Health News Roundup: British PM Sunak says he has failed on key healthcare pledge; Novo Nordisk parent to buy Catalent for $11.5 billion to boost Wegovy supply and more

Patients in the study were obese, but did not have other underlying health conditions such as diabetes. Novo Nordisk parent to buy Catalent for $11.5 billion to boost Wegovy supply Novo Holdings, parent of Novo Nordisk, will buy contract drugmaker Catalent for $11.5 billion in cash to help meet the strong demand for its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, the companies said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Fill-finish sites will help Novo Nordisk boost Wegovy, Ozempic output - Novo Holdings CEO

Novo Nordisk's acquisition of three fill-finish sites will help boost output of its popular Wegovy and Ozempic drugs, the CEO of its parent company Novo Holdings said on Monday. "A key strategic consideration for Novo Nordisk, particularly when thinking about patients and making sure there is broader rollout for Ozempic and Wegovy, is enhanced capacity," Novo Holdings CEO Kasim Kutay told Reuters in an interview.

Abbott Labs must face lawsuit over PediaSure height claims

A judge has rejected Abbott Laboratories' effort to dismiss a New York City grandmother's lawsuit claiming it misled consumers into believing its PediaSure Grow & Gain nutrition drinks were "clinically proven" to help children grow taller. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan said on Friday that Joanne Noriega's complaint set forth "strong, evidence-backed reasons" to doubt Abbott's claim that clinical studies supported its marketing claims.

British PM Sunak says he has failed on key healthcare pledge

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his government had not done enough to cut the high number of people waiting for hospital treatment in the health service, admitting failure on one of his signature pledges in the run-up to an election. Sunak set out five major policy pledges at the start of 2023, including one to cut waiting lists in the strained, state-run National Health Service (NHS), a top concern for a majority of voters.

Merck to buy Elanco Animal Health's aqua business for $1.3 billion

Merck said on Monday it had agreed to buy Elanco Animal Health's aqua business for $1.3 billion in cash, to strengthen its portfolio of aquatic healthcare products. The acquisition will help Merck gain access to the DNA-based vaccine Clynav, which protects atlantic salmon against pancreas disease, and Imvixa, an anti-parasitic sea lice treatment.

Promising early data details on Amgen weight-loss drug published

Animal and early-stage human trial data for Amgen's experimental obesity drug published in a medical journal showed that it promoted significant weight loss with an acceptable safety profile, the company said on Monday. The dataset published in Nature Metabolism details outcomes and adverse events for the 49 patients in the Phase 1 trial of the drug, maridebart cafraglutide. Trial participants received different doses of the drug ranging from 21 milligrams to 840 mg. Patients in the study were obese, but did not have other underlying health conditions such as diabetes.

Novo Nordisk parent to buy Catalent for $11.5 billion to boost Wegovy supply

Novo Holdings, parent of Novo Nordisk, will buy contract drugmaker Catalent for $11.5 billion in cash to help meet the strong demand for its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, the companies said on Monday. As part of the deal, Novo Nordisk will buy three Catalent fill-finish sites, as the Danish company struggles to meet the extraordinary demand for newer, powerful weight loss and diabetes drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic over the past one year.

Exclusive-Eisai expects 1,500 Alzheimer's patients in China launch, sees 'huge' growth

Japan's Eisai aims to roll out its groundbreaking Alzheimer's drug Leqembi to 1,500 people in China later this year, but expects growth to accelerate significantly in 2025 as diagnosis methods change, a company spokesperson told Reuters. More convenient Alzheimer's blood tests expected to be ready then could help Eisai reach a bigger share of China's estimated 17 million people with early-stage disease, the spokesperson said.

Valneva sells chikungunya vaccine priority review voucher for $103 million

French vaccine maker Valneva said on Monday it had sold the priority review voucher (PRV) it received from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for $103 million. Valneva was awarded a tropical disease PRV in November 2023 after it developed Ixchiq, its single-dose vaccine for the prevention of the disease caused by the chikungunya virus, the company said.

Moderna-backed Metagenomi targets up to $638 million valuation for US IPO

Metagenomi Technologies, a genetic medicines company backed by Bayer Healthcare and Moderna, said on Monday it was targeting a valuation of up to $638 million for its initial public offering in New York. The company is looking to sell 6.25 million shares priced between $15 and $17 each. At the top end of the proposed range, the IPO would fetch $106.25 million for the Emeryville, California-based startup.