Health News Roundup: US FDA approves expanded use of BeiGene's blood cancer drug; Alcohol policies need sharper focus on gender, WHO says and more

The U.S. drugmaker has sued several medical spas, weight-loss clinics and compounding pharmacies to stop them from selling products purporting to contain tirzepatide. Sexually transmitted infections surge in Europe, latest data shows Sexually transmitted infections surged across Europe in 2022, with reported cases of gonorrhoea jumping by nearly a half, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said as it released its most recent data on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Novo Nordisk expects China to approve weight loss drug Wegovy this year

Novo Nordisk said on Thursday it expects Wegovy to be approved for sale in China this year and plans to soon launch the popular weight-loss drug in the largest Asian market with capped volumes. The upcoming launch in China will initially focus on patients paying out-of-pocket for Wegovy, the head of Novo's business in China, Christine Zhou Xiaping, told an investor meeting at the company's headquarters outside Copenhagen.

GSK's blood cancer drug meets main goal in late-stage trial; analysts tout comeback

GSK said on Thursday a study showed its experimental drug Blenrep helped extend survival in patients with a type of blood cancer without symptoms worsening, marking a potential comeback for the drug after several setbacks. Shares in the drugmaker rose as much as 2.6% to 17.17 pounds by 1132 GMT - their highest level since August 2022.

UnitedHealth says online platform fully functional after Change Healthcare hack

UnitedHealth Group said the electronic prescribing for its pharmacy services is now fully functional, with claims submission and payment transmission also available after cyber attack on its tech unit Change Healthcare impacted services. UnitedHealth said on Thursday that electronic payment functionality for its payments platform will be available for connection on March 15, adding that it expects to begin testing and reestablish connectivity to its medical claims network and software on March 18.

Alabama IVF clinics resuming operations after governor signs law protecting industry

Two Alabama in vitro fertilization clinics are resuming treatment after the governor signed into law a measure aimed at protecting IVF in light of a state Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos should be considered children. In a statement on Wednesday night, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said IVF was "a complex issue, no doubt," and anticipated there would be more work to come. "But right now, I am confident that this legislation will provide the assurances our IVF clinics need and will lead them to resume services immediately," she said.

Alcohol policies need sharper focus on gender, WHO says

The World Health Organization on Friday urged governments to consider gender when developing their alcohol policies, warning that industry marketing increasingly targeted women who face greater health risks than men from lower levels of drinking. The Geneva-based WHO said that there was good evidence that men, women and minority groups were affected differently by alcohol-related harms and that the industry tailored its marketing to target different genders.

Alcohol policies need sharper focus on gender, WHO says

Novo Nordisk on Thursday surpassed Tesla Inc in market valuation after the maker of the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy announced positive early trial data for a highly anticipated new obesity drug. Shares surged more than 8% to record highs, shooting Novo Nordisk up in global rankings to the 12th most valuable company from 14 previously, after it told investors a Phase I trial of the pill version of experimental drug amycretin showed participants lost 13.1% of their weight after 12 weeks.

Alcohol policies need sharper focus on gender, WHO says

AstraZeneca and Sanofi's antibody therapy was 90% effective in protecting infants from hospitalizations associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed on Thursday. (This story has been refiled to correct a typo in the agency's name in paragraph 1)

US FDA approves expanded use of BeiGene's blood cancer drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted accelerated approval for the expanded use of BeiGene's combination drug to treat certain patients with a type of blood cancer, the health regulator said on Thursday. The oral drug, Brukinsa, in combination with Roche's Gazyva was approved to treat relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma in patients who have received at least two prior lines of treatment.

Lilly finds bacteria, other impurities in Mounjaro, Zepbound knockoffs

Eli Lilly said on Thursday it has found bacteria and high levels of impurities in products claiming to be compounded versions of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in its popular diabetes drug Mounjaro and weight loss treatment Zepbound. The U.S. drugmaker has sued several medical spas, weight-loss clinics and compounding pharmacies to stop them from selling products purporting to contain tirzepatide.

Sexually transmitted infections surge in Europe, latest data shows

Sexually transmitted infections surged across Europe in 2022, with reported cases of gonorrhoea jumping by nearly a half, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said as it released its most recent data on Thursday. Syphilis cases rose by 34% from the previous year, to more than 35,000, chlamydia cases by 16% to more than 216,000. Gonorrhoea cases jumped by 48% to more than 70,000.