Reuters Health News Summary

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. Novo Nordisk confident of amycretin obesity drug launch this decade Novo Nordisk is very comfortable it will be able to launch the pill version of its experimental weight loss drug amycretin this decade, the drugmaker's head of development told Reuters on Friday, a day after it announced strong early trial data on it.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

France's Macron wants to make abortion a right at EU level

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that he wants the European Union to guarantee the right to an abortion in its Charter of Fundamental Rights. Macron was speaking at a ceremony held in Paris, where Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti used a centuries-old press to seal the right to abortion into the French constitution, following an overwhelming vote by lawmakers on Monday.

Plastic lodged in arteries may be linked to higher risk of heart disease and death

Minuscule pieces of plastic lodged in the fatty deposits that line human arteries may be linked with higher risks for heart disease, strokes, and death, Italian researchers reported on Wednesday. Among 304 patients who underwent procedures to clear a major artery in the neck, 58% were found to have microscopic and nanoscopic "jagged-edged" pieces of plastic in the plaque lining the blood vessel, including polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride containing chlorine, Dr. Raffaele Marfella at the University of Campania in Naples and colleagues reported.

Amylyx's ALS drug fails in late-stage study, shares slump

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals said on Friday its approved treatment for a neurological disorder called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis failed in a late-stage trial, sending its shares crashing 75% before the bell. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug, branded as Relyvrio, in September 2022 based on mid-stage trial data that showed the drug slowed progression of the disease and extended life expectancy by nearly 10 months.

Analysis-UnitedHealth hack could take months for full recovery

UnitedHealth Group, the largest U.S. health insurer, is likely to need several months to make a full recovery from a cyberattack that has been one of the most disruptive hacks against America's healthcare infrastructure, security experts said. Since its Change Healthcare unit was breached on Feb. 21 by a hacking group called ALPHV, also known as "BlackCat", UnitedHealth has said it is working to restore impacted channels, and that some of its systems are returning to normal. While it has not provided a timeline for full recovery, cybersecurity analysts say that is likely quite far off.

UnitedHealth to restore hacked medical claims and payment services mid-March

UnitedHealth expects to restore disrupted services for medical claims and payments platforms by mid-March, the company said late Thursday, as it grapples with the fallout of a hack that crippled its Change Healthcare tech unit late last month. United's Change Healthcare unit is a vital lynchpin in the complex U.S. system for making and clearing insurance claims. The disruptions also impacted electronic pharmacy refills.

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.

Novo Nordisk confident of amycretin obesity drug launch this decade

Novo Nordisk is very comfortable it will be able to launch the pill version of its experimental weight loss drug amycretin this decade, the drugmaker's head of development told Reuters on Friday, a day after it announced strong early trial data on it. "I never commit to timelines but I would be very comfortable to say at the very least within this decade," Martin Holst Lange said in an interview.

US FDA delays Lilly Alzheimer's drug decision, calls for advisory panel

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has delayed a decision on whether to approve Eli Lilly's experimental treatment for early Alzheimer's disease and will hold a meeting of outside experts to discuss its safety and efficacy, the company said. This is the second regulatory delay for the drug, donanemab, after Lilly released clinical trial data last year that showed the treatment was safe and effective.

Astera Labs eyes up to $4.5 billion valuation in US IPO

Astera Labs said on Friday it was eyeing a valuation of up to $4.51 billion in its U.S. initial public offering, as the chip firm looks to list amid a wave of enthusiasm for artificial intelligence. The demand for high-end chips used in AI has surged given the recent generative AI advances, which have led to a rally in technology firms and propelled the stock market to record highs.

Novo Nordisk hopes to launch experimental obesity drug this decade

Novo Nordisk's head of development on Friday told Reuters he was very comfortable the drugmaker would be able to launch the pill version of its experimental weight loss drug amycretin this decade. Below are the highlights of interviews with Martin Lange, Chief Executive Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen and head of business development David Moore in Bagsværd, Denmark:

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