Health News Roundup: Eisai-Biogen Alzheimer's drug data confirms benefits, FDA staff says; World's first vaccine against deadly swine fever nears approval in Vietnam and more

The therapy, being developed to treat forms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), is the second Fibrogen drug to fail a late-stage study in just over a month after its anemia drug roxadustat. World's first vaccine against deadly swine fever nears approval in Vietnam Vaccines against African swine fever being tested in Vietnam are close to approval, global and U.S. veterinary officials said, in what would be a major breakthrough to tackle the deadly animal disease that regularly ravages pig farms worldwide.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Eisai-Biogen Alzheimer's drug data confirms benefits, FDA staff says

U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff on Wednesday said data from a late-stage trial of Eisai and Biogen's Alzheimer's disease drug suggests it offered a meaningful benefit to patients and safety concerns likely would not hamper its chances of a traditional approval. The FDA staff did not highlight any new risks linked to the drug, Leqembi, in documents released ahead of a meeting of a panel of external advisers on Friday that will discuss the companies' application for full approval.

Petro urges congress to pass reforms as some try to shelve health bill

Colombia's congress should approve health, labor and pension reforms, President Gustavo Petro said on Wednesday, as the lower house weighed whether to shelve the health bill, which would be a major legislative defeat for leftist who campaigned on improving the beleaguered system. "We ask, with all due respect...that they approve the reforms, that they guarantee to the Colombian people their rights," Petro told thousands of union members and other supporters gathered in downtown Bogota.

FibroGen's neuromuscular disorder therapy fails late-stage study

FibroGen Inc's treatment for patients with a muscle-wasting disorder that typically binds them to a wheelchair failed to improve measures of upper limb strength, sending the drug developer's shares down 11% on Wednesday. The therapy, being developed to treat forms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), is the second Fibrogen drug to fail a late-stage study in just over a month after its anemia drug roxadustat.

World's first vaccine against deadly swine fever nears approval in Vietnam

Vaccines against African swine fever being tested in Vietnam are close to approval, global and U.S. veterinary officials said, in what would be a major breakthrough to tackle the deadly animal disease that regularly ravages pig farms worldwide. African swine fever has for years disrupted the $250 billion global pork market. In the worst outbreak in 2018-19, about half the domestic pig population died in China, the world's biggest producer, causing losses estimated at over $100 billion.

Planned Parenthood sues Kansas over abortion reversal claims

Planned Parenthood on Tuesday sued to block a new Kansas law requiring healthcare providers to tell patients that medication abortion can be reversed, a potentially dangerous claim not supported by evidence. The lawsuit in the District Court of Johnson County, filed against state and local authorities on behalf of a group of doctors, also challenges older mandates requiring providers to warn patients that abortion is linked to breast cancer, and to wait at last 30 minutes after meeting with a patient to perform an abortion.

Moderna, Pfizer hit with new patent lawsuits over COVID vaccines

Biotech firm Promosome LLC sued Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech in federal court in San Diego, California, on Tuesday, accusing their COVID-19 vaccines of infringing a patent related to messenger RNA technology. The lawsuits add to a web of patent disputes between biotech companies over technology used in the coronavirus shots, including a case brought last year in Massachusetts by Moderna against Pfizer and its partner BioNTech.

Weight-loss drugs pilot to begin in UK amid uncertainty over Wegovy launch

Britain plans to launch a pilot programme exploring how new weekly weight-loss shots such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy can be given to obese patients by general practitioners even as the drug's market launch remains unclear. The government's announcement on the 40-million-pound ($50 million) pilot programme comes after drug cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE in March recommended the use of Wegovy in adults with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index of 35, but only within the National Health Service's (NHS) specialist weight management scheme.

EU approves its first vaccine for common respiratory virus RSV

European regulators have approved the region's first vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes thousands of hospitalisations and deaths annually. The shot, called Arexvy, is made by British drugmaker GSK and is designed to protect people aged 60 and over.

Explainer-What are the health risks from wildfire smoke?

The northeastern United States is blanketed under a pungent haze caused by smoke carried down from wildfires burning in Canada that contains a host of noxious gases and particulate matter that carry serious health risks. Here is what you need to know about the risks of the lingering smoke that has left the air quality in New York City, for example, ranked among the worst in the world on Tuesday and Wednesday:

EU Commission allocates $1.3 billion to tackle mental health 'silent epidemic'

The European Commission said on Wednesday it would allocate 1.23 billion euros ($1.3 billion) to mental health initiatives across the 27-member European Union and make mental health a pillar of health policy. "Today marks a new beginning for a comprehensive, prevention-oriented and multi-stakeholder approach to mental health at EU level," Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for health and food safety, said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies.)