Reuters Health News Summary

According to Halozyme, the new version of Keytruda infringes on its patents, the report said. 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.

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.

Some malaria, HIV, TB programme cuts reversed by US, groups say

Some lifesaving health projects that had their U.S. funding contracts abruptly terminated last week have received letters reversing that decision, several of the groups told Reuters. The aid recipients said the decisions were promising, but that their work remains in limbo as funding for their projects from the world's biggest donor had not yet restarted.

US judge bars copies of Lilly weight-loss drug

A U.S. federal judge has refused to allow compounding pharmacies to keep making copies of Eli Lilly's popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro in the United States. The decision was filed late on Wednesday in response to an October lawsuit from a compounding industry group against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision last year that there was no longer a shortage of the medicines' active ingredient, tirzepatide.

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.

Trump's FDA chief nominee Makary promises role for vaccine expert committee

Martin Makary, President Donald Trump's nominee to run the U.S. FDA, on Thursday promised to convene the agency's vaccine advisory committee, but did not commit to rescheduling a canceled meeting to discuss the composition of the next seasonal flu vaccine. Makary, appearing in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee for his confirmation hearing, said he was not involved in last week's decision to cancel the flu vaccine meeting, but committed to receiving regular outside views if 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.

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.

Italy's Amplifon reports 2024 margin below guidance, shares plunge 16%

Italian hearing aid company Amplifon on Thursday reported a core profit margin below annual guidance and a drop in net profit, pushing its shares down as much as 15.7%, the lowest level since May 2020. Amplifon, which cut the initial 24.6% margin target twice over the past year to 24.0%, posted a 2024 margin of 23.6%, citing a 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.

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.

Canada reports increase in measles cases, urges vaccination

Canada is seeing a noticeable increase in measles cases this year, with more reported in the first two months of 2025 than all of last year, the country's health agency said on Thursday and urged citizens to get vaccinated. The Public Health Agency of Canada said it has recorded 227 measles cases as of March 6, with many patients requiring hospitalization.

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