Health News Roundup: FDA classifies recall of Boston Scientific device as 'most serious';

The vaccine's efficacy remained high at 82% at year 11 after initial vaccination, GSK said, citing data from a long-term follow-up, late-stage trial that tracked participants for up to about 11 years after they were first vaccinated with Shingrix. 23andMe CEO Wojcicki considering taking firm private, filing shows 23andMe co-founder and chief executive Anne Wojcicki is considering making an offer to buy the genetics testing company in a potential go-private transaction, a regulatory filing on late Wednesday showed.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

GSK says efficacy of its shingles vaccine remains high after years

British drugmaker GSK said on Wednesday long-term data showed that its blockbuster shingles vaccine, Shingrix, had 79.7% efficacy in participants aged 50 years and above, six to 11 years after vaccination. The vaccine's efficacy remained high at 82% at year 11 after initial vaccination, GSK said, citing data from a long-term follow-up, late-stage trial that tracked participants for up to about 11 years after they were first vaccinated with Shingrix.

23andMe CEO Wojcicki considering taking firm private, filing shows

23andMe co-founder and chief executive Anne Wojcicki is considering making an offer to buy the genetics testing company in a potential go-private transaction, a regulatory filing on late Wednesday showed. Last week, Wojcicki notified members of the board's special committee that she is considering a potential go-private transaction for 23andMe and indicated that she would begin speaking to partners and financing sources.

Most of Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound doses in limited supply, FDA says

Most doses of Eli Lilly's diabetes drug Mounjaro and weight-loss drug Zepbound would be in limited supply through the second quarter of this year due to increased demand, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website showed on Wednesday. Both drugs had limited availability for the 5 milligram (mg), 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg and 15 mg doses, the website noted. The 2.5 milligram doses for the treatments were listed as available.

Arizona Republicans uphold 1864 abortion ban, Democrats still seek repeal

Democrats in the Arizona House of Representatives tried repeatedly to repeal an 1864 ban on abortion on Wednesday but failed to get the Republican support they needed against the Civil War-era measure poised to become state law once again. In four votes, the chamber deadlocked 30-30 on a procedural motion that would have allowed a repeal bill to come to the floor, with one Republican joining the 29 Democrats.

First law protecting consumers' brainwaves signed by Colorado governor

Colorado Governor Jared Polis on Wednesday signed into law the first measure passed in the U.S. that aims to protect the data found in a person's brainwaves. Sponsors of the bill said it was necessary as quick advances in neurotechnology make scanning, analyzing and selling mental data increasingly more possible - and profitable.

Vanda adopts 'poison pill' after rejecting Future Pak's offer

Vanda Pharmaceuticals on Wednesday rejected a takeover proposal from Future Pak and adopted a shareholder rights plan to reduce the likelihood of a hostile takeover. Shares of Washington, DC-based drugmaker jumped 37.78% to $5.58 but were still trading below the offer price of $7.25 to $7.75 per share in cash.

Lilly's weight-loss drug reduces sleep apnea severity in late-stage trials

Eli Lilly said on Wednesday its weight-loss drug helped reduce episodes of irregular breathing associated with a common sleep-related disorder in two late-stage trials, paving the way for expanding use of the drug. The drug cut the frequency of irregular breathing episodes by as much as 63% across the two studies.

Sage Therapeutics scraps plans for Parkinson's drug after mid-stage failure

Sage Therapeutics said on Wednesday it would stop working on its experimental drug for Parkinson's disease after the treatment failed a mid-stage study, sending the company's shares to a record low in morning trading. The failure is the latest setback for Sage Therapeutics after it and partner Biogen's pill, Zurzuvae, won U.S. approval for treating postpartum depression, but was rejected for clinical depression, which is a much larger market, forcing the company to cut about 40% of its workforce.

FDA classifies recall of Boston Scientific device as 'most serious'

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday classified a recall of Boston Scientific's device used to block blood flow during excessive bleeding or hemorrhaging as "most serious". An investigation showed that Boston's device, Obsidio Embolic, when used with a specific technique posed a higher risk of bowel ischemia during procedures to stop gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, the agency said.

Abbott's device sales drive profit beat, but shares fall as forecast disappoints

Abbott Laboratories beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit on Wednesday on robust sales of its medical devices, but the company's stock fell 3% in morning trading, signaling disappointment over its annual forecast. Investor expectations around the performance of medical device makers have been heightened since last November after a resurgence in demand, as people, especially older adults, opted for medical procedures deferred during the pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies.)