Health News Roundup: WHO sees 'incredibly low' COVID, flu vaccination rates as cases surge; AbbVie expects Botox to maintain market share as competition heats up and more

Reuters confirmed the news. U.S. FDA finds no evidence yet linking weight-loss drugs to suicidal thoughts The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday its preliminary review did not find evidence that weight-loss drugs such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy were tied to suicidal thoughts and the agency will continue to study the issue.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Oxford starts human testing of Nipah virus vaccine

The University of Oxford said on Thursday it had begun human testing of an experimental vaccine against the brain-swelling Nipah virus that led to outbreaks in India's Kerala state and other parts of Asia. There is no vaccine yet for the deadly virus. Nipah was first identified about 25 years ago in Malaysia and has led to outbreaks in Bangladesh, India and Singapore.

US FDA identifies recall of ResMed's respiratory devices as most serious

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday classified the recall of certain respiratory masks made by ResMed as most serious as their use could cause major injuries or death. ResMed was recalling some models of its continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) masks, AirFit and AirTouch, due to possible magnetic interference with certain medical devices and implants which might disrupt their function or position and cause serious harm or death, the FDA said.

AbbVie expects Botox to maintain market share as competition heats up

AbbVie expects Botox's market share in the aesthetics space to remain strong even as rivals launch competing anti-wrinkle injections, a company executive said on Wednesday.

Botox sales, especially for aesthetic use, have been under pressure over the last few quarters due to economic uncertainties. Investors have also been concerned about potential market share losses to new entrants such as Revance Therapeutics' Daxxify and Evolus' Jeuveau.

WHO sees 'incredibly low' COVID, flu vaccination rates as cases surge

Low vaccination rates against the latest versions of COVID-19 and influenza are putting pressure on healthcare systems this winter, leading public health officials told Reuters. In the United States, several European countries, and other parts of the world, there have been reports of rising hospitalizations linked to respiratory infections in recent weeks. Death rates have also ticked up among older adults in some regions, but far below the COVID pandemic peak. Spain's government has reinstated mask-wearing requirements at healthcare facilities, as have some U.S. hospital networks.

Weight loss drug windfall attracts pharma companies

Pharmaceutical executives from Amgen to Pfizer are plotting to break into the lucrative obesity market by developing or cutting deals to acquire better drugs that will compete with Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Zepbound from Eli Lilly. At stake is a market that is now estimated to reach $100 billion at a minimum by the end of the decade, as consumers flock to the new treatments that have been shown to reduce weight by as much as 20%. Drugmakers are also testing these drugs for other health benefits such as lowering cardiovascular disease risk and obstructive sleep apnea.

Novartis drops pursuit of Cytokinetics - source

Swiss drugmaker Novartis has backed away from its pursuit of Cytokinetics, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, and the U.S. drug developer's shares were down over 21% in afternoon trade. While the stock was down in the morning, it fell further after the Wall Street Journal first reported that the talks between the two sides had broken down. Reuters confirmed the news.

U.S. FDA finds no evidence yet linking weight-loss drugs to suicidal thoughts

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday its preliminary review did not find evidence that weight-loss drugs such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy were tied to suicidal thoughts and the agency will continue to study the issue. Still, the FDA, which has listed suicidal thoughts as a potential safety signal for such drugs, said it could not definitively rule out that a small risk may exist due to the limited data available.

WHO declares Cape Verde free of malaria

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Cape Verde free of malaria, hailing it as a significant milestone in the fight against the disease. Cape Verde, an archipelago of 10 islands in the central Atlantic Ocean, has faced severe epidemics in densely populated areas before it implemented targeted interventions.

UnitedHealth's higher medical costs cloud profit beat

UnitedHealth topped Wall Street's expectations for fourth-quarter profit on Friday, but its shares declined more than 5% in premarket trade, as high demand for non-urgent medical procedures drove up costs for the healthcare conglomerate. UnitedHealth's quarterly medical loss ratio - the percentage of spend on claims compared with premiums collected - was 85%, above the 82.8% reported for 2022. Analysts on average were expecting a ratio of 83.88% for the fourth quarter, according to LSEG data.

Pakistan seizes poisonous solvent used in cough syrup

Pakistan has seized a batch of contaminated propylene glycol solvent that was labelled as manufactured by Dow Chemical, Thailand, the nation's drug regulatory authority said on Thursday. Dow Chemical, Thailand did not respond to a request for a comment.