Reuters Health News Summary

The partnership will also allow Humana to ‌offer mail-order prescriptions to qualifying ​company employees enrolled in Humana's employee health plans. With Bayer at US Supreme Court, MAHA rallies against pesticides "Make America Healthy Again" activists rallied at the U.S. Supreme Court building on Monday against Bayer as the justices heard arguments in the German company's effort to end thousands of lawsuits that allege its weedkiller Roundup causes cancer.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Sun Pharma to buy US drugmaker Organon for $11.75 billion in India's largest pharma deal

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries will buy U.S. drugmaker Organon & Co in an all-cash deal valued at about $11.75 billion including debt, for the largest overseas acquisition by an Indian pharmaceutical company. The move comes as Sun, India's biggest drugmaker by market value, steps up a push into higher-margin specialty medicines ​with a sharper focus on areas such as dermatology, oncology and obesity to offset declining U.S. sales.

Humana partners with Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs on technology, distribution

Humana announced on Monday it will launch a pharmacy partnership with Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs, with the ​health conglomerate's CenterWell pharmacy unit serving as a distributor for the platform. CenterWell will begin using SwiftyRx, Cost Plus Drugs' digital platform, to process prescriptions. The partnership will also allow Humana to ‌offer mail-order prescriptions to qualifying ​company employees enrolled in Humana's employee health plans.

With Bayer at US Supreme Court, MAHA rallies against pesticides

"Make America Healthy Again" activists rallied at the U.S. Supreme Court building on Monday against Bayer as the justices heard arguments in the German company's effort to end thousands of lawsuits that allege its weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. A couple of hundred MAHA supporters cheered and chanted on the sidewalk outside the neoclassical white marble edifice during a rally called "The People vs. Poison," waving signs with slogans such as "No Immunity for Poison" and "How Much Cancer is Acceptable?"

Bayer shares slide after U.S. Supreme Court split over Bayer's fight against Roundup lawsuits

Shares in chemicals giant Bayer fell as much as 6.5% on Tuesday after the U.S. Supreme Court appeared split over what view it will form in Bayer's fight against Roundup lawsuits. At 0731 GMT, the stock was down 3.2%.

Britain's lifetime smoking ban set ‌to become law

Britain's plans to ban future generations from buying cigarettes will become law this week, ushering in a policy still overshadowed by questions over how effective it will be in stopping smoking. Lawmakers last week approved the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which introduces a rolling age restriction permanently barring anyone born on or after January 1, 2009 from buying cigarettes.

Ligand Pharma to acquire fellow biotech royalty rights buyer XOMA for $739 million

Ligand Pharmaceuticals will buy fellow biotechnology royalty aggregator XOMA Royalty for about $739 million in cash, the companies said on Monday. The deal adds more than 120 treatments, including seven marketed products, boosting Ligand's portfolio to more than 200 drugs that are in development or already on the market. Shares of XOMA surged 9.7%, while Ligand's were up 1.6%.

Ghana rejects proposed US health aid deal, citing data concerns, source says

Ghana has rejected a bilateral health deal with the U.S., a source familiar with the negotiations told Reuters, the latest stumbling block to the Trump administration's effort to overhaul foreign aid. The government of President John Dramani Mahama balked at terms requiring the sharing of sensitive health data, the source said.

Medical device maker Zimmer Biomet raises annual profit forecast, announces CFO departure

Zimmer Biomet on Tuesday raised its 2026 adjusted profit forecast after reporting better-than-expected quarterly ‌results, helped by strong demand for its medical devices and new product launches. The company also announced Chief Financial Officer Suketu Upadhyay's departure. It has appointed insider Paul Stellato as interim CFO while searching for a permanent successor.

US DEA medical marijuana registration portal to launch Wednesday

Companies seeking to register as medical marijuana dispensaries after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the rescheduling of cannabis can do so starting on Wednesday, according to a notice on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's website. The DEA's medical marijuana registration portal will go live Wednesday at 9 a.m. EST, less than a week after the ‌U.S. Justice Department announced that it would immediately loosen restrictions on some marijuana products and move quickly to reclassify the drug as less dangerous.

Polish nine-day charity stream breaks records to support kids with cancer

A nine-day, non-stop live stream in Poland raised a record-breaking sum for charity, local media said on Monday, after donations totalling over 250 million zlotys ($69 million) flooded in for children with cancer. Broadcast from a small flat in Warsaw, the stream was organised by influencer Piotr Hancke, better known as Latwogang, and was supported by musicians, celebrities and sports stars including six-times Grand Slam champion tennis player Iga Swiatek and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski.

Intellia's gene therapy for rare disease cuts swelling attacks in late-stage trial

Intellia Therapeutics said on Monday its experimental gene-editing therapy reduced the frequency of swelling attacks in patients with a rare genetic disorder in a late-stage trial, sending the company's shares 3% higher. The results prompted Intellia to start a rolling submission of its data for the gene therapy as the company aims for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval next year, the company said.

EssilorLuxottica considered investing in Amplifon in the past, CEO says

Franco-Italian eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica looked at investing in Italian hearing aid maker Amplifon in the past, CEO Francesco Milleri said on Tuesday. "We monitor almost everything that happens within our world, so we also looked at Amplifon," Milleri said when asked if EssilorLuxottica had considered taking part in a hearing aid maker's capital hike.

Centene raises 2026 profit forecast on improving cost controls

Centene on Tuesday raised ⁠its annual forecast for adjusted profit and ​revenue after a quarterly results beat, as it expects to gain from its efforts to rein in elevated costs. The forecast raise from Centene follows similar moves ⁠from larger peers UnitedHealth and Elevance, adding to investors' relief. The sector has been struggling with higher medical costs for more than two years due to increased demand for healthcare across government-backed plans.

US Supreme Court split over Bayer's fight against Roundup lawsuits

The U.S. Supreme Court appeared divided on Monday over Bayer AG's effort to shut down thousands of lawsuits accusing the company of failing to warn users that the active ingredient in its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer. The justices heard arguments in the German drugmaking and crop science company's appeal of a jury verdict in Missouri state court awarding $1.25 million to a man named John Durnell who said he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after years of exposure to glyphosate in Roundup.

EU prosecutors investigate suspected ⁠COVID procurement fraud in Romania

EU prosecutors said on Monday they were investigating 1.5 million euros ($1.76 million) of suspected fraud related to the public procurement of medical equipment in Romania during the COVID pandemic in 2021. Representatives of the unidentified company that won the contract are suspected of offering bribes to public officials at the Braşov County Emergency Hospital to tailor tender specifications in their favour, the European Public Prosecutor's Office statement said.

Erasca shares sink after patient death in early-stage cancer drug trial

Erasca shares fell over 50% before the bell on Tuesday after the company disclosed a patient death in an early-stage trial of its experimental cancer drug, even though analysts said the incident was unlikely to ​signal a broader safety issue. The San Diego-based company said a 66-year-old pancreatic cancer patient who had received its experimental drug, ERAS-0015, developed severe lung inflammation, known as pneumonitis, about a month after starting the treatment.

Eli Lilly to buy Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion in blood cancer bet

Eli Lilly said on Monday it would buy privately held cancer drug developer Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion in cash, as the U.S. drugmaker looks to expand its oncology pipeline. Lilly has been doubling down on its search for next-generation cancer treatments ⁠with its recent dealmaking spree, acquiring companies such as Scorpion Therapeutics, Orna Therapeutics and Kelonia Therapeutics.

Novartis posts earnings miss as generic rivals hurt blockbuster drug Entresto

Novartis posted first-quarter core operating profit and revenues below market expectations on Tuesday, hit by a sharper-than-expected slump in U.S. sales of its blockbuster heart drug Entresto after generic rivals entered the market. The Swiss drugmaker is navigating its most severe period of patent expiries, led by top seller Entresto which made up 14% of sales last year, which has fueled a multi-billion dollar dealmaking spree in search of new growth drivers.

FDA proposes to withdraw Amgen's drug for rare autoimmune diseases over effectiveness

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) has proposed withdrawing approval of Amgen's drug for rare autoimmune diseases, ⁠citing a ​lack of proven effectiveness and false statements in its original application. In March, the agency identified 76 cases of drug-induced liver injury with evidence suggesting a causal link to Tavneos, including seven cases of vanishing bile duct syndrome (VBDS), a rare condition that can cause permanent liver damage. Eight deaths were reported among those cases.

Children at 'breaking point' in Darfur as they face extreme hunger and violence, UN says

Five million children across Sudan's Darfur region are facing extreme deprivation, the United Nations children's agency said on Tuesday, issuing an emergency warning over the situation as the civil war in the country enters its fourth year. The warning, known as a "Child Alert", is used sparingly by UNICEF and is designed to signal that a situation has reached a critical threshold. It is the first time the agency has issued one in 20 years for Darfur.

Purdue Pharma to be sentenced, paving way for opioid settlement

Purdue Pharma will be sentenced on Tuesday in New Jersey federal court for deceiving government regulators and paying kickbacks to doctors to boost opioid sales, completing a plea deal that clears the way for the company to dissolve in bankruptcy and use its assets to fund a $7.4 billion settlement intended to compensate people harmed ⁠by the opioid epidemic. The company agreed to $5.5 billion in criminal fines, most of which will go unpaid under a 2020 agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice in which the agency will collect just $225 million. That deal allows Purdue to direct its remaining assets to repaying creditors, mostly state and local governments, which were left to deal with the cost and consequences of the opioid crisis in their communities.

Boehringer-Zealand drug leads to 16.6% weight loss in late-stage trial

Boehringer Ingelheim said on Tuesday its experimental obesity drug led to average weight loss of up ⁠to 16.6% in a late-stage trial, as the unlisted German drugmaker seeks to catch up with industry pioneers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk . The Phase III trial showed patients ⁠treated with survodutide lost 16.6% of their body weight after 76 weeks, compared with 3.2% in a placebo group, Boehringer said in a statement.

After waiting years for justice, many Purdue opioid victims are defeated — by paperwork

Tammy Blanton’s life unraveled after years of taking opioids initially prescribed for migraines, according to her daughter Mary Anne, who says the drugs left her mother isolated, unemployed and estranged from her family. Tammy was given opioid prescriptions by multiple providers for decades — receiving more than 200 pills a month on average during one two-year period — and a medical examiner later concluded that oxycodone and extended-release morphine, along with alcohol and anti-anxiety drugs, contributed to her accidental death at age 58 in 2017.

Profluent, Lilly partner in genetic medicine deal worth up to $2.25 billion

AI firm Profluent said on Tuesday it has struck a multi-program research collaboration with U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly worth up to $2.25 billion ‌to develop AI-designed enzymes for genetic medicines. Here are some details:

J&J sees AI halving the time to generate drug ‌development leads

Johnson & Johnson is using artificial intelligence to slash by half the time it takes to generate new leads for developing drugs, the company's chief information officer said on Monday. Discovering new products outright and bringing them to market using AI is not yet possible, but J&J is using the new technology ​to screen the "potential universe" for promising chemical compounds or biologics, CIO Jim Swanson said at the Reuters Momentum AI event in New York.