Health News Roundup: Chile culls 40,000 poultry amid industrial bird flu outbreak; U.S. issues initial Medicare drug price negotiation guidance and more

The promising early animal results appearing in the journal Nature add hope for what could become the first antiviral treatment for a mosquito-borne disease that causes 96 million symptomatic infections and 10,000 deaths each year. Judge mulls banning abortion pill in US, questions regulatory approval A U.S. judge on Wednesday questioned lawyers for President Joe Biden's administration on whether the federal regulatory approval given to the abortion pill mifepristone 22 years ago was proper as he considered a request by anti-abortion groups to ban sales of the drug nationwide.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Chile culls 40,000 poultry amid industrial bird flu outbreak

Around 40,000 poultry were culled and buried in central Chile on Wednesday after the country detected its first case of bird flu in an industrial setting. Carlos Orellana, head of livestock protection for Chile's farming and livestock SAG agency, said it was a "limited event" and authorities haven't detected more cases in the surrounding area.

U.S. issues initial Medicare drug price negotiation guidance

The U.S. government will select the Medicare program's 10 costliest prescription medicines based on gross spending for negotiating price cuts that will go into effect in 2026, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said on Wednesday CMS will only accept one formal written counter offer during the negotiation process, but will allow up to three additional in-person or virtual negotiation meetings, the agency said in initial guidance issued on Wednesday for its Medicare drug price negotiation program.

China's pig farms battle new surge in African swine fever

A surge in African swine fever infections in China is set to reduce hog output later this year, farm managers and analysts said this week, pushing up prices in the world's top pork consumer as demand recovers. The incurable disease has plagued China for years, with an initial wave during 2018 and 2019 killing millions of pigs and leading to a dramatic decline in meat output that roiled global markets.

Mozambique records rise in cholera cases, Malawi sees decline - WHO

Mozambique recorded an increase in the number of cholera cases in the last few weeks, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, even as many other African countries reported a decline. The country has received approval for an additional 1.3 million cholera vaccine doses to help control the spread, the agency said, but the shortage of vaccines still remains to be addressed.

J&J's experimental dengue pill prevents infection in mice, monkeys

An experimental pill for dengue developed by Johnson & Johnson proved effective against all four types of the virus in mice and prevented infection from two types in monkeys, according to data published on Wednesday. The promising early animal results appearing in the journal Nature add hope for what could become the first antiviral treatment for a mosquito-borne disease that causes 96 million symptomatic infections and 10,000 deaths each year.

Judge mulls banning abortion pill in US, questions regulatory approval

A U.S. judge on Wednesday questioned lawyers for President Joe Biden's administration on whether the federal regulatory approval given to the abortion pill mifepristone 22 years ago was proper as he considered a request by anti-abortion groups to ban sales of the drug nationwide. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk during a hearing in Amarillo also pressed the groups, led by the Texas-based Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, to explain how he could reverse approval of a long-established drug.

Explainer-How recent lawsuits could affect access to abortion pills

A federal judge in Texas held a hearing on Wednesday in a case seeking to ban the abortion drug mifepristone nationwide, while at least three other lawsuits seek to expand access to it. Below is a guide to what is at stake. WHAT IS MEDICATION ABORTION?

How GSK plans to replenish its depleted medicine cabinet

GSK's chief scientist says an overhaul of the drugmaker's R&D unit has begun delivering results - citing an RSV vaccine and promising hepatitis B and asthma treatments - and pledged a tighter focus than his predecessor on infectious disease and HIV. Tony Wood only took the helm of R&D last August. But in an interview with Reuters he said he had worked closely since 2018 with his predecessor Hal Barron to drive a culture shift that Chief Executive Emma Walmsley had said was needed to improve performance after her appointment in 2017.

Factbox-US government to impose inflation penalties on 27 drugs

The U.S. government said on Wednesday it will subject 27 drugs to inflation penalties, a move that will require the pharmaceutical companies to pay Medicare rebates if they raise prices at a faster pace than the rise in inflation rate. Under the new provisions, the government will start invoicing the companies for the rebates in 2025, but Medicare members will see a reduction in out-of-pocket costs starting April.

Biden says 'more coming' on drug pricing after inflation fines

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday said his administration would subject 27 drugs to inflation penalties, a move that will reduce out-of-pocket costs for Medicare recipients by as much as $390 per dose, and he pledged more drug price cuts were coming. Drugmakers hiked the price for 27 drugs last quarter higher than the rate of inflation, and will have to pay the difference on those medicines to Medicare, the government healthcare program for those age 65 and older and the disabled.