Fish oil supplements rich in omega-3 fatty acids are not beneficial for patients at high risk of cardiovascular troubles and already being medicated, a study found Wednesday. In the study, carried out in 2010 in Italy with 12,513 patients, half the group took an omega-3 supplement and the other half an olive oil placebo. Previous clinical trials have suggested that these supplements could reduce cardiovascular risks for patients suffering from cardiovascular disease or who have already suffered cardiac arrest.

GENEVA - Two multinational drugmakers are teaming up with global health groups in an attempt to protect millions of girls in the world's poorest countries from deadly cervical cancer. Starting with pilot programs in eight Asian and African nations, the ambitious project aims to inoculate more than 30 million girls in more than 40 countries by 2020. The endeavour was announced Thursday by the GAVI Alliance, a public-private partnership that's worked with drugmakers to deliver vaccines to treat fatal childhood illnesses in the world's most impoverished regions.

REGINA - The Saskatchewan government has reached a deal with pharmacists aimed at reducing the impact of lower generic drug costs. The one-year agreement increases drug dispensing fees by 50 cents to $10.75 per prescription. It also restructures a program for pharmacies that receive an annual fee for services to seniors with chronic conditions. Pharmacists will also be compensated for costs related to work they do to help people stop smoking — costs pharmacists have up to now incurred.

A gene that acts like a garbage man to clean up old material in the cells boosted the life spans of fruit flies and may offer new paths in the fight against human aging, US researchers said Monday. When researchers manipulated the neurons of fruit flies to contain higher levels of the gene, known as parkin, they lived 28 percent longer and remained healthy, said the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.