Health News Roundup: US Supreme Court spurns Sanofi appeal to revive EpiPen suit against Viatris; Argentina battles major dengue outbreak with atomic radiation and more

Ravgen attorney John Desmarais on Monday called it "a mutually satisfactory settlement between the two parties" but did not disclose terms of the deal, which are confidential. US allows use of Gamida's therapy in blood cancer treatment The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Monday it had approved the use of Gamida Cell Ltd's cell therapy for cutting the risk of infection in patients undergoing treatment for blood cancer, sending the company's shares up 46%.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

US Supreme Court spurns Sanofi appeal to revive EpiPen suit against Viatris

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a bid by Sanofi SA to revive its antitrust lawsuit accusing rival pharmaceutical company Viatris Inc of illegally monopolizing the market with its EpiPen auto-injector, a device used to treat severe allergic reactions. The justices turned away Sanofi's appeal of a lower court's ruling rejecting the French company's claim that Canonsburg, Pennsylvania-based Viatris had effectively cornered the market through exclusive deals with prescription drug intermediaries.

Argentina battles major dengue outbreak with atomic radiation

Argentine, fighting one of its worst outbreaks of dengue in recent years, is sterilizing mosquitoes using radiation that alters their DNA before releasing them into the wild. The South American country has this year recorded over 41,000 cases of the disease transmitted by mosquitoes, far above the equivalent level in previous years of major outbreaks in 2020 and 2016, government data showed.

Juul, Altria settle with Minnesota over teen vaping addiction

E-cigarette company Juul Labs Inc and its former largest investor, Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc, on Monday settled claims by the state of Minnesota that accused them of fueling teen vaping addiction. The settlement was announced by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and by Juul as a trial in the case, which had kicked off in late March, was nearing its end.

Eli Lilly to invest additional $1.6 billion in 2 new plants

Eli Lilly and Co said on Monday it will invest an additional $1.6 billion at its two new manufacturing sites in Indiana, United States to support the manufacturing of its recently approved cancer drug, Jaypirca, among others. The company's total investment commitment in the facilities now stands at $3.7 billion, Eli Lilly said.

US Supreme Court rebuffs Novartis bid to revive MS drug Gilenya patent

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp's bid to revive a key patent on its blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya that was invalidated amid a legal dispute with China's HEC Pharm Co Ltd. The justices turned away an appeal by Novartis of a lower court's decision to cancel the patent, a ruling that paved the way for some generic versions of Gilenya.

Spanish hospital pioneers new lung transplant approach

A Spanish hospital has carried out a lung transplant using a pioneering technique with a robot and a new access route that no longer requires cutting through bone, experts said on Monday. Surgeons at Vall d'Hebron hospital in Barcelona used a four-armed robot dubbed "Da Vinci" to cut a small section of the patient's skin, fat and muscle to remove the damaged lung and insert a new one through an eight-centimetre (three-inch) incision below the sternum, just above the diaphragm.

Merck to build out immunology presence with $11 billion Prometheus deal

Merck & Co said on Sunday it will buy Prometheus Biosciences Inc for about $10.8 billion, picking up a promising experimental treatment for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and building up its presence in immunology. Merck will pay $200 per share for the California-based biotechnology company that specializes in treatments for autoimmune diseases, representing a 75.4% premium to Prometheus' last closing price.

Ravgen settles patent fight with Illumina over genetic testing

Gene-sequencing giant Illumina Inc has settled a patent lawsuit brought by Maryland biotech company Ravgen Inc, which accused Illumina's genetic tests of infringing its patents. The companies told a Delaware federal court Friday that they settled the case. Ravgen attorney John Desmarais on Monday called it "a mutually satisfactory settlement between the two parties" but did not disclose terms of the deal, which are confidential.

US allows use of Gamida's therapy in blood cancer treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Monday it had approved the use of Gamida Cell Ltd's cell therapy for cutting the risk of infection in patients undergoing treatment for blood cancer, sending the company's shares up 46%. The approval allows the company to launch its first-ever commercial therapy under the brand name Omisirge for patients who are 12 years or older and are undergoing stem cell transplantation.

US FDA panel backs Innoviva's drug for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections

A panel of U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisers on Monday unanimously voted in favor of Innoviva Inc's experimental antibiotic in the treatment of serious bacterial infections, typically associated with hospitalizations, the company said. Innoviva is seeking the U.S. health regulator's nod for the drug, sulbactam-durlobactam, as a treatment for hospital‐acquired and ventilator‐associated bacterial pneumonia caused by susceptible strains of the bacteria called acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex.