugs agency tightens rules on experts moving to industry jobs

Europe's medicines regulator said on Wednesday it would restrict experts and committee members who intend to work for a pharmaceutical company from participating in the evaluation of medicines, in a move to reduce conflict of interests. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) updated its "revolving door" rules on the declaration of interests, including a revised guide on how to complete its declaration form. (http://bit.ly/1EPMmU7)