Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, provided an update on the development program for suvorexant , the company's investigational orexin receptor antagonist, which, if approved, will be a new mechanism for the treatment of insomnia.

Maternal cigarette smoking in the first trimester was associated with a 20 to 70 percent greater likelihood that a baby would be born with certain types of congenital heart defects, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

People with addictions to stimulants tend to choose instant gratification or a smaller but sooner reward over a future benefit, even if the future reward is greater.

Researchers have produced a lasting anti-cocaine immunity in mice by giving them a safe vaccine that combines bits of the common cold virus with a particle that mimics cocaine.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is increasing awareness about a health plan for uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions created by the Affordable Care Act.