Health News Roundup: J&J wins trial over Florida woman who claimed its baby powder caused her cancer; German watchdog approves Novo's acquisition of Cardior Pharmaceuticals and more
Wall Street has forecast the market for this new generation of obesity treatments reaching at least $100 billion by the end of the decade, and Biocon is taking steps to be a part of that windfall. After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air' The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives. The Geneva-based U.N. health agency released a technical document on the topic on Thursday.
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
J&J wins trial over Florida woman who claimed its baby powder caused her cancer
A Florida jury on Thursday concluded that Johnson & Johnson's baby powder talc product did not cause the ovarian cancer of a Florida woman who died in 2019. The lawsuit was brought by family members of Patricia Matthey, a Sarasota County resident who used Johnson's baby powder daily from 1965 until August 2016, when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, according to her family's lawsuit.
German watchdog approves Novo's acquisition of Cardior Pharmaceuticals
The German cartel office has approved a deal by Denmark's Novo Nordisk to purchase Cardior Pharmaceuticals, the regulator said in a statement on Thursday. The acquisition of Hanover-based Cardior Pharmaceuticals for up to 1.03 billion euros ($1.1 billion) comes as Novo works to expand its focus on diabetes and weight-loss therapies to include cardiovascular disease treatments.
Sanofi to overhaul US operations of vaccines, cut jobs
French drugmaker Sanofi said on Thursday it would restructure the U.S. commercial operations for its vaccines and cut an undisclosed number of jobs. Sanofi would implement a "streamlined strategic sales structure" to better support its customers and patients, it said without disclosing any details on the changes to be made, the timeframe and the number of employees to be impacted.
UK drug shortages swell amid Brexit supply woes, think-tank data shows
Drug shortages in the UK more than doubled between 2020 and 2023 with Brexit likely to "significantly weaken" the country's ability to tackle supply chain snags, according to a report published by the Nuffield Trust think-tank on Thursday. The research found drug companies issued 1,643 warnings of impending medicine shortages in 2023, compared with 648 in 2020 - the year Britain left the European Union (EU).
Dengue cases surge by nearly 50% in Americas amid 'emergency situation', UN agency says
Dengue cases have created an "emergency situation" in the Americas, although cases in hotspots Argentina and Brazil appear to have stabilized, the head of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Thursday. PAHO, a United Nations agency, has confirmed more than 5.2 million cases of dengue across the Americas this year, an over 48% jump from the 3.5 million cases the group reported late last month.
US FDA mandates label updates on CAR-T cancer therapies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday cancer therapies that use CAR-T technology will require changes to the so-called "boxed warning" to highlight the serious risk of T-cell blood cancer in patients who use these therapies. The health regulor has required related updates to other sections of the label such as warnings and precautions, postmarketing experience, patient counseling information and medication guide.
World Bank sets goal of expanding healthcare to 1.5 billion people by 2030
The World Bank Group on Thursday unveiled a new goal to help countries deliver affordable healthcare to 1.5 billion people by 2030 by expanding services to remote areas, cutting fees and other financial barriers and focusing on lifetime care.
The development lender said it would deploy financing, its own health expertise and new partnerships with private-sector firms, non-governmental organizations and civil society groups in reaching the target, which it defines as a person receiving treatment by a health care worker through an in-person visit or a telehealth appointment.
Medical device maker Intuitive beats estimates on strong demand for surgical robots
Intuitive Surgical beat Wall Street estimates for first-quarter profit and revenue on Thursday, riding on higher demand for its robots used in minimally invasive procedures. Investor expectations around the performance of medical device makers have been heightened since last November, as people, especially older adults, opted for medical procedures deferred during the pandemic.
India's Biocon developing its own version of Wegovy, clinical trial likely next year
Indian drugmaker Biocon, looking to grab a piece of the exploding weight-loss drug market as early as possible, is developing its own version of Novo Nordisk's wildly popular Wegovy and is prepared to conduct a clinical trial next year if needed, the CEO told Reuters. Wall Street has forecast the market for this new generation of obesity treatments reaching at least $100 billion by the end of the decade, and Biocon is taking steps to be a part of that windfall.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
The Geneva-based U.N. health agency released a technical document on the topic on Thursday. It said it was the first step towards working out how to better prevent this kind of transmission, both for existing diseases like measles and for future pandemic threats.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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