Health News Roundup: J&J advances $6.48 billion settlement of talc cancer lawsuits; US judge blocks some North Carolina restrictions on abortion pill and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Pfizer lifts profit forecast as CEO sees reason for optimism in 2024 Pfizer lifted its annual earnings forecast on Wednesday and reported a first-quarter profit above Wall Street estimates, boosted by cost cutting efforts and stronger-than-expected sales of its COVID antiviral treatment.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Pfizer lifts profit forecast as CEO sees reason for optimism in 2024

Pfizer lifted its annual earnings forecast on Wednesday and reported a first-quarter profit above Wall Street estimates, boosted by cost cutting efforts and stronger-than-expected sales of its COVID antiviral treatment. Sales of Padcev, a treatment for advanced bladder cancer Pfizer gained through its $43 billion deal for Seagen, also came in ahead of analysts' expectations.

Denmark to restrict Ozempic, other GLP-1 drugs, to treat type 2 diabetes

Denmark will start putting patients suffering from type 2 diabetes on cheaper drugs before prescribing so-called GLP-1 drugs such as Novo Nordisk's Ozempic, the Danish Medicines Agency said on Wednesday. In 2023, 50% of new patients suffering from type 2 diabetes began treatment with a reimbursed GLP-1 drug without trying a cheaper alternative first, the Medicines Agency said.

UnitedHealth is not too big to fail, CEO tells Senate panel

UnitedHealth's problems are not a threat to the broader economy, the largest U.S. health insurer's CEO told a Senate panel on Wednesday after senators questioned whether the company's size could pose a systemic threat. Senators grilled Andrew Witty during the first of two scheduled testimonies in front of Congressional panels on the recent cyberattack on UnitedHealth's technology unit that impacted almost all patients and providers.

Bird flu testing shows more dairy products are safe, US FDA says

Preliminary results of tests on additional dairy products show that pasteurization inactivates the bird flu virus, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday. The FDA released further test results on foods including sour cream and cottage cheese, after reporting last week that preliminary results from testing showed pasteurization kills the H5N1 virus in milk and baby formula.

US bird flu outbreak spreads to chickens, cattle, raises concerns over human infections

The outbreak of H5N1 bird flu virus has spread to dairy cows for the first time in the United States, raising concerns about it spreading to humans through the nation's milk supply. Since 2022, bird flu in the United States has infected over 90 million chickens, more than 9,000 wild birds, 34 dairy herds, one person in Texas who came in close contact with infected cattle and another after exposure to poultry.

J&J advances $6.48 billion settlement of talc cancer lawsuits

Johnson & Johnson said on Wednesday it is moving forward with a $6.48 billion proposed settlement of tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging that its baby powder and other talc products contain asbestos and cause ovarian cancer. The deal would allow it to resolve the lawsuits through a third bankruptcy filing of a subsidiary company, J&J said.

Arizona Senate repeals 1864 abortion ban, governor seen signing quickly

The Arizona Senate voted on Wednesday to repeal the state's 1864 ban on abortion which could have gone into effect within weeks if not struck down. The repeal was passed by the Senate in a 16-14 vote and is expected to be quickly signed by Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat. Two Republican senators crossed party lines to vote in favor of repealing the ban.

CVS cuts annual profit forecast and flags challenges in 2025, shares fall 18%

CVS Health Corp slashed its annual profit forecast on Wednesday and flagged challenges for next year's health insurance plans for older adults, and its shares plunged more than 18% to a four-year low. The U.S. healthcare conglomerate said it now expects 2024 adjusted earnings of at least $7.00 per share, down from its prior view of at least $8.30. CVS said it anticipates the surge in medical procedures that fueled higher costs for its Aetna health insurance unit to persist through the year.

US judge blocks some North Carolina restrictions on abortion pill

A federal judge has struck down parts of a North Carolina law restricting patients' access to the abortion pill mifepristone, which has become the subject of legal battles nationwide. Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles on Tuesday struck down the state's requirements that mifepristone be prescribed only by doctors and only in person, as well as a requirement that patients have an in-person follow-up appointment. She said the requirements conflicted with federal law because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously considered and rejected them.

Emergent BioSolutions to lay off about 300 employees

Emergent BioSolutions said on Wednesday that it would cut about 300 jobs across all areas of the company and shut down several manufacturing facilities as part of a restructuring plan. Emergent has been seeking to cut costs and pivot away from its contract manufacturing business due to sluggish demand.