Health News Roundup: Analysis-Healthcare companies counter investor worries over Wegovy effect; Sanofi loses $21 billion in market value after dropping 2025 profit target and more

The global market for obesity drugs could reach as much as $100 billion within a decade due to the effectiveness of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and similar medicines. Santhera's drug gets US FDA nod for rare muscular dystrophy Catalyst Pharmaceuticals said on Thursday that U.S. health regulators have approved its partner Santhera Pharmaceuticals' drug to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in patients aged two years and older.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Analysis-Healthcare companies counter investor worries over Wegovy effect

Healthcare companies who profit from treating obese and overweight patients are trying to convince investors that powerful new weight-loss drugs won't shrink their businesses. The global market for obesity drugs could reach as much as $100 billion within a decade due to the effectiveness of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and similar medicines.

Santhera's drug gets US FDA nod for rare muscular dystrophy

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals said on Thursday that U.S. health regulators have approved its partner Santhera Pharmaceuticals' drug to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in patients aged two years and older. Shares of Catalyst were up 3.8% in after market trading.

US FDA advisers to determine need for more studies of Vertex/CRISPR gene therapy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's staff reviewers on Friday asked the regulator's advisory panel to consider the need for additional studies for Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics' sickle cell disease gene therapy. The therapy, called exagamglogene autotemcel or exa-cel, uses new gene editing CRISPR technology, and is the first-of-its-kind product to reach the FDA for an approval decision.

Romania and Bulgaria report bird flu as Europe faces new wave of virus

Romania and Bulgaria have reported outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza among poultry, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Friday, as Europe faces a seasonal upturn in the deadly disease. The spread of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has raised concerns among governments and the poultry industry after it ravaged flocks around the world in recent years, disrupting supply, fuelling higher food prices and raising the risk of human transmission.

Sanofi loses $21 billion in market value after dropping 2025 profit target

Sanofi stock plunged on Friday, wiping 20 billion euros ($21 billion) off its market value, after it abandoned its 2025 profit target under a plan to list its consumer healthcare business to focus on its core innovative drugs business. "Sanofi is reviewing potential separation scenarios, but believes that the most likely path would be through a capital markets transaction, by creating a listed entity headquartered in France," the French drugmaker said in a statement.

Weight-loss drugs in spotlight as pharma services firms rush to snap up business

Soaring demand for obesity drugs was in the spotlight at the world's largest trade show for the pharmaceutical services industry this week, as it fuels a boom for firms that fill and assemble the self-injection pens. A surge in sales of Novo Nordisk's drug Wegovy, which launched in the United States in mid-2021, has propelled the Danish drugmaker to become Europe's most valuable company.

Lilly's bowel disease drug gets US FDA nod for treatment in adults

Eli Lilly and Co said on Thursday that the U.S. health regulator had approved its drug for treating adults with moderate-to-severe active ulcerative colitis, a type of chronic inflammatory bowel disease. The drug, which will be available in the United States in coming weeks and sold under brand name Omvoh, is among Lilly's potential growth drivers for this decade alongside tirzepatide for obesity, lebrikizumab for atopic dermatitis or eczema and pirtobrutinib for cancer.

US shifting COVID antivirals to commercial market on Nov. 1

Most people will retain access to Pfizer's Paxlovid and Merck's Lagevrio COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments for little or no cost even after the U.S. government starts handing over their distribution to the commercial market next month, health officials said on Friday. The government has been overseeing distribution of the treatments, alongside vaccines and tests, but has transferring that work to traditional commercial channels. Commercial ordering for the treatments is set to start on Nov. 1.

EMA says no evidence GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic linked to thyroid cancer

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Friday said its safety panel did not find a causal link between popular GLP-1 drugs such as Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and thyroid cancer after a months-long review. The panel committee reviewed non-clinical, clinical and post-marketing data of the drugs, and said that no updates to their prescribing information was required at the time.

FDA advises not to purchase certain eye drops due to infection risk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned consumers to not purchase or use certain eye drops from several brands, including CVS Health Corp and Cardinal Health, as they may cause eye infection and in some cases possible vision loss. The agency recommended against the usage of 26 over-the-counter eye drop products mainly used to treat symptoms of dry eyes and provide relief against eye irritation.

(With inputs from agencies.)