Saudi Arabia has another case of new coronavirus: WHO

LONDON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has reported another case of infection in a concentrated outbreak of a new strain of a virus that emerged in the Middle East last year and spread into Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday.

Lundbeck says drug shows improvement in depression symptoms

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish pharmaceutical group Lundbeck and Japanese partner Takeda said on Saturday that data from clinical phase III studies with the antidepressant vortioxetine had shown significant improvement in patients' symptoms.

Virus found in Iowa hog population, possibly beyond

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A potentially fatal hog virus, porcine epidemic diarrhea, has been found in the United States for the first time, government and private industry officials said on Friday, posing a new threat for the country's struggling pork producers.

Fever reducers don't slow children's recovery: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A review of past research finds that fever-reducing drugs have no effect on the speed of children's recovery from an infection, contrary to the fears of some doctors and parents.

Death toll from new bird flu in China rises to 36: WHO

LONDON (Reuters) - Four more people in China have died from a new strain of bird flu, bringing the death toll from the H7N9 virus to 36 from 131 confirmed cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

Surgeons-in-training dislike new work hours: survey

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Most surgeons-in-training dislike new rules that limit how many hours they can work, according to a new study that also found the majority said they skirt the restrictions.

Higher-stakes soccer matches tied to more injuries

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Soccer matches played at a high level of competition are more likely to result in injuries - and in more serious ones - compared to less important games, according to a new study.

Endometriosis more common in lean women: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Heavy women are less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis than their slimmer peers, according to a new study.

Novo Nordisk says completes hemophilia drug trial

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark's Novo Nordisk, the world's biggest insulin producer, said on Friday it had completed the first phase III trial of a hemophilia drug, N9-GP.

EU watchdog backs Bayer acne drug for certain patients

LONDON (Reuters) - Bayer's acne pill Diane 35 and its generic versions are safe to use in certain women when other options have failed, the European Medicines Agency said on Friday.

Sanofi says will keep Toulouse research site

PARIS (Reuters) - Sanofi said it would overhaul rather than exit its Toulouse research site, as it seeks to break an impasse with the French government which opposed the drugmaker's reorganization plans and the loss of jobs.

Organ donor cards hard to implement in China, official says

BEIJING (Reuters) - A system of donor cards indicating consent for organ transplants will not work in China as families will insist on having the final say, and many people see nothing wrong in using organs from executed prisoners, an official said on Friday.

Sanofi says myelofibrosis treatment study positive

PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said a late-stage Phase III trial of a drug designed to treat myelofibrosis led to positive results.

Psychiatrists unveil their long-awaited diagnostic "bible"

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The long-awaited, controversial new edition of the bible of psychiatry can be characterized by many numbers: its 947 pages, its $199 price tag, its more than 300 maladies (from "dependent personality disorder" and "voyeuristic disorder" to "delayed ejaculation," "kleptomania" and "intermittent explosive disorder"), each limning the potential woes of being human.

British team hails new embryo selection method for IVF success

LONDON (Reuters) - British fertility experts have devised a new IVF technique that takes thousands of snapshots of a developing embryo that they say can help doctors pick those most likely to implant successfully and develop into healthy babies.

U.S. House votes to repeal Obamacare in 37th symbolic act

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law on Thursday in a symbolic move aimed as much at healing internal Republican rifts as demonstrating dogged party opposition to "Obamacare."

Multiple concussions tied to more suicidal thoughts

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who've sustained multiple brain injuries throughout their life were more likely to report suicidal thoughts than people with one or no concussions, according to a new study of deployed U.S. military personnel.

Up to 1 in 5 children suffer from mental disorder: CDC

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Up to 20 percent of children in the United States suffer from a mental disorder, and the number of kids diagnosed with one has been rising for more than a decade, according to a report released on Thursday by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Lifestyle change may ease heart risk from job stress

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Being under stress at work is tied to a higher risk of heart problems, new research confirms - but putting down the beer bottle and going for a walk may help.

Data show new Roche leukemia drug may improve on Rituxan

(Reuters) - An experimental leukemia treatment that Roche Holding AG hopes will improve upon its best-selling cancer drug Rituxan delayed disease progression twice as long as chemotherapy, according to preliminary trial data released on Wednesday.

Can sleep at altitude prevent sudden hiker deaths?

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who die of a sudden cardiac event are less likely to do so on the first day of mountain activities if they sleep at higher elevations the night before, according to a new study.

Combined supplements no better for cholesterol

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adding a plant-derived compound called a sterol to the cholesterol-lowering agent red yeast rice doesn't make it work any better, according to a new study.

Over 20 South African boys die in circumcision rituals: police

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - More than 20 South African boys have died over the past week during coming of age rituals, police said on Thursday, and they blamed botched circumcisions as the likely cause of death.

Swedish drug maker Recipharm looks to list or sell stake-source

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's Recipharm has hired UBS to advise on either a partial sale of the pharmaceutical company or a listing on the Stockholm exchange, a source close to the process told Reuters on Thursday.

Warning didn't change for-profit dialysis drug use

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite a strong warning from U.S. regulators in 2007, for-profit dialysis centers still gave their kidney failure patients more of a certain anemia drug than non-profit centers in 2008, says a new study.

Novartis says has no intention of buying Actavis

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis has no plans to bid for U.S.-based generic drugmaker Actavis, which is the subject of intense takeover speculation, a spokesman for the Swiss drugmaker said on Thursday.

Bayer to acquire herbal medicine maker Steigerwald

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's largest drugmaker Bayer said it agreed to buy privately held Steigerwald Arzneimittelwerk GmbH, a maker of herbal treatments.

AstraZeneca accelerates cancer drug testing

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has enrolled the first patient into a final-stage clinical trial of a new drug for a rare type of leukemia as the group's new CEO delivers on a promise to accelerate its oncology programs.

China steps up inspection of meat trade after fake lamb scandal

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has begun a crackdown on the sales of fake, diseased and tainted meat products after a series of scandals that have further dented public confidence in the food industry, the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.

Medical weed could jinx recreational dope market in Washington state

OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) - Key officials helping to create Washington state's potentially lucrative recreational pot market say its success may hinge on preventing consumers from choosing to get high on readily available medical cannabis because of low and sometimes nonexistent taxes on it.