Health News Roundup: Merck's endometrial cancer therapy fails trial; NYC sued for denying gay employees in vitro fertilization coverage and more

Japan's biggest drugmaker said it will incur restructuring costs of about 140 billion yen ($899 million) this fiscal year as part of a plan to optimise its workforce, cut costs and strengthen technology. Insulet misses first-quarter profit estimates as marketing costs weigh Insulet Corp reported first-quarter profit that missed market expectations on Thursday, weighed by higher marketing expenses, sending shares of the medical device maker down 3.7% in extended trading.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Pfizer agrees to settle over 10,000 Zantac lawsuits, Bloomberg News reports

Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal. The agreements cover cases in U.S. state courts but don't completely resolve the company's exposure to Zantac claims, the report said, adding that financial details of the deals were not immediately available.

Merck's endometrial cancer therapy fails trial

Merck said on Thursday its therapy being tested in certain patients with a type of cancer in the uterus lining failed a late-stage trial. The drugmaker's Keytruda therapy in combination with chemotherapy was being evaluated in about 1,095 patients with high-risk endometrial cancer after surgery.

NYC sued for denying gay employees in vitro fertilization coverage

New York City was hit with a lawsuit on Thursday claiming it discriminates against gay male city employees by only covering the costs of in vitro fertilization for women and heterosexual couples. The proposed class action was filed in Manhattan federal court by former assistant district attorney Corey Briskin and his husband, who say they were forced to put off having a family for years because the city's employee health insurance plan denied them coverage for IVF procedures.

AstraZeneca to withdraw COVID vaccine globally as demand dips

AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a "surplus of available updated vaccines" since the pandemic. The company also said it would proceed to withdraw the vaccine Vaxzevria's marketing authorizations within Europe.

Japan's Takeda Pharma to restructure after annual profit slump

Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical announced a restructuring on Thursday after annual profit slid by more than half following the loss of patent protection of major sellers. Japan's biggest drugmaker said it will incur restructuring costs of about 140 billion yen ($899 million) this fiscal year as part of a plan to optimise its workforce, cut costs and strengthen technology.

Insulet misses first-quarter profit estimates as marketing costs weigh

Insulet Corp reported first-quarter profit that missed market expectations on Thursday, weighed by higher marketing expenses, sending shares of the medical device maker down 3.7% in extended trading. The company's quarterly selling, general and administrative expenses rose 22.7%, to $199.7 million versus a year earlier.

Mettler-Toledo raises annual profit forecast despite expecting persistent weak demand

Medical equipment maker Mettler-Toledo International raised its annual profit forecast on Thursday despite anticipating weak demand to continue in the second quarter due to cautious consumer spending. "We expect soft market conditions in the second quarter of 2024, particularly in China," the company said.

US FDA advises healthcare facilities to switch from Getinge's heart devices

The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday advised healthcare facilities to move away from using Getinge's heart devices in patients as they faced safety and quality concerns despite a string of recalls. The recommendation is based on concerns that the company has not sufficiently addressed the problems and risks with the recalled devices, it added.

Novo Nordisk ties up with Metaphore to develop new obesity drugs

Novo Nordisk signed a research tie-up with U.S. biotech firm Metaphore on Thursday to develop next-generation obesity drugs. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

US to post influenza A wastewater data online to assist bird flu probe, official says

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is planning to post data on influenza A found in wastewater in a public dashboard possibly as soon as Friday that could offer new clues into the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in cattle herds. CDC wastewater team lead Amy Kirby told Reuters on Thursday that the agency has identified spikes of influenza A, of which H5N1 is a subtype, in a handful of sites and is investigating the source. She said there is no indication of human infection with H5N1.

(With inputs from agencies.)