Reuters Health News Summary

The British Medical Association, which has been locked in a months-long dispute with the government on behalf of resident doctors, says the government's 5.4% pay offer does not address years of salary erosion when adjusting for inflation, while the government says the deal is fair and affordable. US announces zero tariff pharmaceutical deal with Britain The United States and Britain announced a deal on Monday to secure zero tariffs on British pharmaceutical products and medical technology in return for Britain spending more on medicines and overhauling how it values drugs.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Bristol Myers must face $6.7 billion lawsuit over delayed cancer drug, US judge rules

A U.S. judge on Monday rejected Bristol Myers Squibb's bid to dismiss a $6.7 billion lawsuit claiming it cheated shareholders of the former Celgene by delaying federal approval for three drugs, including the cancer treatment Breyanzi. While dismissing some claims, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan said the plaintiff, UMB Bank, may pursue some claims on behalf of the shareholders, including for Bristol Myers' alleged breach of contract and failure to act in good faith.

England's resident doctors plan pre-Christmas strikes over pay

Resident doctors in England will stage a five-day strike starting on December 17, timed just before Christmas, citing the government's failure to make a credible offer on jobs and pay, a union representing them said on Monday. The British Medical Association, which has been locked in a months-long dispute with the government on behalf of resident doctors, says the government's 5.4% pay offer does not address years of salary erosion when adjusting for inflation, while the government says the deal is fair and affordable.

US announces zero tariff pharmaceutical deal with Britain

The United States and Britain announced a deal on Monday to secure zero tariffs on British pharmaceutical products and medical technology in return for Britain spending more on medicines and overhauling how it values drugs. Under the agreement, Britain will raise the net price it pays for new U.S. medicines by 25%. In return, UK-made medicines, drug ingredients and medical technology will be exempt from Section 232 sectoral tariffs and any future Section 301 country tariffs.

Trump administration backs Bayer's bid to curb Roundup lawsuits

President Donald Trump's administration urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to take up Bayer's bid to curtail thousands of lawsuits claiming its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, pushing the group's shares to their highest in almost two years. In a brief filed at the court, U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer bolstered Bayer's effort to limit the lawsuits and potentially avert billions of dollars in damages, saying the company was correct that the federal law governing pesticides preempts lawsuits that make claims over the products under state law.

Bankrupt Genesis Health picks insider bid for its nursing homes

Genesis HealthCare said on Monday that an insider bid had won a bankruptcy auction for all of its assets, which would allow the same ownership group to maintain control of the company's nursing homes while using bankruptcy to slash debts and medical malpractice claims. The winning bid was submitted by CPE 88988 LLC, an affiliate of Genesis' private equity owner, Pima Capital Partners, according to court documents filed in bankruptcy court in Dallas. The bid includes $40 million in cash, as well as agreements to assume certain debts and bankruptcy expenses incurred by Genesis.

BillionToOne wins upbeat coverage as analysts flag growth in prenatal, cancer tests

Wall Street analysts, who acted as lead underwriters for BillionToOne's Nasdaq debut last month, began coverage of the diagnostics firm on Monday with broadly upbeat views, pointing to its growth prospects in prenatal and cancer testing. Shares of the company fell 9.3% to $118 in thin morning trading as broader U.S. equities slipped, with investors weighing rate-cut hopes against mixed economic signals.

EU epidemic vets begin work on swine fever outbreak in Barcelona

A taskforce of EU vets specialising in epidemics began work in Barcelona on Tuesday as Spain seeks to contain an African swine fever outbreak that has forced it to halt some pork exports. The experts in virology and risk management will visit a 6-km exclusion zone around the affected area in Bellaterra to survey the situation, provide advice and prepare a follow-report with recommendations, a European Commission spokesperson said.

UK and US poised to agree zero-tariffs deal on pharmaceuticals, The Times says

The UK is poised to agree on a major pharmaceuticals deal with the U.S., which will mean zero import tariffs on pharmaceutical products into the U.S. and lead to an increase in NHS spending on medicines, The Times reported on Monday. The UK government is understood to have agreed to lower an industry sales rebate rate on NHS drug prices and to also improve the NHS's cost-effectiveness measure for drugs, the report said, citing industry sources.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)