Reuters Health News Summary

"We are currently engaging with market participants," a spokesperson for South Africa's Competition Commission told Reuters, declining to provide details. USAID cuts put tuberculosis response in peril, WHO says The Trump administration's decision to pause U.S. foreign aid would undo progress made in containing tuberculosis (TB) infections across low- and middle-income countries, putting the lives of millions at risk, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

US FDA expands use of ARS Pharma's allergic reaction nasal spray in 15-30 kg patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the expanded use of ARS Pharmaceuticals' nasal spray for severe allergic reactions in patients who weigh between 15 and 30 kilograms, the company said on Wednesday. Shares of the company were up 5.2% in extended trading.

WHO says Uganda's Ebola caseload rises to 12

Uganda's Ebola virus caseload has risen to 12, up from 10, with two people who died early last month being considered probable cases, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

On Saturday WHO reported the death of the latest victim of the outbreak, a four-year-old boy who died last week at the country's national referral hospital, Mulago.

China has lifted some restrictions on German dairy product imports, German ministry says

China has lifted some restrictions on imports of German milk and dairy products over foot-and-mouth disease, the German agriculture minsitry said on late on Wednesday. Germany announced the country's first outbreak of the disease in nearly 40 years on January 10 in a herd of water buffalo in Brandenburg near Berlin. There have been no new cases reported since then, the ministry said.

China to adopt policies for aging population, try to boost birth rates

China will "actively" respond to population aging with policies for its rapidly growing elderly and its young people, including providing childcare subsidies and making preschool education free, as it tries to boost the country's declining population. The measures were announced in two official government documents on Wednesday, prepared for the annual meeting of the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp parliament.

Trump administration expected to drop case that sought to allow emergency abortions in Idaho

President Donald Trump's administration is expected to drop a lawsuit filed by the Biden administration that had sought to stop Idaho from enforcing its near-total abortion ban in medical emergencies, according to a court filing in a separate lawsuit by a hospital system. Idaho is currently blocked by a preliminary federal court order from enforcing its ban in cases where doctors believe abortion is needed to save a pregnant woman's life or prevent serious harm. If the government drops its case, the order would no longer be in effect.

Merck KGaA sees forex-adjusted earnings growth of up to 8% this year

Merck KGaA on Thursday forecast currency-adjusted operating earnings growth of up to 8%, helped by demand for semiconductor chemicals and for lab equipment in biotech drug production. The German group said in a statement that 2025 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), adjusted for special items, would likely reach between 6.1 billion euros ($6.6 billion) and 6.6 billion euros.

Novo Nordisk to explore how GLP-1 drugs can help patients with addiction

Novo Nordisk will explore how GLP-1 drugs could help patients struggling with addiction, its head of development Martin Holst Lange told an online press conference on Thursday. GLP-1 drugs on the market include Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Ozempic, its weight-loss treatment Wegovy and Eli Lilly's obesity drug Zepbound.

US Supreme Court won't let Trump withhold payment to foreign aid groups

A divided U.S. Supreme Court declined on Wednesday to let President Donald Trump's administration withhold payment to foreign aid organizations for work they already performed for the government as the Republican president moves to pull the plug on American humanitarian projects around the world. Handing a setback to Trump, the court in a 5-4 decision upheld Washington-based U.S. District Judge Amir Ali's order that had called on the administration to promptly release funding to contractors and recipients of grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department for their past work.

Kenvue settles proxy fight with activist Starboard, appoints three directors

Consumer health company Kenvue said on Wednesday it had appointed three new directors to its board as part of an agreement with activist investor Starboard Value. The appointments settle over four months of back and forth with the hedge fund since it built a stake in the Band-Aid maker in October, sparking criticism over the lackluster performance in the skin health and beauty segment, which houses brands such as Neutrogena and Aveeno.

US judge bars Trump administration from cutting NIH research funding

A U.S. judge on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump's administration from carrying out steep cuts to federal grant funding for research that universities and Democratic-led states warn would lead to layoffs, lab closures and a curtailment of scientific and medical studies. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Boston issued a nationwide injunction at the request of 22 Democratic state attorneys general, medical associations and universities that argue the National Institutes of Health's planned funding cuts were unlawful.

Trump administration drops Biden lawsuit over emergency abortions in Idaho

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday dropped a lawsuit that had been filed by the previous Biden administration in a bid to stop Idaho from enforcing its near-total abortion ban in medical emergencies. The ban still remains blocked in emergencies due to a similar lawsuit brought by a hospital system.

South Africa's Aspen aims for slice of booming GLP-1 drug market by 2026

South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare has started registering GLP-1 drugs used to treat diabetes and obesity in markets where patents are expiring soon, for approval to start manufacturing and selling likely in 2026, the CEO said on Tuesday. Drugmakers across the globe are looking to grab a slice of the weight-loss drugs market, which is estimated to reach at least $100 billion by the end of the decade.

Trump's FDA chief pick Makary to face overhauling agency, keeping Kennedy happy

Martin Makary, President Donald Trump's nominee to run the U.S. FDA, will be tasked with maintaining the agency's gold standard status among international drug regulators while contending with cost cuts, and answering to a vaccine skeptic for a boss in Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He is set to take over an agency already embroiled in controversy after the mass firing of federal employees and the cancellation of a meeting of Food and Drug Administration advisers meant to discuss the seasonal flu vaccine shortly after Kennedy was confirmed.

German court rules Pfizer, BioNTech violated Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine patent

A German court on Wednesday ruled that Pfizer and its partner BioNTech violated a COVID-19 vaccine patent held by Moderna. In a statement, the court in the city of Duesseldorf said that Pfizer and BioNTech would have to provide information on earnings derived from the use of the patent and that they owe Moderna appropriate compensation, though the ruling can still be appealed to a higher court.

Bayer sees improvement in 2026 after profit decline this year

Bayer on Wednesday raised the prospect of a return to earnings growth from 2026 after a decline this year, lifting its shares to a four-month high as its CEO somewhat allayed investor impatience with his turnaround efforts. The German maker of drugs and farming pesticides said 2025 would be the most difficult in terms of financial performance, with net sales roughly in line with the prior year and a drop in earnings and free cash flow.

Novo Nordisk to sell Wegovy for $499 a month to cash-paying US customers

Novo Nordisk said on Wednesday it would begin selling its weight-loss drug Wegovy at a discounted price of $499 per month to patients paying cash, as it grapples with shifts to the competitive dynamic of the U.S. obesity drug market. The move comes just over a week after rival Eli Lilly cut the price for vials of its weight-loss drug Zepbound by $50 or more and expanded the range of doses sold online through its direct-to-consumer website.

Exclusive-US health agency says employees can apply for early retirement

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told employees on Monday they could apply for early retirement over the next 10 days and should respond to a request for information on their accomplishments of the past week, according to emails seen by Reuters. Republican President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, who oversees the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, are spearheading an unprecedented effort to shrink the federal bureaucracy, including through job cuts.

Trump pick to lead NIH Bhattacharya vows to tackle chronic disease

President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, told a U.S. Senate panel he plans to focus the agency on chronic diseases, improve research integrity, and foster scientific dissent. Bhattacharya, a Stanford University professor who was a vocal critic of COVID-19 lockdowns, is expected to be confirmed for the role. His five key goals also include supporting innovative biomedical research and regulating high-risk studies.

Strepsils maker Reckitt misses sales forecast on late flu season, but lower costs help

Britain's Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of Strepsils throat lozenges and Dettol cleaning products, missed expectations for fourth-quarter like-for-like net sales as a late flu and cold season dented demand for its over-the-counter medicines. The firm's shares, however, rebounded after an initial slide, rising as much as 3.5% as it reported lower fixed costs, which analysts said had come through faster than expected.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals to buy Chimerix for $935 million

Jazz Pharmaceuticals will acquire biotech firm Chimerix for about $935 million in cash to gain access to its lead drug candidate to treat a rare brain tumor, the companies said on Wednesday. Under the terms of the deal, Jazz will pay $8.55 per share in cash, which represents a 72.4% premium to Chimerix's last closing price.

Italy's Amplifon posts 2024 margin below guidance, shares drop 12%

Italian hearing aid company Amplifon reported an annual core profit margin of 23.6% on Thursday, short of its revised guidance of 24%, which along with a drop in net profit sent its shares falling 12%. Amplifon, which cut the initial 24.6% margin target twice over the past year, attributed the guidance miss to lower operating leverage due to market softness in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region and strong investments ahead.

New version of Merck's Keytruda faces possible patent battle, WSJ reports

Merck's injected version of its blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda could face a potential patent challenge from biotech Halozyme Therapeutics, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. According to Halozyme, the new version of Keytruda infringes on its patents, the report said.

South African watchdog probes Novo Nordisk and Sanofi over insulin

South Africa's competition watchdog is investigating drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Sanofi over possible anti-competitive practices in the human insulin pen market, the authority said on Tuesday. "We are currently engaging with market participants," a spokesperson for South Africa's Competition Commission told Reuters, declining to provide details.

USAID cuts put tuberculosis response in peril, WHO says

The Trump administration's decision to pause U.S. foreign aid would undo progress made in containing tuberculosis (TB) infections across low- and middle-income countries, putting the lives of millions at risk, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. "Without immediate action, hard-won progress in the fight against TB is at risk. Our collective response must be swift, strategic, and fully resourced to protect the most vulnerable and maintain momentum toward ending TB," said Tereza Kasaeva, director of WHO's Global Programme on TB and Lung Health.