Reuters Health News Summary

The offering, the first IPO this year, attracted more than 32 billion dirhams ($3.5 bln) in demand for 500 million dirhams in shares. GSK seeks FDA nod for expanded use of RSV vaccine in adults British drugmaker GSK said on Monday it had submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to extend the use of its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine to adults under the age of 50 at a higher risk of the disease.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Trump's spending bill will likely boost costs for insurers, shrink Medicaid coverage

President Donald Trump's spending bill is set to raise administrative costs and make managing costs more difficult for insurers like UnitedHealthcare and CVS Health's Aetna that operate Medicaid health plans, experts say. As a result, those insurers will likely pull back their Medicaid coverage and invest more in existing markets to retain their healthier members, experts said.

Waters to buy Becton unit in a $17.5 billion deal amid tariff pressures

Lab equipment maker Waters Corp on Monday said it will buy a bioscience and diagnostics unit spun off from medtech provider Becton Dickinson in a stock-and-cash transaction valued at $17.5 billion, expanding its scale in clinical and diagnostic applications. Becton Dickinson, which had been underperforming in recent months and was targeted by activists, will exit a tariff-sensitive segment of diagnostics and biosciences while doubling down on core medtech, where it may have greater pricing power and a stronger domestic manufacturing base. The unit makes products used to detect infectious diseases and cancers.

FDA staff raises eye damage concerns for GSK's blood cancer drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's staff reviewers on Tuesday raised safety concerns that GSK's blood cancer drug Blenrep, when used in combination with other treatments, may cause eye damage in patients. In briefing documents released on the health regulator's website, staff reviewers said the benefit-risk profile of Blenrep remains unclear, citing concerns about safety, tolerability and appropriate dosages.

One in 10 children screened in UNRWA clinics are malnourished, UN Palestinian refugee agency says

One in 10 children screened in clinics run by the United Nations refugee agency in Gaza since 2024 has been malnourished, the agency said on Tuesday. "Our health teams are confirming that malnutrition rates are increasing in Gaza, especially since the siege was tightened more than four months ago on the second of March," UNRWA's Director of Communications, Juliette Touma, told reporters in Geneva via a video link from Amman, Jordan.

Moroccan healthcare company Vicenne's IPO oversubscribed 64 times

The initial public offering (IPO) of Moroccan healthcare company Vicenne was oversubscribed 64 times, the Casablanca stock exchange said on Tuesday. The offering, the first IPO this year, attracted more than 32 billion dirhams ($3.5 bln) in demand for 500 million dirhams in shares.

GSK seeks FDA nod for expanded use of RSV vaccine in adults

British drugmaker GSK said on Monday it had submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to extend the use of its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine to adults under the age of 50 at a higher risk of the disease. If approved in the world's biggest pharmaceuticals market, GSK's vaccine, Arexvy, would be competing for a market share in the 18-49 age group with Moderna's mRESVIA and Pfizer's Abrysvo.

Anthem Biosciences' $395 million IPO fully subscribed as investors bet on Indian pharma

Indian drugmaker Anthem Biosciences' $395 million IPO was fully subscribed on the second day of bidding on Tuesday, as investors bet on its growth prospects as global big pharma turns to India to limit its reliance on supplies from China. The IPO received bids for 1.6 times the shares on offer as of 12:09 a.m. IST, exchange data showed, with demand primarily led by non-institutional investors, who lapped up 4.3 times the shares reserved for them.

Australian biotech CSL to trim R&D division, rely on external partnerships

Australian biotech giant CSL Ltd said on Tuesday it plans to trim its research and development division across six global locations and would rely more on external partnerships, a move that will cut its internal workforce. CSL's statement comes a day after the Australian Financial Review newspaper reported that the company planned to slash around a third of its 2,500 R&D staff to streamline its operations and improve efficiency.

Tylenol maker Kenvue ousts CEO amid board's strategic review

Band-Aid and Tylenol maker Kenvue has fired its CEO Thibaut Mongon, the consumer health company said on Monday, laying what some investors expect will be the groundwork for an eventual sale of the entire company or pieces of it. Kenvue also said that an ongoing review of strategic alternatives is advancing. The company has been seen as an acquisition target this year as it faced mounting investor pressure to boost performance or consider a sale.

WHO recommends Gilead's twice-yearly injection for HIV prevention

The World Health Organization on Monday recommended Gilead's lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injection, as a tool to prevent HIV infection. The recommendation, issued at the International AIDS Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, comes nearly a month after the U.S. health regulator approved the drug, giving patients new hope of interrupting virus transmission.

OraSure Technologies received takeover bid from industry entrepreneur, sources say

Prominent healthcare entrepreneur Ron Zwanziger approached medical device maker OraSure Technologies with a takeover offer, three people familiar with the matter said, in what would mark more consolidation in the heavily fragmented diagnostic industry. In June, Zwanziger submitted an unsolicited all-cash proposal to buy the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-headquartered company, known for its COVID-19 rapid antigen tests, the sources said.

AstraZeneca drug lowers high blood pressure in late-stage study; shares rise

AstraZeneca said on Monday its experimental drug baxdrostat significantly lowered blood pressure in a late-stage trial of patients with treatment-resistant hypertension. The news sent shares of the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker up by almost 2%.

Sino Biopharmaceutical to acquire LaNova Medicines for up to $951 million

Hong Kong-listed Sino Biopharmaceutical said on Tuesday it will buy the remaining 95.09% stake it does not hold in Shanghai-based LaNova Medicines for no more than $950.92 million. The acquisition of the cancer treatment developer will enhance Sino's competitiveness and influence in oncology innovation, while also enabling potential future international transactions by leveraging LaNova's R&D capabilities, it added.

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