Health News Roundup: Novartis raises sales growth target to 5% a year through 2027; Australia begins crackdown on vaping, to ban import of single-use devices and more

The ban will be expanded in March to include all non-therapeutic vapes, including refillable devices, while importers of vapes for medical purposes will need permit from the Office of Drug control, Health Minister Mark Butler said in a statement. Idaho asks US Supreme Court to allow near-total abortion ban Idaho officials on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily halt a federal judge's ruling that blocked the Republican-governed state from enforcing its near-total abortion ban in medical-emergency situations following a legal challenge by Democratic President Joe Biden's administration.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Novartis raises sales growth target to 5% a year through 2027

Novartis has dialled up its sales growth target to 5% per year until 2027, citing demand for innovative drugs after the spin off of its generics business. The medium-term target, which excludes any foreign exchange effects, is mainly driven by six drugs, led by Kisqali, the Swiss drugmaker said in a presentation on Tuesday.

Australia begins crackdown on vaping, to ban import of single-use devices

Australia will ban imports of disposable vapes in January, the Health Minister said on Tuesday, the first step in a crackdown aimed at curbing the growing popularity of these nicotine-filled devices with young people. The ban will be expanded in March to include all non-therapeutic vapes, including refillable devices, while importers of vapes for medical purposes will need permit from the Office of Drug control, Health Minister Mark Butler said in a statement.

Idaho asks US Supreme Court to allow near-total abortion ban

Idaho officials on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily halt a federal judge's ruling that blocked the Republican-governed state from enforcing its near-total abortion ban in medical-emergency situations following a legal challenge by Democratic President Joe Biden's administration. Republican state officials urged the justices to pause U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill's August 2022 preliminary injunction issued after he concluded that the state's abortion restrictions conflicted with a federal law that ensures that patients can receive emergency "stabilizing care."

France reports bird flu on turkey farm as disease spreads in Europe

France has detected an outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu virus on a turkey farm in the northwest of the country, the agriculture ministry said on Tuesday, as a seasonal wave of infections spreads across Europe. The outbreak in the Brittany region, France's first farm case this autumn, occurred near where an infected wild bird was found, the ministry said in a statement.

Nippon Life to buy Nichii Holdings for about $1.41 billion

Nippon Life Insurance plans to acquire Nichii Holdings, the parent company of nursing care provider Nichiigakkan, for about 210 billion yen ($1.41 billion), a Nippon Life spokesperson said on Tuesday, as the country's population ages rapidly. Nippon Life has agreed to buy a 99.6% stake in Nichii Holdings from a fund linked to Bain Capital and other shareholders, the spokesperson said.

India tunnel workers could face PTSD after rescue from ordeal - doctor

The 41 Indian construction workers trapped in a collapsed highway tunnel for 17 days will need long-term support after their rescue, including monitoring for post-traumatic stress disorder, officials said on Tuesday. Rescuers drilled through rocks and debris to finally reach the men on Tuesday in the Himalayan tunnel where they have been trapped since it collapsed on Nov. 12. They were due to be pulled out, one by one, later in the day.

Lilly's Mounjaro leads to more and faster weight loss than Novo obesity drug, data analysis finds

Overweight or obese adults lost more weight and shed pounds faster using Eli Lilly's Mounjaro than those taking Novo Nordisk's popular rival weight loss drug, according to an analysis of health records and other data. Within one year of starting treatment, 42.3% of those taking tirzepatide - the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound - had lost at least 15% of their weight, compared with 19.3% among patients taking semaglutide - the main ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, the study published on medRxiv in advance of peer review found.

Disease could be bigger killer than bombs in Gaza - WHO

More people could die from disease than from bombings in the Gaza Strip if its health system is not repaired, a World Health Organization spokesperson said on Tuesday. Gaza health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations say more than 15,000 people have been confirmed killed in Israel's bombardment of Gaza, around 40% of them children, with many more dead feared to be lost under rubble.

WHO authorizes emergency use of Novavax's updated COVID vaccine

Novavax's updated vaccine has been granted World Health Organization's (WHO) emergency-use authorization for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 in individuals aged 12 and older.

3M, DuPont defeat massive class action over forever chemicals

A U.S. appeals court on Monday handed 3M, Corteva Inc subsidiary E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co and other manufacturers of toxic so-called "forever chemicals" a big win in their fight against legal liability for the substances, rejecting a lower court's ruling that would have allowed about 11.8 million Ohio residents to sue the companies as a group. The Cincinnati, Ohio-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a lower court's approval of the massive class action, which included virtually every resident of Ohio and put considerable legal pressure on the chemical manufacturers to settle the plaintiffs' claims.