Trending News Today: Monsanto Suit Fights Against Cancer Warning Label on Weed Killer

Despite Monsanto’s insistence that its weed killer Roundup poses no health risks , a judge ruled Friday that California can require Monsanto to label its weed killer as a possible cancer threat, according to the Los Angeles Times. Before moving forward with the warnings, California regulators will wait for the formal ruling. Monsanto sued California, saying officials legally based their decision for carrying the warnings on findings from the International Health Organization in France. Monsanto’s attorney Trenton Norris argues that the labels would have an immediate financial effect on the company. Monsanto said it plans to challenge the tentative ruling, the LA Times reported.

Depression and anxiety may increase the risk of death due to cancer, a new study found. According to The New York Times, investigators interviewed 163,363 adults in England and Scotland using well-validated questionnaires regarding general health and mental health. The patient population was followed in 16 studies conducted between 1994 and 2008. The results of the study showed that those who reported being the most distressed were 32% more likely to die by the end of the study, compared with those who reported the best mental states, reported Care2 Inc.

A new drug-delivery device could improve the safety and efficacy of antibiotics in the future, according to NPR. After an oral antibiotic is taken, it will make its way to the stomach, where acid can break down chemical bonds in the antibiotic and deactivate it. To prevent this from occurring, physicians will often prescribe acid-reducing medications, such as Prilosec or Prevacid. However, these medications can cause adverse events (AEs), such as diarrhea, headache, and fatigue, NPR reported. In a new study, investigators developed a tiny self-propelled drug-delivery device—–similar to a tiny submarine––designed to reduce stomach acid and deliver medication without AEs. This swallowable device reacts with tiny hydrogen bubbles released by stomach acid. The bubbles push the device around the stomach, while the submarines magnesium core reduces the acidity. Once the stomach acid is neutralized, the polymer dissolves allowing the device to unload the antibiotics. According to NPR, the micro submarine is only 20 microns across, which is about one-fifth the width of a strand of human hair.