Health Highlights: July 15, 2014

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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

1,500-Year-Old Skeleton is Oldest Known Case of Down Syndrome

The oldest known case of Down syndrome has been identified in a 1,500-year-old skeleton found in eastern France.

The child’s skeleton has telltale signs of Down syndrome, including a broad skull with flattened base, according to the study in the International Journal of Pathology, ABC News reported.

The researchers also said the child did not appear to be mistreated by the community.

“This Down syndrome child was not treated differently at death than others in the community,” study lead author Maite Rivollat wrote, ABC News reported. “We interpret this as meaning that the child was maybe not stigmatized during life, the first time a Down syndrome individual has been so viewed in the context of the ancient community.”

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High Cost of Hepatitis C Drug Sovaldi Being Investigated by U.S. Senate Committee

An investigation into the pricing of the hepatitis C drug Sovaldi has been launched by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.

The drug — made by Gilead Sciences Inc. — costs about $1,000 a pill, or about $84,000 for a patient on a standard, 12-week treatment schedule, the Wall Street Journal reported.

On Friday, the senate committee sent a letter to Gilead announcing the investigation and requesting documents on how the company decided on the price, which has been widely criticized.

“Although Sovaldi has the potential to help people with HCV, at $1,000 per pill, its pricing has raised serious concerns about the extent to which the market for this drug is operating efficiently and rationally,” the letter stated. “Given the impact Sovaldi’s cost will have on Medicare, Medicaid and other federal spending, we need a better understanding of how your company arrived at the price for this drug.”

The letter noted that Sovaldi is offered at steep discounts in some other countries. For example, it can be up to 99 percent cheaper in Egypt than in the United States, WSJ reported.

Gilead has received the letter and will cooperate with the investigation, a company spokeswoman said. Previously, Gilead has said Sovaldi’s high price reflects its effectiveness at curing hepatitis C infection.

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