Reuters Health News Summary

European countries have borne the brunt of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, in recent years which has led to the culling of millions of birds in the past two years, affecting the supply of poultry meat and eggs. Uzbekistan starts trial over 65 child deaths linked to contaminated cough syrups Uzbekistan began a trial on Friday over the deaths last year of 65 children linked to contaminated cough syrups, announcing for the first time a much higher death toll than before.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

US Supreme Court halts Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement pending review

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a challenge by President Joe Biden's administration to the legality of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy settlement, putting on hold a deal that would shield its wealthy Sackler family owners from lawsuits over their role in the country's opioid epidemic. The justices paused bankruptcy proceedings concerning Purdue and its affiliates and said they would hold oral arguments in December in the administration's appeal of a lower court's ruling upholding the settlement. The Supreme Court's new term begins in October.

What happens when a $2 million gene therapy is not enough

Baby Ben Kutschke was diagnosed at three months with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare inherited disorder which is the leading genetic cause of death in infancy globally. It leaves children too weak to walk, talk, swallow or even breathe. So when in 2021 his parents heard about Zolgensma – a one-time therapy costing millions of dollars that promises to replace genes needed for the body to control muscles – they had high hopes.

US securities regulator probes Illumina over Grail deal

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has begun an investigation into Illumina's $7.1 billion acquisition of cancer detection test maker Grail, the gene sequencing company said in a regulatory filing. The regulator has requested documents and communications related to the acquisition along with certain statements and disclosures about the "conduct and compensation" of certain members of the companies' management, according to the filing on Thursday.

Nigeria public doctors end strike after talks with lawmakers

Frontline doctors in Nigerian public hospitals on Friday ended a three-week strike to press for a pay rise after the removal of a subsidy on petrol, the doctors' union said. The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) said the decision to end the strike followed "a very fruitful meeting" with lawmakers, led by the president of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, in the capital Abuja.

Namibia bans poultry imports from Denmark, Netherlands due to bird flu

Namibia has suspended imports of live poultry, birds, and poultry products from Denmark and the Netherlands following the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the two European countries. European countries have borne the brunt of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, in recent years which has led to the culling of millions of birds in the past two years, affecting the supply of poultry meat and eggs.

Uzbekistan starts trial over 65 child deaths linked to contaminated cough syrups

Uzbekistan began a trial on Friday over the deaths last year of 65 children linked to contaminated cough syrups, announcing for the first time a much higher death toll than before. The Central Asian nation had previously reported only 20 deaths linked to the medicines, which were produced by India's Marion Biotech.

China drugmakers axe IPO plans as they face scrutiny in anti-graft drive

A growing number of healthcare companies in China are shelving their initial public offering (IPO) plans as its stock exchanges have stepped up scrutiny of the pharmaceutical industry's business practices amid an escalating anti-corruption drive. Healthcare stocks have already slumped in China since the government in late July launched a year-long anti-graft campaign, targeting what it said was the rampant practice of bribing of doctors in drug and medical equipment sales.

Bacteria in the water forces UK to remove asylum seekers from barge

Britain is taking a group of asylum seekers off a barge just days after moving them onto the vessel because Legionella bacteria was found in the water supply, an embarrassment for the government as it tries to showcase a tough new immigration policy. Britain began moving the asylum seekers onto the Bibby Stockholm, a barge anchored off Dorset on the south coast, earlier this week as part of its high-profile strategy to deter people from arriving in the country on small boats.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)