School of Being Healthy

The consumer health unit of Novartis will be taking a hit of $120 million in the fourth quarter after the Swiss drugmaker decided to voluntarily recall some products in the United States.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Novartis said operations and shipments had been temporarily stopped at the Novartis Consumer Health (NCH) Lincoln, Nebraska facility for accelerating improvements at the site.

“NCH will take a one-time charge currently estimated at $120 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, relating to the recalls and improvement work at the Lincoln facility,” Novartis said in the statement.

The drugmaker plans to gradually resume operations at its Lincoln site following implementation of planned improvements and in agreement with the FDA.

A new research from Japan has suggested soy rich diet that is linked to a reduced risk of cancer does not offer protection for stomach cancer.

The researchers from Japan found no difference in gastric cancer risk between people who consumed a lot of isoflavones and those who consumed the least.

An estimated 21,500 Americans were diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2011 and an estimated 10,500 died from it.

“One of the reasons for decline is that people have fridges now, and they use less salt preservatives,” said Khaldoun Almhanna, a medical oncologist at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.

No trace of potentially deadly bacteria that killed two infants in recent weeks was found in sealed cans of Enfamil baby formula, according to U.S. health officials.

It was further added that a recall was unnecessary, providing relief for the product’s manufacturer, Mead Johnson Nutrition Co.

“Parents may continue to use powdered infant formula, following the manufacturer’s directions on the printed label,” the agencies said in a joint statement.

“We’re pleased with the FDA and CDC testing, which should reassure consumers, healthcare professionals and retailers everywhere about the safety and quality of our products,” Tim Brown, Mead Johnson’s general manager for North America, said in a statement.

“There is currently no evidence to conclude that the infant formula or nursery water was contaminated during manufacturing or shipping,” said an FDA spokesman.