Reuters Health News Summary

Online info about braces can be improved

Internet information about orthodontic braces varies in quality and may not be entirely accurate, according to a new study from the Netherlands. Orthodontic patients may look for information on the Web, but some people have questioned the quality of that information, the researchers write in the Journal of the American Dental Association.

Kymab raises $50 million to fund antibody-generating technology

Biopharma company Kymab said it had raised $50 million from two firms associated with veteran British investor Neil Woodford to support the privately held company's antibody-generating technology, Kymouse. Woodford manages Woodford Patient Capital Trust Plc, a closed-end investment trust, and has a stake in biotech investment company Malin Corp Plc through his firm Woodford Investment Management.

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.

IBM's Watson to guide cancer therapies at 14 centers

Fourteen U.S. and Canadian cancer institutes will use International Business Machines Corp's Watson computer system to choose therapies based on a tumor's genetic fingerprints, the company said on Tuesday, the latest step toward bringing personalized cancer treatments to more patients. Oncology is the first specialty where matching therapy to DNA has improved outcomes for some patients, inspiring the "precision medicine initiative" President Barack Obama announced in January.

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 Pharma to buy Synageva BioPharma for $8.4 billion

Drugmaker Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc said it would buy Synageva BioPharma Corp for $8.4 billion to boost its rare drug pipeline. Alexion's cash-and-stock offer values Synageva at $225.92 per share - more than double of Synageva closing price of $95.87 on Tuesday.

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)