WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Health officials have called off plans for a study examining a controversial type of treatment that some autism activists have touted as alternative medical therapy for children with the condition. The National Institute of Mental Health, or NIMH, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said in a statement on Wednesday that it has canceled a study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of a treatment called chelation.

Study links some antibiotic use to cerebral palsy

LONDON (Reuters) – A once-used practice of giving antibiotics to some women at risk of premature birth may have increased the odds their children will develop cerebral palsy and other problems, British researchers said on Thursday. The study published in the journal Lancet looked at women at risk of premature labor who had no signs of infection. Doctors now recommend antibiotics only for women whose waters have broken prematurely or have an obvious infection.

WHO slashes global malaria estimate

GENEVA (Reuters) – The World Health Organization (WHO) dramatically cut its estimate on Thursday of how many people catch malaria every year, attributing the revision to changes in research methods. The new report, however, kept the number of people who died from the disease broac use

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Patients are more likely to choose a money-saving generic drug over more expensive branded medicines when using a home delivery pharmacy instead of a retail drug store, according to a study by Express Scripts Inc(ESRX.O). Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit manager that has a home delivery prescription drug business, said its study showed that a letter alerting consumers to the availability of a cheaper alternative led to significantly greater generic use among those who the utilized home delivery services.

U.S. lawmaker questions FDA, cites industry ties

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration appears to be giving priority to projects that benefit the pharmaceutical industry rather than helping consumers, a top Democratic lawmaker said on Wednesday. The head of the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee questioned how the FDA set its priorities given recent controversies ously passed by the Senate last week. The White House said President George W. Bush