Health News Roundup: Judge certifies Johnson & Johnson shareholder class action over talc disclosures; Indonesia to impose new tax on e-cigarettes from Jan 1; US judge allows FTC to temporarily block IQVIA acquisition of DeepIntent and more

Southeast Asia's largest economy has set the additional tax at 10% of the excise tariff for electronic cigarettes, the ministry said in a statement. McKinsey to pay $78 million in US opioid settlement with health plans Consulting firm McKinsey & Co has agreed to pay $78 million to resolve claims by U.S. health insurers and benefit plans that it fueled an epidemic of opioid addiction through its work for drug companies including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma. The settlement was disclosed in papers filed on Friday in federal court in San Francisco.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

US judge allows FTC to temporarily block IQVIA acquisition of DeepIntent

A U.S. court on Friday upheld a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) order to block IQVIA’s acquisition of DeepIntent, a healthcare advertising firm, as it may harm competition. DeepIntent, owned by Propel Media, a digital advertising company, entered into an agreement with U.S. headquartered healthcare data and analytics firm IQVIA in 2022 with the intent to facilitate seamless communication between patients and healthcare providers.

Judge certifies Johnson & Johnson shareholder class action over talc disclosures

A federal judge said Johnson & Johnson shareholders may pursue as a class action their lawsuit accusing the company of fraudulently concealing how its talc products were contaminated by cancer-causing asbestos. U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi in Trenton, New Jersey, on Friday allowed shareholders from Feb. 22, 2013, to Dec. 13, 2018, to pursue their securities fraud claims as a group.

Indonesia to impose new tax on e-cigarettes from Jan 1

Indonesia will impose a new tax on e-cigarettes from Jan. 1, adding to an excise tax to help curb vaping, the finance ministry said on Saturday. Southeast Asia's largest economy has set the additional tax at 10% of the excise tariff for electronic cigarettes, the ministry said in a statement.

McKinsey to pay $78 million in US opioid settlement with health plans

Consulting firm McKinsey & Co has agreed to pay $78 million to resolve claims by U.S. health insurers and benefit plans that it fueled an epidemic of opioid addiction through its work for drug companies including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma.

The settlement was disclosed in papers filed on Friday in federal court in San Francisco. It marked the last in a series of settlements McKinsey has reached resolving lawsuits over the U.S. opioid epidemic.

Roche to buy part of LumiraDx diagnostics platform for $295 million

Swiss drugmaker Roche said on Friday it has agreed to buy LumiraDx's Point of Care diagnostics platform business for about $295 million. Shares of LumiraDx rose about 20%, to 76 cents in aftermarket trading.

Exclusive-Drugmakers set to raise U.S. prices on at least 500 drugs in January

Drugmakers including Pfizer, Sanofi and Takeda Pharmaceutical plan to raise prices in the United States on more than 500 drugs in early January, according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors. Excluding different doses and formulations, more than 140 brands of drugs will have their prices raised next month, the data showed.

(With inputs from agencies.)