Health News Roundup: US FDA approves Basilea Pharmaceutica's antibiotic; Lack of immunity raises risk of bird flu pandemic, EFSA says and more

This comes a day after Texas reported that the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, had been detected in a person who had contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected with the virus. Lilly's weight-loss drug Zepbound to face supply crunch through April-end, US FDA says Two doses of Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug Zepbound are expected to remain in short supply through April-end, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website showed on Wednesday, as demand for the powerful obesity drug soars.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Bird flu spreads to mammals, raising concerns of human transmission

Bird flu, officially called highly pathogenic avian influenza, has increasingly spread to mammals, raising concern of human transmission, with foxes the most affected species and the United States reporting the widest number of mammals infected. The U.S. government in late March has reported cases of the disease in dairy cows in Texas and said one person who had contact with cows had been infected.

Novo says Ozempic starter kits still not available in Germany in Q2

Novo Nordisk has warned that starter kits of its popular diabetes drug Ozempic will still not be available in Germany during the second quarter, as shortages in Europe due to the drug's slimming effect drag out. In a statement by Novo posted on the website of German healthcare regulator BfArM on Tuesday, Novo urged physicians to only issue prescriptions for patients already on the therapy. The Danish drugmaker also reiterated that doctors should only prescribe Ozempic for its approved use in diabetes, saying that there were sufficient supplies of Wegovy, the obesity drug that is based on the same active ingredient.

Moderna shares fall after judge sides with Arbutus in patent fight

Shares of Moderna fell 4% on Wednesday after a U.S. judge issued an order that strengthened Arbutus' arguments in a patent infringement lawsuit related to Moderna's blockbuster COVID-19 vaccines. Roivant's shares gained 4% in afternoon trading, while its subsidiary Arbutus rose more than 17%.

US FDA approves Basilea Pharmaceutica's antibiotic

The U.S. health regulator approved Basilea Pharmaceutica's antibiotic for bacterial infections including multidrug-resistant strains, the FDA said on Wednesday. The Switzerland-based company was seeking approval of its antibiotic ceftobiprole for the treatment of three conditions - Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) as well as acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia.

Explainer-What to know about bird flu in dairy cows and the risk to humans

Texas officials reported on Monday that a farm worker tested positive for H5N1, or bird flu, that has spread to dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Michigan and Idaho - the first time the virus has infected cattle. Health officials and scientists say the risk to humans remains low, but many questions remain.

Costco offering members access to weight-loss programs including medication

Costco Wholesale will offer its members access to weight-loss programs, including prescription drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, from online healthcare services provider Sesame, as the companies expanded their partnership. The wholesale retailer's members can subscribe to Sesame's weight-loss program for $179 for three months, compared with $195 for non-members, Sesame said in a blog post on Tuesday.

Lack of immunity raises risk of bird flu pandemic, EFSA says

The EU's Food Safety Agency (EFSA) warned on Wednesday of a large-scale bird flu pandemic if the virus becomes transmissible between people as humans lack immunity against the virus. This comes a day after Texas reported that the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, had been detected in a person who had contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected with the virus.

Lilly's weight-loss drug Zepbound to face supply crunch through April-end, US FDA says

Two doses of Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug Zepbound are expected to remain in short supply through April-end, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website showed on Wednesday, as demand for the powerful obesity drug soars. The U.S. FDA's website noted limited availability of the injection's 5 milligram (mg) and 12.5 mg doses. Its 2.5, 7.5, 10 and 15 mg doses were listed as available.

Bird flu hits Texas dairy cows, hens, human as ducks migrate

Migratory waterfowl are to blame for widening avian-flu outbreaks in Texas cows and poultry, and wild birds carrying the virus should be heading north soon, state Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said. The U.S. government since last week has reported cases of the disease in seven dairy herds in Texas and one person who had contact with cows, making it the state most affected by the country's first-ever outbreaks in cattle. Texas is the biggest U.S. cattle producer.

Drugmaker seeks approval for China's first biosimilar Ozempic

A drugmaker in China has developed a biosimilar version of Novo Nordisk's popular diabetes drug Ozempic and applied for approval to sell it there, in a potential challenge to Novo's expansion plans in the country. Hangzhou Jiuyuan Gene Engineering said on Wednesday in a post on its official social media account that it was seeking approval to sell the drug, which it calls Jiyoutai, to control blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes.

(With inputs from agencies.)