Health News Roundup: J&J's lung cancer therapy succeeds in head-to-head study with AstraZeneca's drug; Philip Morris develops zero-tobacco heat stick that may avoid regulations and more

The outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), a bird flu which spreads rapidly in an infected flock causing a high death rate, has already impacted table egg supplies in the country and producers have warned of chicken meat shortages in the coming weeks. Novo Nordisk India head eyes 2026 Wegovy launch, warns against copycats Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk aims to bring its blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy to India in 2026, after securing regulatory approvals and ensuring it has enough supply to meet demand, a top company official told Reuters.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

J&J's lung cancer therapy succeeds in head-to-head study with AstraZeneca's drug

Johnson & Johnson said its cancer drug combination increased the time patients with a type of non small-cell lung cancer live without the disease worsening compared to AstraZeneca's Tagrisso in a late-stage study. J&J said on Thursday it expects the combination to become a first-line treatment for non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with a type of mutation in EGFR protein that causes rapid tumor cell growth.

Philip Morris develops zero-tobacco heat stick that may avoid regulations

Philip Morris International (PMI) on Thursday unveiled a zero-tobacco stick for use with its "heat-not-burn" device IQOS, which may help the company avoid tax and other regulations that affect its tobacco products in some markets. IQOS heats up small packets of ground up tobacco resembling cigarettes but does not burn them, a process the company says potentially results in fewer health risks compared to smoking.

GSK lifts growth target for HIV business on demand for long-acting drug

GSK on Thursday lifted its medium-term growth forecast for its HIV drugs business ViiV, encouraged by strong sales of long-acting injections that aim to replace daily pills for preventing and treating the infection. The ViiV business, in which Pfizer and Shionogi hold small stakes, is a key element of a push by group CEO Emma Walmsley to improve investor confidence in the strength of GSK's drug development pipeline, which has lagged that of its rivals.

AbbVie's blood cancer combo therapy fails in late-stage study

AbbVie said on Friday a late-stage study of its experimental combination therapy to treat a form of blood cancer failed to meaningfully increase the survival rate of patients without the disease worsening. The combination of AbbVie's Venclyxto and a steroid dexamethasone was being tested in patients with a type of relapsed multiple myeloma who had received two or more prior treatments.

Aid agency urges Johnson & Johnson to improve access to tuberculosis drug

Global health aid agency Unitaid has written to Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) CEO Joaquin Duato, urging "immediate action" to expand access to the company's tuberculosis drug bedaquiline, which is protected by patents hindering generic alternatives. While J&J has already lowered the price of bedaquiline which is used to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), Unitaid said this was an "incomplete solution" and countries like South Africa, Belarus and Ukraine were not benefiting.

Eli Lilly settles whistleblower lawsuit over manufacturing problems

Eli Lilly and Co and a former employee agreed to settle a lawsuit in which the worker claimed she was terminated after pointing out poor manufacturing practices and data falsification involving one of its blockbuster diabetes drugs, according to court filings. The former human resources officer, Amrit Mula, contended in the lawsuit that she repeatedly urged leaders at a New Jersey plant to remedy problems involving several biologic drugs, including Type 2 diabetes medicine Trulicity.

Wegovy, other weight-loss drugs scrutinized over reports of suicidal thoughts

Dawn Heidlebaugh felt trapped in a disturbing pattern while taking Ozempic, the popular drug used to treat diabetes and obesity. Each Sunday for more than a year, the 53-year-old Ohio real estate agent took her weekly injection to help control her blood sugar. Then every Tuesday, she felt lethargic, depressed and sometimes suicidal, thinking her husband and four children might be better off without her. These feelings would last a few days, and the cycle repeated every week — except when she skipped a dose.

Schott Pharma shares jump 16% in Frankfurt trading debut

Shares in medical vials manufacturer Schott Pharma rose 16% in their trading debut on Thursday in Germany's largest initial public offering (IPO) so far this year. Shares in the company closed at 31.30 euros ($33.08) in Frankfurt, up from the 27 euros paid by investors in the IPO, adding to signs that Europe's IPO market is picking up.

S.Africa's RCL Foods culls 410,000 chickens amid bird flu outbreak

South Africa's RCL Foods said on Thursday its poultry unit Rainbow has culled 410,000 chickens due to the country's worst outbreak of avian flu, heightening fears of chicken meat and egg shortages. The outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), a bird flu which spreads rapidly in an infected flock causing a high death rate, has already impacted table egg supplies in the country and producers have warned of chicken meat shortages in the coming weeks.

Novo Nordisk India head eyes 2026 Wegovy launch, warns against copycats

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk aims to bring its blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy to India in 2026, after securing regulatory approvals and ensuring it has enough supply to meet demand, a top company official told Reuters. The market opportunity for the drug is huge in the world's most populous country, where obesity rates are high especially among women. Illegal copycat versions of Wegovy are already being sold through online sites.