Health News Roundup: Exclusive-Ramsay, Sime Darby plan to revive sale of Asia healthcare venture- sources; U.S. FDA panel to discuss Perrigo's daily OTC birth-control pill in May and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Exclusive-Ramsay, Sime Darby plan to revive sale of Asia healthcare venture- sources

Australia's largest private hospital operator Ramsay Health Care and Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby plan to revive the sale of their Asia-focused healthcare joint venture in a deal that could value the business at some 6 billion ringgit ($1.36 billion), two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The companies are in talks with financial advisors to explore a sale of Selangor, Malaysia-based Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care to strategic investors, three sources said.

U.S. FDA panel to discuss Perrigo's daily OTC birth-control pill in May

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to hold an advisory panel meeting to discuss Perrigo Company Plc's over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pill in May, the drugmaker said on Tuesday. The panel will decide on recommending the non-estrogen contraceptive as a daily OTC birth control pill on May 9 and 10. The drug, Opill, is expected to be the first such pill in the United States if approved.

Cash-rich BioNTech plans to spend about $1 billion more on research this year

BioNTech plans to spend up to about 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) more on research and development and buy back up to $500 million more of its shares this year, drawing on more than 21 billion euros from the now waning commercial success of its COVID-19 vaccine. In a statement on Monday, Germany's BioNTech, Pfizer's partner on the Comirnaty vaccine, said it plans to spend 2.4 to 2.6 billion euros on research and development (R&D) in 2023, up from 1.54 billion euros last year.

"We plan to continue investing in our transformation with a focus on building commercial capabilities in oncology and working towards registrational trials," said Chief Executive and Co-Founder Ugur Sahin.

Carl Icahn wants to bring back Illumina's ex-CEO -WSJ

Carl Icahn wants former Illumina CEO Jay Flatley back at the U.S. life sciences firm, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, as the activist investor intensifies his proxy fight that was launched earlier this month. In an interview with the WSJ, Icahn signaled that Illumina "should bring Flatley back as CEO immediately". The billionaire did not disclose if he was in touch with Flatley, according to the report.

US FDA approves first OTC opioid overdose reversal drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the over-the-counter use of Emergent BioSolutions Inc's Narcan, making it the first opioid overdose reversal drug to be sold nationwide without a prescription. The approval for OTC use of Narcan, Emergent's naloxone-based nasal spray, will help increase its availability and align the federal government's stance with states that have provisions to offer the drug without prescription through a pharmacist.

Viking joins obesity drug race after promising early trial data

Viking Therapeutics Inc's experimental obesity drug helped reduce weight and was safe in an early-stage study, the company said on Tuesday, sparking a 60% rise in its shares. Depending on the success of the drug in upcoming studies, Viking may become a major player in a potential $50 billion market for obesity treatment, while pitting it against industry heavyweights such as Eli Lilly and Co, Amgen Inc and Novo Nordisk.

Australian engineers create 'flexible robot' for 3D printing inside the body

A team of biomedical engineers in Australia have developed a small flexible robot that can be used to 3D print biomaterials directly inside the human body, in the hopes of streamlining future medical procedures. 3D bioprinting is a process where natural tissue-like structures are printed using living cells and other natural tissues known as "bio-ink", in order to repair organ or tissue damage or ruptured blood vessels.

Exclusive-WHO to consider adding obesity drugs to 'essential' medicines list

Drugs that combat obesity could for the first time be included on the World Health Organization's "essential medicines list," used to guide government purchasing decisions in low- and middle-income countries, the U.N. agency told Reuters. A panel of advisers to the WHO will review new requests for drugs to be included next month, with an updated essential medicines list due in September.

WHO revises COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for Omicron-era

The World Health Organization has tailored its COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for a new phase of the pandemic, suggesting that healthy children and adolescents may not necessarily need a shot but older, high-risk groups should get a booster between 6 to 12 months after their last vaccine. The U.N. agency said the aim was to focus efforts on vaccinating those facing the greatest threat of severe disease and death from COVID-19, considering the high-level population immunity worldwide due to widespread infection and vaccination.

Amgen-Sanofi patent case divides makers of antibody drugs

Amgen Inc's battle with Sanofi and Regeneron at the U.S. Supreme Court over its cholesterol drug Repatha on Monday has some drugmakers hoping a ruling will reshape U.S. patent law and competition among companies that make antibody medicines. In the dispute with Sanofi and partner Regeneron, whose cholesterol-lowering monoclonal antibody drug Praluent works in a similar way as Repatha, Amgen wants the court to rule on how much information it and others need to disclose when describing inventions in patents.