Health News Roundup: Eli Lilly to acquire manufacturing facility from Nexus Pharma; Drug distributor Cardinal Health to lose OptumRx contracts and more

In its so-called "Complete Response Letter", the Food and Drug Administration requested certain additional information to satisfy a critical part of any pharmaceutical product application. Health-harming heat stress rising in Europe, scientists say Europe is increasingly facing bouts of heat so intense that the human body cannot cope, as climate change continues to raise temperatures, the EU's Copernicus climate monitoring service and the World Meteorological Organization said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

UN expert warns of mental health risks for Gaza citizens from war

A United Nations expert on Monday warned there was a risk that mental illnesses could manifest themselves years from now among the people of Gaza due to the current conflict. "Of course, we see the physical injury, and because it's physical, one can appreciate the severity of it," said Tlaleng Mofokeng, U.N. special rapporteur on the right to health.

Eli Lilly to acquire manufacturing facility from Nexus Pharma

Eli Lilly said on Monday that it will acquire a manufacturing facility from Nexus Pharmaceuticals to produce injectable medicines. Lilly expects production at the facility based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, to begin at the end of 2025.

Bristol Myers signs $380 million CAR-T therapies supply deal with Cellares

Drugmaker Bristol Myers Squibb said it has signed a $380 million deal with contract manufacturer Cellares to manufacture its CAR-T cell therapies in the United States, EU and Japan. The collaboration will help Bristol Myers to expand its manufacturing capacity due to increasing demand. The company said in February it was looking to launch both its CAR-T blood cancer therapies Abecma and Breyanzi in a number of new countries this year.

Contaminated cough syrup in Africa no longer available - WHO

A contaminated batch of Benylin Paediatric Syrup is no longer available in the African countries where it was sold, the World Health Organization said on Monday. Earlier this month, Nigeria recalled a batch of the children's cough and allergy medicine after tests found that it contained unacceptable levels of the toxin, diethylene glycol.

Drug distributor Cardinal Health to lose OptumRx contracts

Cardinal Health said on Monday its contracts with UnitedHealth Group's OptumRx, one of its largest customers, will not be renewed after they expire at the end of June, sending the drug distributor's shares down about 6%. At least two analysts said rival McKesson would get Optum's contracts. McKesson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

US FDA declines to approve Abeona's skin disorder treatment

Abeona Therapeutics said on Monday the U.S. health regulator had declined to approve its treatment for a rare skin blistering condition. In its so-called "Complete Response Letter", the Food and Drug Administration requested certain additional information to satisfy a critical part of any pharmaceutical product application.

Health-harming heat stress rising in Europe, scientists say

Europe is increasingly facing bouts of heat so intense that the human body cannot cope, as climate change continues to raise temperatures, the EU's Copernicus climate monitoring service and the World Meteorological Organization said on Monday. In a report on Europe's climate, Copernicus and the WMO noted last year's extreme conditions, including a July heatwave which pushed 41% of southern Europe into strong, very strong or extreme heat stress - the biggest area of Europe under such conditions in any day on record.

Peruvian woman dies by euthanasia after years-long fight for 'dignified death'

A Peruvian woman suffering from a degenerative illness has died by euthanasia after a lengthy court battle ended in a landmark ruling allowing her to end her life with medical assistance, her lawyer said on Monday. Ana Estrada, 47, had lived with a rare incurable condition called polymyositis, which causes muscle weakness, for the past three decades. She was bed-ridden and required a ventilator to breathe.

U.S. Supreme Court rejects Vanda Pharmaceuticals case over sleep-drug patents

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a bid by Vanda Pharmaceuticals to revive patents for its sleep-disorder drug Hetlioz that were previously declared invalid in a dispute with generic drugmakers Teva and Apotex. The justices turned away Vanda's appeal of a ruling by the patent-focused U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit against the company, which in 2018 had sued Teva and Apotex in Delaware for patent infringement after they applied to make generic versions of Vanda's Hetlioz, a circadian-rhythm drug used to treat rare sleep disorders.

Biden administration issues privacy rule protecting abortion

President Joe Biden's administration issued a final rule on Monday aimed at strengthening privacy protections for women seeking abortions by banning the disclosure of protected health information related to reproductive health. The new rule, issued through the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, strengthens existing provisions under the Health Insurance Portability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) privacy rule.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)