Health News Roundup: Destruction of Gaza's Shifa Hospital rips heart out of health system, WHO says; Teva, Viatris win new chance to challenge J&J schizophrenia drug patent and more

It was the second case of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, identified in a person in the United States, following a 2022 case in Colorado, and comes as the virus is spreading to new mammals including dairy cattle for the first time. Roivant's anti-inflammatory drug succeeds in mid-stage study Roivant Sciences said on Tuesday its experimental drug to treat non-infectious uveitis helped reduce symptoms of the inflammatory eye disease in a mid-stage study, sending the biotech firm's shares up 8% in premarket trading.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

US health insurers slide as final Medicare payment rates fall short of expectations

Shares of U.S. health insurers fell between 4% and 9% premarket on Tuesday after the final 2025 reimbursement rates for Medicare Advantage (MA) payments by the government implied a cut and triggered worries over a margin squeeze. The rates, which indicated a 0.2% fall in average payments, are unchanged from what was proposed in January, despite pressure from companies and industry groups to incorporate a late-year surge in medical care demand.

Destruction of Gaza's Shifa Hospital rips heart out of health system, WHO says

Israel's destruction of Gaza's biggest hospital in a raid over the past two weeks has ripped the heart out of the enclave's healthcare system, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. Israeli forces left Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Monday after the two-week operation by special forces, who detained hundreds of suspected Palestinian militants and left a wasteland of destroyed buildings. Israel said it killed hundreds of Hamas fighters who had based themselves there; Hamas and medical staff deny fighters were present.

Verve Therapeutics pauses enrollment in early-stage gene therapy study for high cholesterol levels

Verve Therapeutics said on Tuesday that it had paused enrollment for an early-stage study testing its experimental gene editing therapy for high cholesterol after a patient experienced a severe drug-related adverse event. Shares of the Boston, Massachusetts-based company fell 33.5% to $8.50 in premarket trading.

Florida top court allows for near-total abortion ban; says voters can decide issue in November

Florida's top court on Monday cleared the way for a Republican-backed law banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy to take effect, but also approved an initiative to let voters decide whether to amend the state's constitution to establish a right to an abortion. In a pair of rulings, the Florida Supreme Court upheld an existing law that banned abortion after 15 weeks, and by doing so, cleared the way for a six-week ban to take effect.

Teva, Viatris win new chance to challenge J&J schizophrenia drug patent

Teva Pharmaceutical and Viatris convinced a U.S. appeals court on Monday to revive their challenges to a patent covering a blockbuster Johnson & Johnson schizophrenia drug, giving them a new chance to clear a path to launch cheaper generic versions of the medicine. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said that the last remaining J&J patent covering its Invega Sustenna may be invalid, sending the case back for a New Jersey federal court to reconsider.

Biden administration US ban on menthol cigarettes delayed

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's proposal to ban menthol flavored cigarettes in the United States faced another setback, according to anti-tobacco advocates who noted that White House officials have missed another deadline to issue a final rule on a ban. The White House declined to comment.

Fitch says UnitedHealth unit hack to have no credit impact on not-for-profit hospitals

Fitch does not anticipate any credit impact on not-for-profit hospitals in the United States from the cyberattack at UnitedHealth's tech unit Change Healthcare that caused disruption to pharmacies across the U.S., the ratings agency said on Monday. The agency said it does not see any negative rating implications tied to the hack if the care providers can return to normal operations in the near term and maintain a large-enough cash cushion.

Texas, CDC say bird flu detected in person exposed to dairy cattle

Texas and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday reported a case of avian influenza in a person who had contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected with the virus. It was the second case of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, identified in a person in the United States, following a 2022 case in Colorado, and comes as the virus is spreading to new mammals including dairy cattle for the first time.

Roivant's anti-inflammatory drug succeeds in mid-stage study

Roivant Sciences said on Tuesday its experimental drug to treat non-infectious uveitis helped reduce symptoms of the inflammatory eye disease in a mid-stage study, sending the biotech firm's shares up 8% in premarket trading. In the study testing 26 patients, 29% of those who received a higher-strength 45 milligram (mg) dose and 44% of those who received a 15 mg dose experienced treatment failure, with a lower rate implying a greater benefit from the drug.

Polar bear Laerke gets her annual physical

Lying on her back, enormous paws in the air, Laerke the polar bear is being given her annual medical exam. It involves much the same as tests given to humans - blood, urine, heart. The difference? It takes a good half-dozen veterinary staff to turn her over. The recent exam at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, provided encouraging results for 3-year-old Laerke, who has been living in the U.S. state with her twin sister since June 2023 when they moved from the Detroit Zoo.

(With inputs from agencies.)