Health News Roundup: FDA warns online vendors selling misbranded weight-loss, diabetes drugs; US CDC plans to drop five-day COVID isolation guidelines - Washington Post and more

The Colorado-based company now sees 2024 adjusted per-share profit between $8.70 and $9.80, beating average analysts' estimate of $8.68, as per LSEG data. Abbott's heart valve repair device gets FDA advisers' backing Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday backed an approval for Abbott Laboratories' heart valve repair device that is designed for patients who are at risk of complications or death during surgery.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

FDA warns online vendors selling misbranded weight-loss, diabetes drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it has sent warning letters to two online vendors for selling unapproved and misbranded versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide, the active ingredients in popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs. The letters were issued earlier this month to Synthetix, which sells drugs on a website called Helix Chemical Supply, and US Chem Labs after the U.S. regulator conducted a review of their respective websites in October.

US CDC plans to drop five-day COVID isolation guidelines - Washington Post

The U.S. CDC plans to drop its five-day COVID-19 isolation recommendations under new guidance planned by the agency, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The health agency plans to recommend people who test positive for COVID-19 to take a call on when to end isolation based on their symptoms.

Eli Lilly partner BioAge raises $170 million for obesity treatment

BioAge Labs, a biotech startup collaborating with Eli Lilly for trialing its obesity therapy, said on Tuesday it had raised $170 million in its latest funding round. The Richmond, California-based startup is one of several that are developing potential treatments for obesity. Investors have rushed to back such companies in recent months, hoping to make a fortune later as the demand for weight-loss drugs picks up.

DaVita gains after co says expects strong 2024 profit

DaVita forecast 2024 profit above Wall Street estimates on Tuesday on anticipated strong demand for its kidney dialysis services, sending its shares up 4.8% after the bell. The Colorado-based company now sees 2024 adjusted per-share profit between $8.70 and $9.80, beating average analysts' estimate of $8.68, as per LSEG data.

Abbott's heart valve repair device gets FDA advisers' backing

Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday backed an approval for Abbott Laboratories' heart valve repair device that is designed for patients who are at risk of complications or death during surgery. The panel voted 13-to-1 in favor of the benefits of using TriClip in tricuspid regurgitation (TR) outweighing the risks. In TR, the valve separating the right lower chamber of the heart from the right upper does not close properly, which can potentially cause heart failure.

WHO sees low risk of spread after China reports combined H3N2, H10N5 bird flu case

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday there was a low risk of human-to-human spread after China reported a case involving a person infected with combined H3N2 and H10N5 strains of bird flu. "No new suspected human cases have been detected through the investigation and testing done by authorities," the WHO said in a statement, saying avian flu viruses are not thought to have acquired the capacity for sustained human transmission. "Thus, the likelihood of human-to-human spread is considered low."

Proteins may predict who will get dementia 10 years later, study finds

A study of frozen blood samples has turned up a trove of proteins that may predict several forms of dementia more than 10 years before the disease is diagnosed, researchers from the U.K. and China reported on Monday. The study, published in the journal Nature Aging, is part of ongoing research from multiple teams to identify patients at risk for dementia using a simple blood test, an advance many scientists believe will accelerate the development of new treatments.

US hospitals see post pandemic catch-up behind insurer healthcare costs

Americans are catching up on healthcare missed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a trend driven by heart procedures and outpatient orthopedic surgeries that likely won't soon slow, according to interviews with three hospital officials in major U.S. cities, but other factors may also be at play. U.S. health insurers have warned of high demand for medical services based on late 2023 usage, but have offered few details on the trend or how long it may continue driving up costs.

Pharmaceutical group's lawsuit over Medicare drug price program dismissed

A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit by a major pharmaceutical industry trade association challenging a new program that allows Medicare to negotiate prices with drug companies for selected costly drugs. U.S. District Judge David Ezra in Austin, Texas, sided with President Joe Biden's administration in dismissing a lawsuit by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and two other groups that argued that the program was unconstitutional.

Biogen sees flat 2024 sales, pick up in Alzheimer's drug demand

Biogen on Tuesday forecast flat 2024 product revenue as top-selling drugs face tough competition and sales of newer treatments take off slowly, but said there are signs its new Alzheimer's drug is gaining traction. Shares of the U.S. biotech fell 7% as it missed Wall Street expectations for quarterly revenue and projected sales for this year that several analysts found underwhelming.

(With inputs from agencies.)