Reuters Health News Summary

A WHO Emergency Committee ​met on Tuesday in Geneva and confirmed the latest Ebola outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus was a public health emergency of international concern but not a pandemic emergency, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Indian drugmaker Mankind posts strong ​quarterly profit on demand for chronic therapies India's Mankind Pharma reported a 30% rise in fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday, driven by demand for chronic therapies and consumer healthcare products.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

WHO says 139 suspected Ebola deaths in Congo outbreak, numbers expected to rise

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday there were 600 suspected cases of Ebola and 139 suspected deaths and numbers are expected to rise given the time the virus circulated before the outbreak in Congo and Uganda was detected. A WHO Emergency Committee ​met on Tuesday in Geneva and confirmed the latest Ebola outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus was a public health emergency of international concern but not a pandemic emergency, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Indian drugmaker Mankind posts strong ​quarterly profit on demand for chronic therapies

India's Mankind Pharma reported a 30% rise in fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday, driven by demand for chronic therapies and consumer healthcare products. ‌The drugmaker's consolidated net profit ​from continued operations climbed to 5.54 billion rupees ($57.39 million) for the quarter ended March 31, from 4.25 billion rupees a year earlier.

Britain gets experimental drug from Japan to bolster hantavirus response

Britain has received supplies of the antiviral drug favipiravir from Japan as part of its response to a deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to the Hondius cruise liner, the UK Health Security Agency said on Monday. UKHSA said it accepted delivery of the drug, which remains experimental for use to treat hantavirus, over the weekend and that the supplies would bolster treatment stocks, even though the risk of wider transmission in the UK remained very low.

Exclusive-US Health Secretary Kennedy backs away from some recent changes to CDC vaccine panel

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s latest effort to reconstitute a CDC vaccine advisory committee backs away from some ‌reforms he announced just weeks ago and could complicate his efforts to alter federal immunization policy, according to a copy of the plan reviewed by Reuters. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, played a central role in rewriting U.S. vaccine policies under Kennedy, who has spent years sowing doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines contrary to scientific evidence. The advisory board recommends which shots should be administered to Americans and when, and informs health insurance coverage.

Bristol Myers to deploy Anthropic's Claude AI model to speed up drug discovery

Bristol Myers Squibb said on Wednesday it is partnering with Anthropic to make its Claude AI model available to over 30,000 employees in an effort to accelerate the discovery, development and delivery of new medicines. Bristol said it will also leverage Claude Code, Anthropic's coding tool, and evaluate its use in research, drug development, manufacturing and other commercial and medical affairs.

India's Apollo Hospitals quarterly profit rises on strong demand for complex procedures

India's Apollo Hospitals Enterprise reported a higher fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday, as strong demand for complex procedures and growth across its pharmacy and digital health businesses boosted earnings. The Chennai-based hospital operator reported consolidated net profit ‌of 5.29 billion rupees ($54.64 million) for the quarter ended March 31, compared with 3.90 billion rupees a year earlier.

Nestle and Danone face fresh scrutiny over infant formula recalls

Nestle and Danone are facing fresh scrutiny over the handling of infant formula contamination after reports published on Tuesday by French, Belgian and Swiss public media questioned the speed of recalls of potentially harmful products. The investigation by Radio France, RTBF and RTS said Nestle had delayed alerting European authorities about the presence of cereulide, a toxin that can cause vomiting and ‌diarrhoea and poses particular risks for infants.

CDC says one American tested positive for Ebola in DRC

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that one American tested positive for Ebola as part of its work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where there is an outbreak of a rare strain of the virus, but advised that the immediate risk in the U.S. was low. The CDC did not name the individual, but the Serge Christian mission organization said one of its medical missionaries, Dr. Peter Stafford, was exposed while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital in the DRC.

Test shortages slow fight against Ebola in Congo, WHO official says

Six tons of medical supplies to fight Ebola are set to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, but limited testing capacity was slowing the response to the outbreak, a World Health Organization official said. There have been at least 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths from Ebola, which has also spread to neighbouring Uganda, according to the WHO.

Amgen says CFO Peter Griffith to retire, names Dittrich as successor

Amgen said on Tuesday its chief financial officer, Peter Griffith, would retire, with Thomas Dittrich taking over the role in September. Dittrich, who previously held senior finance roles at Amgen, is set to return to the drugmaker as executive vice president in July.

Pfizer's pneumococcal shot shows stronger immune response in mid-stage trial

Pfizer said on ⁠Wednesday its experimental pneumococcal vaccine showed ​significantly stronger immune response than its current shot, including up to 15-fold higher antibody levels against a key strain, in a mid-stage study. The vaccine maker tested ⁠its 25-valent vaccine, called 25vPnC, in healthy infants in the trial.

US drugs site TrumpRx to list 600 generics as Trump targets lower prices

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that TrumpRx.gov, a government-backed website that lists discounted prescription drugs, will begin featuring generic medicines, including widely used drugs such as cholesterol treatment atorvastatin and diabetes drug metformin. More than 600 generics will be available through the website, Trump said, part of an effort by the administration to expand access to lower-cost medicines.

Healthcare AI firm Commure valued at $7 billion, raises $70 million

Commure, an AI platform for healthcare, said on Tuesday it secured a $7 billion post-money valuation, raising $70 million in a financing round led by General Catalyst. The California-based company, ⁠whose agentic AI automates administrative work across healthcare systems, also drew participation from Sequoia Capital, Morgan Stanley and Kirkland & Ellis.

Bird flu found in polar bear in Europe for first time, on Svalbard

Bird flu has been detected in a dead polar bear in the Arctic Svalbard archipelago, the first time the virus has been found in the species in Europe, a Norwegian government agency said on Tuesday. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute said in a statement it had also detected bird flu in a dead walrus on Svalbard, which is roughly halfway between the North Pole and mainland Europe.

Health experts meet in search of Ebola Bundibugyo vaccine options

A ​panel of experts led by the World Health Organization meets on Tuesday to discuss whether there are any vaccine options to help tackle an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The virtual meeting follows more than 130 suspected deaths and 500 cases linked to the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, according to the WHO, which, along with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has declared it a public health emergency.

London's GHO, Singapore's CBC to merge into $21 billion healthcare ⁠investor

London-based Global Healthcare Opportunities (GHO) and Singapore's CBC Group on Wednesday said they would merge, creating what they called the world's largest healthcare-focused investment manager with more than $21 billion in assets. The deal brings together two specialist healthcare investors as financial firms globally seek greater scale and a wider reach in private markets.

WHO chief concerned at speed and scale of Ebola outbreak

The head of the World Health Organization expressed deep concern on Tuesday at the speed and scale of the Ebola outbreak, as the number of cases rises. There have been at least 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths from Ebola since the new outbreak began, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Explainer-What do we know about the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola ⁠virus?

A rare ​strain of Ebola has prompted the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern. Most of the cases have occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 100 suspected deaths and nearly 400 suspected infections as of Monday. Here is what we know about this strain of the Ebola virus, known as Bundibugyo.

US missionary who contracted Ebola is on his way to Germany, CDC says

A U.S. citizen who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an outbreak of a rare strain of the virus has killed over 130 people, is currently on his way to Germany for treatment, the U.S. CDC said on Tuesday. The patient has been previously identified by the Serge Christian mission organization as medical missionary Peter Stafford.

Biopharmaceutical firm Parabilis Medicines files for US IPO

Parabilis Medicines on Tuesday filed for an initial public offering in the United States, according to a regulatory filing, and said it intends to use part of the proceeds to support the development of its drug pipeline. The IPO comes as investor appetite for new listings has improved following strong market debuts by ⁠companies such as AI chipmaker Cerebras Systems and geothermal energy firm Fervo Energy, underscoring robust demand for new offerings.

China bans import of pigs, wild boar from the Philippines due to swine fever

China has banned the import of pigs, wild boars and related products from the Philippines due to swine fever, a statement released by the General Administration of Customs showed.

Widely used asthma drug may improve performance of cancer immunotherapies

We also report on a potential new use for another approved medicine that helped reduce suicidal thoughts in ⁠patients with severe depression when added to the psychedelic drug ketamine.

ASTHMA DRUG MAY BOOST CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY

US doctor in contact with Ebola patient to be hospitalised in ⁠Czech Republic

A U.S. doctor is being transferred from Uganda to a hospital in Prague after coming into contact with a patient infected with Ebola, Czech health officials said. The doctor is showing no symptoms of the deadly virus and will be hospitalised as a precaution following a request from the United States, Health Minister Adam Vojtech said on X on Wednesday.

Adult dies of hantavirus in Colorado, state health officials say

An adult in Colorado has died after a confirmed case of hantavirus that is not linked to a recent outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment officials said in a statement on Monday. The strain of hantavirus that caused the Colorado death occurs regularly in Colorado at this time of year, the statement said, and officials are investigating the ‌source of exposure.

Ebola deaths in eastern Congo rise to 131, WHO voices deep concern

Twenty-six more suspected Ebola ‌deaths were recorded in 24 hours in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said on Tuesday, and the head of the World Health Organization expressed deep concern about the outbreak's spread. The new deaths brought to 131 the fatalities associated with the outbreak in eastern DRC. There have ​been 543 suspected cases and 33 confirmed cases in DRC, according to Congolese health authorities, and two confirmed cases in neighbouring Uganda.