Health Highlights: March 31, 2022

New drug may ease tics in kids with Tourettes. Ecopipam, which failed as a weight-loss medication, may reduce tics by 30% in kids and teens with Tourettes without the unpleasant side effects of current treatments, researchers say. Read more

FDA panel votes against new ALS drug. The 6-4 ruling determined that a single, mid-stage study from Amylyx Pharmaceuticals wasn't enough to prove the company's drug makes a meaningful difference in patients' lives. Patient advocacy groups had lobbied hard for approval. Read more

New way to blast kidney stones can be done in a doctor's office. Researchers call the ultrasound-based technique a first step toward a simpler, anesthesia-free treatment for the painful problem. Read more

Even during Omicron, Pfizer vaccine slashed hospitalizations for kids ages 5 to 11. Researchers behind the new study say they hope their findings help persuade reluctant parents to get their kids vaccinated. Read more

CDC drops advisory against cruise ship travel. Beginning in 2020, the agency had said that crowding on ship could allow COVID-19 to spread rapidly, raising the risk of passengers and crew getting infected. But on Wednesday, the CDC lifted its advisory. Read more

Lung cancer CT scans have already saved more than 10,000 U.S. lives. Since 2013, experts have urged this type of lung cancer screening for high-risk people who are over 55 and have a history of smoking. Read more