Rilpivirine HIV Drug Filed with US and European Regulators

ViiV Healthcare has filed a single-tablet, two-drug regimen of its dolutegravir and Janssen’s rilpivirine with regulators in both the US and EU. The applications were submitted for a single-tablet, including two-drug regimen of dolutegravir and rilpivirine for maintenance treatment of HIV-1 infection. If approved, the therapy will be the first two-drug regimen for the maintenance treatment of HIV-1 infection offering patients who are virally suppressed the option to switch to a regimen which... Readmore

Spinraza Spinal muscular atrophy Drug Cleared by European Regulators

European Union regulators have cleared a spinal muscular atrophy therapy, with the hope that the new treatment can have a major impact on treating the condition. Spinal muscular atrophy is a rare and often fatal genetic disease that impacts upon the muscular strength and movements. In response to this debilitating condition, the European commission has approved Biogen's Spinraza (nusinersen) as a first line treatment of 5q spinal muscular atrophy. This form of the disease accounts for approximately... Readmore

Depression Now Leading Cause of Global Health Disability

The World Health Organisation states that depression is now the leading cause of ill health and disability globally. There has been a massive increase in the number of people who report symptoms of depression, leading the World Health Organisation to draw this conclusion. Previously, respiratory disease was considered to be the largest world health difficulty. But the latest figures suggest that over 300 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with depression. This represents an increase... Readmore

New Obamacare Plans Set to Result in Health Insurance Decline

As the debate over healthcare in the United States continues, new analysis suggests that Republican plans for the so-called Obamacare policy could be detrimental to the health of the nation. Analysis presented at the National Govs Association suggest that the new healthcare policy of the Trump administration will lead to a significant decline in the number of Americans with health insurance coverage. It is often asserted that the United States is the only nation in the Western world in which... Readmore

May Leaves Door Open Over US Involvement in NHS

As Theresa May engages in her first diplomatic relations with the United States since Donald Trump was confirmed as president, the Prime Minister has declined to rule out the involvement of US corporations in British healthcare. May is spending time in the United States, working on a potential trade deal between the two nations, and was pointedly asked about the future of the NHS. The Prime Ministers stated her commitment to an NHS free at the point of delivery, but would make no commitment... Readmore

Life Expectancy Falls for the First Time Since the 80s

Life expectancy in the United States has fallen for the first time since the height of the AIDS crisis. Official government statistics indicate that the US population has a life expectancy of 78.8 years in 2015, down from 78.9 the previous year. And with lifestyle factors impacting on this statistics, it is possible that the UK and other European nations will follow suit in the foreseeable future. Americans were more likely to die from almost every major cause of mortality, including heart... Readmore

World Health Organization Estimates that 25% of Pregnancies End in Abortion

Over 25% of pregnancies end in abortion on an annual basis, according to new statistics collated by the World Health Organisation. The authoritative health body partnered with the Guttmacher Institute to produce the research, which has been published in the Lancet. Over 56 million induced abortions take place daily as well; a figure which is higher than was believed to be the case before the research was published. Nonetheless, researchers also acknowledge that the rate of abortion has improved... Readmore

Zika Virus Able to Survive in Sperm for Six Months

The Zika virus has been located in the sperm of an Italian man six months after his first diagnosis; a significant recurrence as this is twice as long as in previous reported cases. This suggests that Zika can survive for much longer periods than has generally been believed. Doctors at the Spallanzani Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome said it pointed to the possibility that the virus was reproducing itself in the male genital tract. This is obviously of concern, suggesting that the viruses... Readmore

Chinese Oncologists Trialling Innovative Gene Editing Technique

As gene-editing becomes a more feasible part of healthcare across the planet, a new technique is being trialled for the first time in China. This can be seen as indicative of the increasingly prominent role which China is playing on the world stage, as the world's most populous nation becomes a major player in world affairs. The groundbreaking gene-editing technique will be tested on humans for the first time, with Chinese oncologists trialling the innovation on lung cancer patients. It is hoped... Readmore

Obama Administration Blocks Health Insurance Mergers

The Obama administration has filed two separate lawsuits with the intention of blocking mergers within the US health insurance market. Filed by the US Department of Justice, the legal action is intended to block Anthem from purchasing Cigna and Aetna from acquiring Humana; thus hindering insurance diversity in this critical public area. Eric Schneiderman, attorney general in New York, explained the ethos behind this decision from government. “By reducing competition, this proposed merger [between... Readmore

Florida Reports First Zika Virus Case

Officials in Florida are investigating what is believed to be the first case of the Zika virus being transmitted by a mosquito within the United States. Previously 1,304 confirmed cases of Zika in the US have emanated from those who have travelled to infected areas, while one person caught the disease via sexual intercourse and another in a laboratory. However, the first possible case of non-sexual human-to-human transmission is now being investigated. The Florida department of health acknowledged... Readmore

Zika Virus Case Discovered in Utah

A person infected with Zika has died in Utah, and while the exact cause is unclear, authorities believe that it marks the first death related to the virus in the continental region of the United States. The unidentified Salt Lake County resident contracted the virus while travelling abroad to an area with a Zika outbreak, health officials stated. The patient, who died in late June, was elderly and also suffered from another health condition, according to the Salt Lake County health department. The... Readmore