Reuters Health News Summary

The company posted a larger-than-expected fourth-quarter loss as revenue lagged analysts' estimates, sending its shares down 26.3% to $4.44 in early trading. Exclusive-Eli Lilly could launch obesity drug in India next year, CEO says U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly expects to launch Mounjaro, its blockbuster diabetes drug and wildly popular obesity treatment, in India as early as next year after it clears an ongoing regulatory review, CEO David Ricks told Reuters on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

South Korea to send military doctors to hospitals amid doctors' protest

South Korea will send its military and community doctors to hospitals within the next few days as part of emergency measures to support the healthcare system after a mass walkout by trainee doctors, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on Wednesday. Han also pleaded with the young doctors to return to work by a Thursday deadline set by the government, and said the authorities would listen to their concerns.

Biotech company bets on GMO mosquitoes to fight dengue in Brazil as cases surge

British biotechnology company Oxitec is betting on a solution to Brazil's surging dengue cases, involving the release of genetically modified mosquitoes in an effort to reduce the viral infection's spread. The firm has developed a version of the male Aedes aegypti mosquito which carries a gene that kills female offspring before they reach maturity, suppressing the population. Only female mosquitoes bite and transmit diseases.

US Senate Democrats to try to pass bill protecting in vitro fertilization

Democrats on Wednesday will try rushing legislation through the U.S. Senate guaranteeing Americans' access to in vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies, after an Alabama court designated frozen embryos as children. The state Supreme Court ruling on Feb. 16 that frozen embryos should be considered children prompted at least three Alabama providers to halt the IVF procedure that involves combining eggs and sperm in a laboratory dish for couples having difficulty conceiving.

Novavax says still faces strong headwinds, 2024 sales flat to lower

COVID-19 vaccine maker Novavax on Wednesday said it still faces significant financial difficulties and expects revenue this year to be flat or lower as it works to pick up U.S. market share from its much larger rivals, Pfizer and Moderna. The company posted a larger-than-expected fourth-quarter loss as revenue lagged analysts' estimates, sending its shares down 26.3% to $4.44 in early trading.

Exclusive-Eli Lilly could launch obesity drug in India next year, CEO says

U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly expects to launch Mounjaro, its blockbuster diabetes drug and wildly popular obesity treatment, in India as early as next year after it clears an ongoing regulatory review, CEO David Ricks told Reuters on Wednesday. The market opportunity is huge in the world's most populous country, which has high obesity rates, especially among women, and the second-highest number of people with type-2 diabetes globally. Indian drugmakers are testing their own versions of weight-loss drugs, while illegal versions are also sold online.

Viatris forecasts strong 2024 sales on higher demand for branded drugs

Drugmaker Viatris forecast annual revenue above Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, banking on strong demand for its branded drugs such as Yupelri for lung disease and Breyna for asthma. The company said it expects 2024 revenue to be in the range of $15.25 billion to $15.75 billion, the midpoint of which is above analysts' average expectation of $15.30 billion, according to LSEG data.

Vivani shares skyrocket as implant reduces weight in mice

Vivani Medical shares surged more than five-fold in early trading on Wednesday after the drug developer said its experimental under-the-skin drug implant helped reduce weight in obese mice in a pre-clinical trial. The implant caused a weight loss of about 20% compared to a sham treatment in high-fat diet-induced obese mice after a 28-day treatment, the company said.

Reckitt's quarterly sales disappoint after investigation into Middle East business

Consumer goods group Reckitt on Wednesday missed fourth-quarter like-for-like net sales expectations as an investigation showed some employees had under-reported liabilities in the Middle East, with shares posting their biggest one-day drop since December 1999. Shares in Reckitt, which owns the Lysol and Strepsils brands, closed down nearly 13%.

In South Korea, world's lowest fertility rate plunges again in 2023

South Korea's fertility rate, already the world's lowest, continued its dramatic decline in 2023, as women concerned about their career advancement and the financial cost of raising children decided to delay childbirth or to not have babies. The average number of expected babies for a South Korean woman during her reproductive life fell to a record low of 0.72 from 0.78 in 2022, data from Statistics Korea showed on Wednesday.

US FDA chief very concerned about fake weight loss drugs

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said on Wednesday that he is very concerned about the prevalence of compounded and fake versions of highly in demand new weight loss drugs online. Consumers seeking these medicines are attracted to compounded versions that are sold without proper controls to ensure they get the right active drug, Califf said in a Reuters Newsmaker interview.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)