Reuters Health News Summary

The justices are due to hear arguments in Bayer's appeal of ⁠a jury verdict ​in Missouri state court awarding $1.25 million to a man named John Durnell ⁠who said he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after years of exposure to glyphosate in Roundup. Eli Lilly to buy Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion in blood cancer bet Eli Lilly said on Monday it would buy privately held cancer drug developer Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion in cash, as ⁠the U.S. drugmaker looks to expand its oncology pipeline.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Sun Pharma to buy US drugmaker Organon for $11.75 billion in India's largest pharma deal

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries will buy U.S. ​drugmaker Organon & Co in an all-cash deal valued at about $11.75 billion including debt, for the largest overseas acquisition ​by an Indian pharmaceutical company. The move comes as Sun, India's biggest drugmaker by market ‌value, ​steps up a push into higher-margin specialty medicines with a sharper focus on areas such as dermatology, oncology and obesity to offset declining U.S. sales.

Ligand Pharma to buy fellow biotech royalty rights buyer XOMA for $739 million

Ligand Pharmaceuticals will buy fellow biotechnology royalty aggregator XOMA Royalty for about $739 million in cash, the companies said on Monday. The deal adds more than 120 treatments, including seven ‌marketed products, boosting Ligand's portfolio to more than 200 drugs that are in development or already on the market. Shares of XOMA surged 6.2% in premarket trading, while Ligand's stock was up 4.6%.

Polish nine-day charity stream breaks records to support kids with cancer

A nine-day, non-stop live stream in Poland raised a record-breaking sum for charity, local media said on Monday, after donations totalling over 250 million zlotys ($69 million) flooded in for children with cancer. Broadcast from a small flat in Warsaw, the stream was organised by influencer Piotr Hancke, better ‌known as Latwogang, and was supported by musicians, celebrities and sports stars including six-times Grand Slam champion tennis player Iga Swiatek and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski.

Intellia Therapeutics' rare genetic disorder therapy meets main goal in trial

Intellia Therapeutics said on Monday ‌its experimental therapy for a rare genetic disorder has met the main goal in a late-stage study. The therapy lonvoguran ziclumeran is aimed at treating hereditary angioedema, an inherited disorder that causes recurring episodes of swelling in the limbs, face, gastrointestinal tract and airways, with symptoms including abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

US Supreme Court hears Bayer's fight against Roundup lawsuits

The U.S. Supreme Court is set on Monday to consider Bayer AG's effort to shut down thousands of lawsuits accusing the company of failing to warn users that the active ingredient in its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer. The justices are due to hear arguments in Bayer's appeal of ⁠a jury verdict ​in Missouri state court awarding $1.25 million to a man named John Durnell ⁠who said he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after years of exposure to glyphosate in Roundup.

Eli Lilly to buy Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion in blood cancer bet

Eli Lilly said on Monday it would buy privately held cancer drug developer Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion in cash, as ⁠the U.S. drugmaker looks to expand its oncology pipeline. Lilly has been doubling down on its search for next-generation cancer treatments with its recent dealmaking spree, acquiring companies such as Scorpion Therapeutics, Orna Therapeutics and Kelonia Therapeutics.

Seaport, Hemab launch US IPOs as biotech listings gather momentum

Drug developers Seaport ​Therapeutics and Hemab Therapeutics launched their U.S. initial public offerings on Monday, seeking to capitalize on a growing investor appetite for new listings. The U.S. IPO market has regained momentum this month, as improving risk appetite and stronger investor ⁠sentiment encourage companies across sectors to pursue listings, despite the risks a prolonged Middle East conflict have been posing.

Novartis receives European Commission approval for Rhapsido skin disease drug

Novartis has received European Commission approval for its drug Rhapsido, an oral treatment for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), the Swiss drugmaker said on Monday. "Rhapsido is the first ⁠oral ​targeted treatment approved for CSU, offering a unique approach to CSU treatment in a pill taken twice daily without any lab monitoring required," the company said in a statement.

Explainer-What does Bayer's US Supreme Court case mean for the thousands of Roundup lawsuits?

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on Monday in Bayer's bid to limit thousands of lawsuits alleging that the German company's Roundup weedkiller causes cancer in a case that is one part of sprawling yearslong litigation over the product. Here is a look ⁠at how the court's decision, which is expected by the end of June, could affect Bayer's overall liability.

Thermo Fisher to sell microbiology business to PE firm Astorg for over $1 billion

Medical equipment maker Thermo Fisher Scientific said on Monday it ⁠would sell its microbiology business to private equity firm Astorg for ⁠about $1.08 billion. Deal consists of cash and a $50 million seller note.

After waiting years for justice, many Purdue opioid victims are defeated — by paperwork

Tammy Blanton’s life unraveled after years of taking opioids initially prescribed for migraines, according to her daughter Mary Anne, who says the drugs left her mother isolated, unemployed and estranged from her family. Tammy was given opioid prescriptions by multiple providers for decades — receiving ‌more than 200 pills a month ‌on average during one two-year period — and a medical examiner later concluded that oxycodone and extended-release morphine, along with alcohol and anti-anxiety drugs, ​contributed to her accidental death at age 58 in 2017.