Health News Roundup: US FDA to allow Florida to import cheaper drugs from Canada; Lilly launches website, home delivery option for weight-loss drug and more

Novo, a Danish drugmaker whose share price rose 49% last year due to soaring demand for its weight-loss medicine Wegovy, said the partnerships with Omega Therapeutics and Cellarity Inc could lead to new treatments for people living with obesity and a type of liver disease known as MASH. Late M&A bonanza stokes healthcare dealmakers ahead of JPMorgan conference Healthcare dealmakers are making their way to San Francisco for a major industry conference, optimistic that more deals are in the offing after a wave of biotech company takeovers at the end of last year.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Merck seeks GLP-1 drugs with benefits beyond weight loss - CEO

Merck & Co is seeking GLP-1 treatments with benefits beyond weight loss, CEO Robert Davis said on Thursday at a conference. Newer diabetes and weight-loss drugs of the GLP-1 class like Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound are expected to together generate annual sales of over $100 billion by the end of the decade.

Florida abortion rights measure gets enough signatures to go before voters

A state constitutional amendment that would protect abortion access in Florida has received enough signatures of support to appear on ballots in the November election, but a challenge by the state's attorney general could still block it. The measure would ban laws that "prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's healthcare provider." Abortions are currently illegal after 15 weeks in Florida.

Wegovy, Ozempic not linked to increase in suicidal thoughts, US study finds

A large U.S. study found no evidence that taking Novo Nordisk's Ozempic or Wegovy is tied to an increase in suicidal thoughts, researchers reported on Friday. Both Ozempic for type 2 diabetes and the obesity treatment Wegovy have the same active ingredient, semaglutide.

Spanish regions reintroduce mask wearing in medical centres amid flu spike

Five Spanish regions have announced the reintroduction of rules making the use of face masks compulsory in health facilities following a spike in flu and COVID-19 cases over the festive season. The region of Valencia saw its rate of respiratory infections rise to 1,501 cases per 100,000 inhabitants between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1 - the second-highest reported caseload in the country for that week, after Castilla-La Mancha.

CVS raises expectations for enrollment in some Medicare plans

CVS Health said on Friday it expects enrollment in its fast-growing Medicare Advantage plans for people aged 65 and above to exceed its previous targets in 2024 helped by strong new sales and member retention. The healthcare conglomerate, which owns health insurer Aetna, said it expects to add at least 800,000 members to its Medicare Advantage plans this year, versus its previous forecast of adding 600,000 people in 2024.

New York could be first state to offer prenatal paid leave to mothers

New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday proposed offering pregnant women 40 hours of paid leave to attend prenatal medical appointments, which she said would make New York the first state in the U.S. to offer such benefits. The proposal was part of a six-point plan to improve maternal and neonatal health at a time when U.S. maternal mortality rates are growing with each generation and the country has fallen way behind other developed nations.

US FDA to allow Florida to import cheaper drugs from Canada

Florida on Friday won authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to directly import prescription drugs from Canada, the first state to get such approval for a strategy that could lower prices for medicines. Drug costs in the U.S. are higher than in Canada and other countries where government-run healthcare systems negotiate prices for individual prescription drugs.

Lilly launches website, home delivery option for weight-loss drug

Eli Lilly and Co on Thursday launched a website to enable people to directly order from the drugmaker including its weight-loss medicine Zepbound as well as connect people with obesity and other conditions with telehealth companies. The service, called LillyDirect, comes on the back on extraordinary demand seen over the last year for powerful weight-loss drugs such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy.

Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk enters research tie-ups with US biotech firms

Blockbuster weight-loss drug maker Novo Nordisk announced on Thursday research collaborations with two U.S. biotech firms, part of its efforts to stay ahead in big pharma's race to develop more treatments for cardiometabolic diseases. Novo, a Danish drugmaker whose share price rose 49% last year due to soaring demand for its weight-loss medicine Wegovy, said the partnerships with Omega Therapeutics and Cellarity Inc could lead to new treatments for people living with obesity and a type of liver disease known as MASH.

Late M&A bonanza stokes healthcare dealmakers ahead of JPMorgan conference

Healthcare dealmakers are making their way to San Francisco for a major industry conference, optimistic that more deals are in the offing after a wave of biotech company takeovers at the end of last year. The four-day JPMorgan Healthcare Conference beginning on Monday is expected by organizers to attract over 8,000 people, including delegations from the world’s largest drugmakers, a signal of a return to business a usual after fewer participants were invited last year over COVID-19 concerns.

(With inputs from agencies.)