Health News Roundup: Indonesia to impose new tax on e-cigarettes from Jan 1; Roche to buy part of LumiraDx diagnostics platform for $295 million 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.

Reckitt's Mead Johnson Nutrition recalls baby formula powder from US -FDA

Reckitt Benckiser Group's Mead Johnson Nutrition (MJN) is voluntarily recalling select batches of Nutramigen Powder from the U.S. market due to a possibility of contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria in product sampled outside the United States, the Food and Drug Administration said on Sunday.

Nutramigen Powder, a specialty infant formula for the dietary management of Cows Milk Allergy (CMA) in 12.6- and 19.8-ounce cans, went through extensive testing by MJN and tested negative for the bacteria, the FDA said.

(With inputs from agencies.)