Health News Roundup: EU secures vaccine deals with Pfizer, and others for future pandemic; Indiana's top court allows near-total abortion ban and more

The company said it started a rolling submission of its data for resmetirom with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and plans to complete the application process by July and request a priority review for it. Georgia ban on transgender healthcare is challenged in lawsuit Four Georgia families sued the state in federal court on Friday to stop a law that bans transgender youth from receiving hormone therapy, joining a wave of challenges to similar laws across the United States.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Coca-Cola to see less pain from looming WHO decision on aspartame - analysts

Coca-Cola will only see a limited impact if the world health agency classifies the artificial sweetener used in its Diet Coke, aspartame, as a possible carcinogen, thanks to its scale of production, analysts said on Friday. Such a classification of the popular additive in July by the World Health Organization's cancer research arm could cause consumers, food companies, retailers and restaurants to decide whether to fight back or find alternatives.

EU secures vaccine deals with Pfizer, and others for future pandemic

The European Commission has secured deals with Pfizer and several European drugmakers to reserve capacity to make up to 325 million vaccines per year in case of a future global health emergency, it said on Friday. The agreement, first reported by Reuters, covers mRNA, vector-based and protein-based vaccines and does not relate to existing COVID-19 vaccine agreements between the EU and vaccine makers including U.S. based Pfizer.

Britain outlines new workforce plan for strained health service

The British government on Friday set out a new hiring plan for England's state-run National Health Service (NHS) aimed at tackling staff shortages that have exposed the system to huge pressures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NHS has endured a winter of crisis and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cutting patient waiting lists one of his five priorities for the year.

U.S. will allow drugmakers to discuss Medicare drug price negotiations

The U.S. government on Friday revised its guidance for its Medicare drug price negotiation process, allowing drug companies to publicly discuss the talks, but did not make major changes likely to convince drugmakers to end their suits seeking to halt the program. The program was established under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which President Joe Biden signed into law last year. It will for the first time allow Medicare, the government health insurance program for millions of Americans age 65 and older, to negotiate prices on prescription drugs, beginning with the ones on which it spends the most.

Indiana's top court allows near-total abortion ban

The Indiana Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law banning nearly all abortions in the state, lifting a lower court order that had blocked the law in response to a lawsuit by Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. The court, in a 4-1 decision, found that the Indiana constitution does not include a broad right to abortion, allowing Indiana to join 14 other Republican-led states in enforcing abortion bans.

Bausch + Lomb buys Novartis drugs for $1.75 billion to boost eye-care portfolio

Bausch + Lomb said on Friday it would acquire several Novartis eye-care products for $1.75 billion as their market grows, sending the company's shares up over 8% in early trading.

The deal includes acquisition of Novartis' anti-inflammation eye drop Xiidra, experimental drug libvatrep for chronic ocular surface pain, and rights to use the Swiss pharma company's AcuStream dry-eye drug delivery device.

Analysis-New Humira rivals likely to hit US market with small discounts in July

At least four drugmakers are expected to launch new copycat versions of AbbVie's top-selling rheumatoid arthritis drug, Humira, over the next week, but experts expect little change in prices for the treatment even with the new competition. Drugmakers Boehringer Ingelheim, Sandoz and Organon are expected to launch their biosimilars on Saturday, adding to U.S. competition for the drug that started when Amgen released its copy in January. Germany's Fresenius plans to release its copycat version on Monday, according to the company.

Exclusive-Gambia families sue Indian drugmaker after cough syrup deaths

The relatives of 20 Gambian children whose deaths were linked to toxic cough syrups made in India have sued Indian drugmaker Maiden Pharmaceuticals as well as local authorities in the West African country, according to a case filed on Friday and seen by Reuters. The filing, which has not yet been made public, opens a new front in the fight for compensation and justice after at least 70 children, mostly babies and toddlers, died from acute kidney injury in Gambia last year.

Madrigal starts rolling submission for NASH drug application with US FDA

Madrigal Pharmaceuticals said on Friday it has started the application process to secure a speedy approval in the U.S. for its experimental drug to treat a type of fatty liver disease, which currently has no approved medicines. The company said it started a rolling submission of its data for resmetirom with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and plans to complete the application process by July and request a priority review for it.

Georgia ban on transgender healthcare is challenged in lawsuit

Four Georgia families sued the state in federal court on Friday to stop a law that bans transgender youth from receiving hormone therapy, joining a wave of challenges to similar laws across the United States. The plaintiffs, allowed to proceed anonymously to guard against reprisals, are seeking an injunction to stop Georgia's Senate Bill 140, which prohibits doctors from treating minors with hormone therapy to support their gender transitions.

(With inputs from agencies.)