Health News Roundup: US FDA identifies recall of Getinge's heart devices as most serious; Argentina resumes poultry exports weeks after bird flu detection and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

US Justice Dept appeals Obamacare ruling blocking coverage mandate- White House

The U.S. Justice Department is appealing a decision by a Texas judge that blocked Obamacare's mandate that health insurance plans cover preventive care at no cost to patients, the White House said on Friday. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday blocked the federal government from enforcing requirements that insurance plans cover preventive care, including screenings for certain cancers and pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV (PrEP).

U.S. Social Security fund seen depleted 2033, year earlier than previous estimate

The U.S. Social Security system's main trust fund's reserves will be depleted in 2033, one year earlier than estimated last year, while Medicare's finances have improved slightly, reports from the programs' trustees showed on Friday. The Medicare Hospital Trust Fund reserves are now expected to be depleted in 2031 compared to an estimate of 2028 made last year, due in part to new estimates showing higher revenue data.

EU backs use of Novo Nordisk's weight loss drug in adolescents

The European Medicines Agency said on Friday its committee has recommended expanding the use of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's weight loss drug in adolescents aged 12 years and older. The drugmaker told Reuters the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use's (CHMP) positive opinion was an "important recognition of the unmet medical need among adolescents living with obesity and the need for additional treatment options".

Argentina resumes poultry exports weeks after bird flu detection

Argentina has resumed poultry exports weeks after imposing an export ban following a bird flu detection in the local industry, state health and safety regulator Senasa said on Friday.

Johnson & Johnson unit loses bid to stay in bankruptcy during Supreme Court appeal

A U.S. court on Friday declined to delay the dismissal of a Johnson & Johnson company's bankruptcy, directing the bankruptcy to be dismissed despite a planned U.S. Supreme Court appeal that could revive the company's effort to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits over its talc products in bankruptcy. J&J sought to use the bankruptcy of its subsidiary company, LTL Management, to halt more than 38,000 lawsuits alleging the company's Baby Powder and other talc products are contaminated with asbestos. J&J maintains its consumer talc products are safe and asbestos-free.

Senegal says H5N1 bird flu has likely spread from wild birds to farm

Senegal has reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu on a poultry farm in the northwestern part of the country, the government of the West African state and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Friday. The outbreak occurred on March 18 on a farm in the village of Potou near the town of Louga, not far from the Langue de Barbarie National Park where an H5N1 outbreak had been found, the Paris-based WOAH said, citing Senegalese authorities.

Cytokinetics to focus on heart disease drug after ALS trial failure

Cytokinetics Inc said on Friday it would focus on its heart disease treatment after its amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) drug failed a late-stage study. The drug developer's move to employ resources freed up from the ALS project for its potential billion-dollar-plus heart drug sent its shares up more than 5%.

US FDA identifies recall of Getinge's heart devices as most serious

The U.S. health regulator on Friday classified the recall of Getinge AB's heart devices as its most serious type as their use may cause grave injuries or death due to risk of unexpected shutdowns. The company said it has informed its customers about the issue and there was no material financial impact from the recall.

Lilly says experimental Alzheimer's drug reduces amyloid in small study

Eli Lilly and Co on Friday said early data from the first human study of its next-generation Alzheimer's treatment showed that it lowered levels of toxic amyloid plaques in the brains of people in the earliest stages of the mind-wasting disease. The higher the dose of the antibody drug, the larger the effect, Lilly said. The treatment, remternetug, was given by intravenous infusion but has the possibility of a more convenient method of administration via subcutaneous injection.

Syphilis cases in babies skyrocket in Canada amid healthcare failures

The numbers of babies born with syphilis in Canada are rising at a far faster rate than recorded in the United States or Europe, an increase public health experts said is driven by increased methamphetamine use and lack of access to the public health system for Indigenous people. While syphilis has made a global resurgence over the last five years, Canada is an outlier among wealthy nations in its rate of increase: 13-fold over five years, according to Health Canada. The incidence of babies born with syphilis reached 26 per 100,000 live births in 2021, the most recent year available, up from 2 in 2017, according to the Health Canada data.