Health News Roundup: 'Alarming' rise in diabetes globally by 2050- study; US appeals court vacates travel mask mandate ruling and more

The Justice Department had asked 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to declare the issue moot after President Joe Biden ended the COVID-19 public health emergency in May. Biden to sign executive order expanding access to contraception U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday will sign an executive order designed to protect and expand access to contraception, after a Supreme Court ruling last year overturning the constitutional right to abortion raised fears that birth control could also face restrictions.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Wyoming judge blocks ban on abortion pills -report

A Wyoming judge on Thursday temporarily blocked a law banning medication abortion in the Western state, delaying what could be the nation's first such ban while a lawsuit challenging it makes its way through the courts, the Casper Star Tribune reported. Wyoming's ban, one of numerous abortion restrictions passed by Republican lawmakers in U.S. states in the year since the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to an abortion by overturning the 50-year-old Roe vs. Wade decision, was set to go into effect July 1.

Malta govt backs down on abortion bill after protests

Malta's government on Friday backed down on a bill which would have allowed the abortion of pregnancies when the mother's health was at serious risk, saying instead that terminations would only be allowed when the mother's life was in danger. Malta is the only country in the European Union which does not allow any form of termination, and the original bill had raised a storm of protest, with anti-abortion campaigners saying the definition of what constituted a health risk was too wide.

'Alarming' rise in diabetes globally by 2050- study

Every country in the world will see rates of diabetes rise in the next 30 years without action, according to a new global study. There are currently 529 million people in the world with diabetes, the study led by researchers at the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington found. They projected that this will more than double to around 1.3 billion people by 2050.

US appeals court vacates travel mask mandate ruling

A U.S. appeals court panel Thursday vacated an April 2022 ruling that had declared unlawful a government order requiring masks on airplanes and other transportation modes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Justice Department had asked 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to declare the issue moot after President Joe Biden ended the COVID-19 public health emergency in May.

Biden to sign executive order expanding access to contraception

U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday will sign an executive order designed to protect and expand access to contraception, after a Supreme Court ruling last year overturning the constitutional right to abortion raised fears that birth control could also face restrictions. Biden senior adviser Jen Klein told reporters that the order will increase ways for women to access contraception and lower out-of-pocket costs.

US FDA approves Sarepta's gene therapy for rare muscular dystrophy in some kids

The U.S. health regulator has granted accelerated approval to Sarepta Therapeutics' first-of-its-kind gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), an inherited progressive muscle-wasting disorder that almost always affects young boys. Sarepta said on Thursday the Food and Drug Administration had approved the treatment for children aged between 4 and 5 years who can walk. It was initially seeking approval for all DMD patients who can walk.

California, other states join FTC bid to block Amgen deal

The states of California, New York, Illinois, Minnesota, Washington and Wisconsin have joined a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit to stop Amgen's $27.8 billion deal to buy Horizon Therapeutics, according to a court filing on Thursday. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said his state had joined the lawsuit because "monopolies harm consumers" and the merger could allow Amgen to "dominate" prescription drug markets.

Medicare offers details on reimbursement for new Alzheimer's drugs

The U.S. Medicare health plan on Thursday offered details of plans to collect patient data as a condition for reimbursement for Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen Inc's new Alzheimer's drug Leqembi, should it win traditional U.S. approval as expected by July 6. Under the plan, Medicare, the government health plan for Americans 65 and older, would require physicians to take part in a data collection effort, known as a patient registry, that would be run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

GSK soothes investors by settling first Zantac cancer lawsuit due for US trial

GSK agreed to settle a U.S. lawsuit alleging its discontinued heartburn drug Zantac caused cancer, the British drugmaker said on Friday, preventing the first such case from going to trial next month. The company said it had reached a confidential deal with Californian resident James Goetz who says he developed bladder cancer from taking the drug.

Moderna seeks US FDA authorization for updated COVID vaccine

Moderna said on Thursday it has completed a submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking authorization for its updated COVID-19 vaccine to target the XBB.1.5 subvariant. The submission from the company follows the FDA's advice last week to manufacturers that are updating their COVID-19 vaccines to develop monovalent shots to target XBB.1.5.

(With inputs from agencies.)