Reuters Health News Summary

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee helps guide federal autism research spending, worth about $2 billion annually, and coordinates efforts among government agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Germany to impose levy on sugary drinks in bid to reduce obesity rates Germany plans to impose a levy on sugary drinks from 2028, under a healthcare reform package approved on Wednesday, as it aims to rein in rising rates of obesity to ease pressure on the health system.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Italian pharma group Chiesi to buy US peer KalVista for $1.9 billion

Italian pharma company Chiesi Group will buy U.S.-listed KalVista Pharmaceuticals in an all-cash deal valued at about $1.9 billion, the two companies said in a joint statement on Wednesday. The deal, marking the largest acquisition in the family-owned group’s history, will see Chiesi launch a ​tender offer to buy all outstanding KalVista shares for $27 per share in cash, representing a premium of about 40% to KalVista's last closing price.

Eli Lilly investors are eager for Foundayo insight after early launch data

Eli Lilly investors will be searching for something ​they won't find in any first-quarter financial figures reported on Thursday: insight into the launch of weight-loss pill Foundayo. U.S. sales of the hotly anticipated obesity offering, a ‌rival to Novo Nordisk's ​Wegovy pill, began in early April, so Foundayo data will not be included in Lilly's first-quarter financials. Several more weeks of prescription data is likely needed to determine Foundayo's early sales trajectory, one investor said.

Teva Pharmaceutical beats first-quarter profit estimates on branded drugs demand

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries beat Wall Street estimates for first-quarter profit on Wednesday, helped by sales of its branded medicines, sending its New York-listed shares up 7% in premarket trading. Long reliant on copycat medicines, Teva has been ramping up development of its own branded drugs to drive sales and profits, a shift that has helped support recent results as competition weighs on its generics business.

Trump administration indicts former NIH official over COVID records

The Trump administration has indicted a former National Institutes of Health official over allegations of evading federal records requests related to COVID-19 pandemic research grants ‌and the use of personal email for government business. A grand jury in Maryland charged David Morens, a senior official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) during the pandemic, with conspiring to evade records requests received by the agency between April 2020 and December 2022.

Kennedy's US advisory board puts focus on 'profound autism', improved medical care

A U.S. advisory committee appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recommended on Tuesday that the government adopt the term "profound autism” for those with the highest support needs, and improve gaps in medical care for people with autism. The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee helps guide federal autism research spending, worth about $2 billion annually, and coordinates efforts among government agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Germany to impose levy on sugary drinks in bid to reduce obesity rates

Germany plans to impose a levy on sugary drinks from 2028, under a healthcare reform package approved on Wednesday, as it aims to rein in rising rates of obesity to ease pressure on the health system. The expected annual revenue of 450 million euros ($527 million) from the surcharge will fund disease prevention and health promotion ‌schemes.

GSK profit beats on shingles vaccines and specialty drugs in new CEO's first quarter

GSK posted first-quarter profit and sales above analyst expectations on Wednesday, as pharmacies and hospitals stocked up on its pre-filled shingles vaccine, providing a one-off boost. The results cover the first full quarter under the leadership of CEO Luke Miels, who was hired with a remit to convince investors GSK can hit bold 2031 sales targets, boost the drug pipeline and navigate the looming 2028 patent expiration for its HIV medicine dolutegravir.

Pfizer secures deals to keep heart ‌drug free of generic rivals until 2031

Pfizer said on Tuesday it has settled patent disputes with three generic drugmakers over its blockbuster heart drug Vyndamax, effectively extending its patent protection until 2031 and delaying cheaper copies from entering the market. The deals resolve patent infringement lawsuits against Dexcel Pharma, Hikma Pharmaceuticals and Cipla in Delaware federal court over Pfizer's oral drug Vyndamax. A trial over the patent had started this week.

Humana reports quarterly beat, unchanged forecast underwhelms market

Humana on Wednesday beat quarterly earnings estimates due to tighter control over medical costs, but kept its annual adjusted profit forecast unchanged unlike rivals who raised theirs. The health insurer, a major provider of plans for seniors and people with disabilities, has been growing membership even as large competitors pull back from the Medicare Advantage market, a segment hit by sustained cost pressures for nearly three years.

Pfizer's blood cancer drug meets main goal in late-stage trial

Pfizer said on Wednesday its drug Elrexfio met the main goal in a late-stage trial that tested the blood cancer treatment in patients who received at least one prior line of treatment. Here are further details on the trial:

AbbVie tops quarterly expectations as newer immunology drugs offset Humira decline

AbbVie on Wednesday reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit, fueled by demand for newer immunology drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq, as the drugmaker continues to navigate its transition away from its once-blockbuster drug, Humira. The company has been ⁠leaning heavily on Skyrizi and Rinvoq ​to fill the void left by Humira, which lost U.S. patent exclusivity in 2023 and has since faced a wave of cheaper biosimilar competition.

Biogen cuts annual ⁠profit forecast on acquisition-related charges

Biogen cut its full-year profit forecast on Wednesday as it booked acquisition-related charges, although its first-quarter earnings beat expectations on better-than-estimated sales of its Alzheimer's and newer rare-disease treatments. Shares fell nearly 2% in premarket trading.

German cabinet approves health insurance reform to curb costs

Germany's cabinet approved a draft bill to reform the statutory health insurance system on Wednesday, aiming to save 16.3 billion euros ($19.08 billion) next year amid mounting costs. Rising expenses have pushed the system toward a projected 15.3 billion euros shortfall in 2027, according to a commission of experts in March. Without reforms, the deficit could reach 40 billion euros by 2030, the commission warned.

US seeks new nominees for key ⁠preventive health panel

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, overseen by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on Tuesday asked for nominations to the influential task force that decides which preventive medical care is provided at no cost to patients. The Preventive Services Task Force, which typically has 16 members, last met over a year ago. Three successive planned meetings were canceled and new members have not been named to replace the five volunteers whose terms expired in December.

Procedure using Boston Scientific device tops medication for heart rhythm problem

We also report below on early data that poses a possible solution to a devastating pregnancy complication, and ​a potential breakthrough treatment for liver transplant patients.

HEART PROCEDURE SUPERIOR TO DRUGS FOR COMMON ARRHYTHMIA

HIV patients in Senegal skip treatment, fearing arrest amid anti-LGBTQ crackdown

Fewer patients are visiting some HIV treatment centres in Senegal amid a wave of arrests targeting LGBTQ people, according to health officials and government data seen by Reuters, threatening the country's fight against the virus. Last month, Senegal, where homosexuality is illegal, doubled the maximum prison term for same-sex sexual acts to 10 years and criminalised what it described as ⁠any efforts to promote it. The country also increased the maximum fine to 10 million CFA francs ($18,000).

GE HealthCare cuts annual profit forecast as inflation weighs on costs

Medical equipment maker GE HealthCare on Wednesday cut its full-year profit forecast on the back of inflation-driven cost pressures, sending its shares down more than 9% in premarket trading. The company also missed Wall Street estimates for first-quarter profit due to a supplier issue in its diagnostic business, which it said has since been resolved.

Canada approves first generic version of Ozempic amid rising GLP-1 competition

Health Canada has approved the first generic version of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic made by Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories, its website showed on Tuesday. Several drugmakers have ⁠been developing lower-cost ​versions of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Ozempic, driving down monthly prices for some users.

EU regulator forms expert group to tackle vaccine hesitancy

The European Union's medicines regulator said on Wednesday it has set up a new advisory group that would advise the agency on issues related to vaccine hesitancy and boost its outreach initiatives. Through its vaccine programme, the European Medicines Agency is working to help address public questions and false claims on vaccines, including on safety and effectiveness, which if unaddressed can fuel vaccine hesitancy, resulting in re-emergence of infectious diseases.

Italian drugmaker Chiesi to buy KalVista for $1.9 billion

Italy's Chiesi has agreed to buy KalVista Pharmaceuticals for about $1.9 billion, the company said on Wednesday, as it looks to grow its rare disease drug portfolio.

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 receives $5.5 billion sentence, paving way for opioid settlement

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma was sentenced on Tuesday to $5.5 billion in fines and penalties stemming from its 2020 guilty plea to charges of deceiving government regulators and paying kickbacks to doctors to boost opioid sales. The sentencing in New Jersey federal court 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.

Sensodyne maker Haleon warns of rising costs, but keeps 2026 outlook as ⁠US rebounds

Haleon warned of rising costs sparked by the Iran conflict on Wednesday, though the consumer healthcare firm maintained its annual outlook as it expects U.S. growth to speed up this year after a weak flu season dampened quarterly sales growth. Global consumer companies, including Procter & Gamble and Reckitt, are taking a hit from rising energy and freight costs after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February, disrupting global supply chains and clouding the outlook.

US FDA to monitor clinical trial data in real time in pilot program aimed at speeding approvals

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched a pilot program on Monday aimed at allowing the agency to monitor clinical trial data in real time, a step the agency said could cut years from drug approval timelines and keep the U.S. competitive with ‌China. The initiative aims to eliminate what FDA Commissioner Marty Makary in a call with reporters called "dead time" ‌in drug development. He said administrative tasks and paperwork take up 45% of the time involved in getting a drug from early testing to submission for an approval decision.

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: