Health News Roundup: Nearly half of US drinking water may contain toxic 'forever chemicals'; Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk sues Florida pharmacies over copycat drugs and more

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study tested tap water samples from more than 700 residences, businesses and drinking-water treatment plants across the country for the presence of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl chemicals known as PFAS. Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk sues Florida pharmacies over copycat drugs Novo Nordisk on Thursday accused three Florida pharmacies of illegally selling products claiming to contain semaglutide, the active ingredient in the Danish drugmaker's weight loss and diabetes drugs Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Nearly half of US drinking water may contain toxic 'forever chemicals'

Nearly half of U.S. tap water samples contain toxic "forever chemicals," substances used in hundreds of household items from cleaning supplies to pizza boxes to which broad exposure can carry serious health risks, according to a new study. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study tested tap water samples from more than 700 residences, businesses and drinking-water treatment plants across the country for the presence of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl chemicals known as PFAS.

Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk sues Florida pharmacies over copycat drugs

Novo Nordisk on Thursday accused three Florida pharmacies of illegally selling products claiming to contain semaglutide, the active ingredient in the Danish drugmaker's weight loss and diabetes drugs Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus. In three separate lawsuits in Florida federal court, Novo Nordisk sought orders barring TruLife Pharmacy, Brooksville Pharmaceuticals and WellHealth Inc from selling the products, and seeking unspecified money damages. The three defendants are compounding pharmacies, which make custom drug preparations for customers.

US FDA grants standard approval of Eisai/Biogen Alzheimer's drug

Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi won a coveted standard approval nod from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday, the first Alzheimer's treatment to achieve that goal, clearing the way for wider insurance coverage of the drug. The FDA decision marks a new milestone for a fatal disease that has eluded drugmakers' efforts for decades. Trial data showed that the treatment slows progression of the brain-wasting disease by 27% for patients in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's.

Revive Therapeutics' experimental COVID treatment fails in late-stage study

Canada-based Revive Therapeutics said on Thursday its experimental COVID-19 treatment did not meet the main goal of a late-stage study. The company was evaluating the safety and efficacy of its oral treatment, bucillamine, in the study which enrolled 713 patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.

Mark Cuban's online pharmacy set to launch Humira biosimilar

Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs, an online pharmacy launched by the billionaire to sell drugs directly to customers at low prices, should soon begin selling Coherus BioSciences's biosimilar version of AbbVie Inc's blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira, Cuban said on Wednesday. "We should be getting it today or tomorrow," Cuban said in an email.

South Korean doctors flee paediatrics as low birth rate bites

South Korea is suffering from a shortage of paediatricians, partly a result of the world's lowest birth rate and increasingly a factor behind it, leaving hospitals unable to fill posts and raising risks for children's health, doctors say.

The number of paediatric clinics and hospitals in the capital has fallen by 12.5% over the five years to 2022, to just 456. Over the same period, the number of psychiatry clinics increased by 76.8%, while anaesthesiology centres saw a 41.2% rise, according to the Seoul Institute, a public administration think tank.

US unit of India's Cipla recalls six batches of bronchospasm inhaler

Indian drugmaker Cipla said on Friday its U.S. unit was recalling six batches of albuterol sulfate inhalation aerosol due to a "container defect". "The company is initiating a recall in the U.S. due to a market complaint for one single inhaler, where leakage was observed through the inhaler valve," the pharmaceutical company said in a statement.

Bausch + Lomb expands eye-care portfolio with J&J's Blink

Bausch + Lomb acquired Johnson & Johnson's eye and contact lens drops brand Blink for $106.5 million, marking its second deal in two weeks to bolster the contact lens maker's portfolio of eye care products. J&J's Blink portfolio of over-the-counter drugs include several eye drops and contact lens rewetting drops that are used to relieve dry eye symptoms, Bausch + Lomb said on Thursday.

US wants coalition of nations to engage China in curbing synthetic drugs

The U.S. wants other countries to engage China on limiting the flow of synthetic drugs, the State Department's top official on narcotics said on Thursday, as Washington complains of a lack of co-operation by Beijing in combating their illegal trade. On the eve of a U.S.-led conference on the issue, the official, Todd Robinson, said China needed to do more to disrupt illicit supply chains, but it was still unclear if it would join the meeting.

Explainer-Who is eligible for the new FDA-approved Alzheimer's drug?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted standard approval to Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi for patients with Alzheimer's disease. The FDA decision is expected to trigger broader coverage of the $26,500-a-year drug by the U.S. government's Medicare health plan for people aged 65 and older. Leqembi was granted "accelerated" FDA approval in January, but Medicare restricted coverage only to patients in clinical trials.

(With inputs from agencies.)