Health News Roundup: Abbott's heart valve repair device gains US FDA approval; Gene involved in cell shape offers clues on left-handedness and more

Researchers identified rare variants of a gene involved in controlling the shape of cells and found them to be 2.7 times more common in left-handed people. 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.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

US health insurers slide as final Medicare payment rates fall below expectations

Shares of U.S. health insurers tumbled between 6% and 12% on Tuesday after the final 2025 rates for Medicare Advantage (MA) payments by the government implied a cut and triggered worries about 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.

US takes next step in Medicare drug price negotiations with pharma companies

The Biden administration said on Tuesday it has responded to offers from the manufacturers of 10 high-cost drugs selected for the U.S. Medicare program's first-ever pricing negotiations, but provided no details. Part of 2022's Inflation Reduction Act allows Medicare to negotiate prices for prescription drugs that had been particularly expensive for the federal health program that covers millions of Americans aged 65 and older as well as the disabled.

Some doses of Lilly's Mounjaro in tight supply through April, US FDA says

Four doses of Eli Lilly's diabetes drug Mounjaro would remain in tight supply through 2024 due to soaring demand, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website showed. The regulator noted limited availability of 7.5, 10, 12.5, and 15 milligram doses through April, while lower doses were listed as "available". The FDA had previously said that three doses would have limited availability through early March.

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.

Roivant's anti-inflammatory drug shows promise in mid-stage study

Roivant Sciences' 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 nearly 8% on Tuesday. At least three analysts said the data surpassed their expectations and showed that the drug could benefit patients more than Abbvie's Humira, which is the only targeted therapy approved for the condition.

Abbott's heart valve repair device gains US FDA approval

Abbott Laboratories said on Tuesday the U.S. FDA has approved its heart valve repair device for patients with a potentially fatal heart disease, just months after rival Edwards Lifesciences received the regulator's nod for its device. The Abbott device, TriClip, aims to treat tricuspid regurgitation (TR), which occurs when the valve separating the right lower chamber of the heart from the right upper does not close properly, causing blood to flow backwards.

Lawsuit demands menthol cigarette ban following White House delays

The U.S. government was sued on Tuesday by anti-smoking groups that want a ban on menthol cigarettes and blame the Biden administration for delaying it. Found naturally in peppermint and similar plants, menthol is used disproportionately by Black smokers, in part because of tobacco companies' marketing efforts and also appeals to younger smokers.

Gene involved in cell shape offers clues on left-handedness

What do Lady Gaga, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Paul McCartney and Justin Bieber have in common with Ronald Reagan, Jimi Hendrix, Judy Garland, Fidel Castro and David Bowie? They are all left-handed, a trait shared by roughly 10% of people. But why are some people left-handed while most are righties? That is an area of active research, and a new study sheds light on a genetic component of left-handedness in some people. Researchers identified rare variants of a gene involved in controlling the shape of cells and found them to be 2.7 times more common in left-handed people.

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.)