Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Deployment of second Ebola vaccine would not be quick fix, experts warn

The resignation of Congo's health minister in the midst of the country's worst Ebola outbreak could clear the way for a second experimental vaccine to be deployed. But the new shot would likely take months to win the trust of frightened locals and show results, health officials say. Oly Ilunga, who opposed using the vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, resigned as minister on Monday after being bumped off the Ebola response team.

Poor diet quality tied to frailty in older adults

When older people eat a poor-quality diet, they may be increasing their odds of becoming frail, a recent study suggests. Researchers followed 2,154 older U.S. adults for four years. At the start, participants were between the ages of 70 and 81. They were either "robust," because they didn't appear to have any cognitive problems or issues with physical frailty, or "pre-frail," because they only had one or two symptoms of frailty.

In Roundup case, U.S. judge cuts $2 billion verdict against Bayer to $86 million

A California judge on Thursday reduced a $2 billion jury verdict, slashing the award for a couple who blamed Bayer AG's glyphosate-based weed killer Roundup for their cancer to $86.7 million. Superior Court Judge Winifred Smith of the California Superior Court in Oakland said the jury's billion-dollar punitive damages awards were excessive and unconstitutional, but rejected Bayer's request to strike the punitive award outright.

Exclusive: White House preparing order that would cut drug prices for Medicare: sources

U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a sweeping executive order that would cut prices on virtually all branded prescription drugs sold to Medicare and other government programs, according to two industry sources who had discussions with the White House. The order under discussion would be much broader than the Administration's previously disclosed proposal to lower prices on physician administered, or Part B, drugs by tying prices to lower costs in other countries.

Prevagen maker must face FTC, New York claims that memory supplement does not work

Quincy Bioscience failed to dismiss a lawsuit in which the Federal Trade Commission and New York attorney general said it deceptively marketed the dietary supplement Prevagen by claiming it improved memory despite a lack of scientific evidence. In a decision released on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton in Manhattan rejected Quincy's claim that the FTC exceeded its powers in bringing the January 2017 lawsuit because it lacked a quorum of commissioners to decide whether to sue.

A Boston hospital with a farm on its roof seeks to inspire others

A rooftop farm at a medical center in Massachusetts could serve as a model for hospitals that seek to encourage healthy eating, a new report says. In 2017, Boston Medical Center (BMC) began operating a 2658-square-foot farm on a roof terrace to supply the hospital's kitchen and food pantry with fresh produce.

Vehicle infotainment systems dangerously distracting, especially for seniors

Many of the interactive information and entertainment systems turning up in newer cars may be distracting enough to increase the risk for accidents, especially for older drivers, a new AAA Foundation study finds. The systems often require drivers to take their eyes off the road for extended periods for when performing simple tasks such as navigation or radio tuning. And researchers found that the problem is worse for seniors, who looked away from the road for up to eight and a half seconds longer than younger drivers.

IMF says ready to aid Congo in Ebola crisis if needed

The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday it had ample scope to provide financial support to Congo if it needs help dealing with an Ebola outbreak that has been declared an international health emergency. IMF officials are in contact with authorities in Congo and continue to monitor and assess the situation closely, spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters.

U.S. lawmakers grill E-cig maker Juul over efforts targeted at schoolchildren

E-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc funded a "holistic health education" camp as part of efforts to market directly to school-aged children, members of a U.S. congressional panel said on Thursday, citing internal company documents. Democrats on a subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform released a cache of internal Juul emails and other documents that committee staff described as early attempts to "enter schools and convey its messaging directly to teenage children."

Pharma lobby group opposes senators' proposal to lower drug prices

Representatives of PhRMA opposed a proposal from the Senate Finance Committee to lower prescription drug prices in a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, the pharmaceutical industry lobby group said on Thursday. The proposal aims to lower drug prices by forcing pharmaceutical companies to pay rebates to Medicare if they raise prices above the rate of inflation.