Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

GSK scores regulatory wins for chronic hepatitis B drug, cancer therapy

GSK said on Monday its experimental chronic hepatitis B drug received its first global approval in Japan, and a key cancer therapy was granted a priority U.S. regulatory review as a possible rectal cancer treatment. Here are some details:

US FDA expands approval for J&J's drug ​for rare blood disorder

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the expanded use of Johnson & Johnson's drug to treat a rare blood disorder, the company said on Monday. The approval makes Imaavy the first treatment cleared for warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia, or wAIHA, ​and covers patients aged 12 and older who are currently or were previously treated with steroids.

US lawmakers question Health Secretary Kennedy on vaccine settlement disclosures

A group of U.S. ‌senators said Health Secretary ​Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent explanation for how he disposed of a financial stake in litigation involving Merck's Gardasil vaccine conflicts with earlier answers he gave in written testimony and federal ethics filings, a letter reviewed by Reuters shows. The letter, sent on Monday by four Democratic senators, notes that Merck earlier this year agreed to pay $50 million to settle litigation over Gardasil, which prevents cancers caused by the human papillomavirus.

FDA places clinical hold on Regenxbio's gene therapy for Hunter Syndrome

Regenxbio said on Monday the U.S. FDA has placed its experimental gene therapy for a rare inherited disorder on clinical hold after spinal scans found abnormalities in five study participants, sending its shares down more than 24% in premarket trading. The therapy, RGX-121, was being developed as a one-time treatment for Hunter Syndrome, also known as MPS II, which can cause progressive damage to ‌the brain and other organs and tissues.

Altria, Philip Morris International sign contract manufacturing deals

Philip Morris International and Altria said on Monday they had entered contract manufacturing arrangements with one another, as Altria looks to grow cigarette imports and exports and take advantage of a tax rebate. The rebate, known as the "double duty drawback", allows U.S. tobacco companies exporting their products outside the U.S. to claw back federal excise taxes paid on domestically sold products, offering a significant boost to U.S. profits.

Trump's frustrations drove order limiting child vaccinations, but MAHA wants more

President Donald Trump's frustration that his administration was not doing enough to address what he considers a likely contributor to autism drove a U.S. executive order this month that cut back the number of childhood vaccinations, administration officials told Reuters. These five current and former officials privately say the order alone does not substantially change U.S. vaccine policy and will not satisfy Trump’s demands or Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” political base.

As US border reopens to Mexican cattle, concerns persist over screwworm spread

Mexico is bolstering its screwworm containment campaign in northern border states where recent cases have been detected, heightening scrutiny of livestock exports as cross-border trade resumed ‌on Monday under a phased U.S. reopening. The reopening marks the first easing of a U.S. ban imposed more than a year ago to keep out the flesh-eating pest, as imports resumed initially through Arizona.

Sonova unveils new AI-powered hearing-aid platform to support growth targets

Sonova launched its third hearing-aid platform utilising real-time AI on Monday, its latest effort to strengthen its position in a market that relies on rapid technology upgrades to shorten replacement cycles and attract first-time users. The Swiss company was the first one to roll out a hearing aid that used ‌real-time AI to separate speech from background noise in 2024.

Bristol Myers ends blood cancer drug deal with cell therapy maker Cellares

Bristol Myers Squibb has ended its partnership with cell therapy startup Cellares to expand the manufacturing of its personalized blood cancer therapy, a company spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday. Bristol Myers determined that Cellares' cell therapy manufacturing platform, Cell Shuttle, could not meet the requirements to make its CAR-T therapy, Breyanzi, at commercial scale, the spokesperson said. Cellares did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

US plans to appoint two new FDA deputy commissioners for tech and drugs, CNBC reports

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is planning to appoint two new deputy commissioners at the Food and Drug Administration, CNBC reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. One role would focus on technology, including healthcare and AI, while the other would oversee drugs, according to two people familiar with the plans.

What to know about US measles cases on the rise

Two Pennsylvania residents have died due to measles, health officials said on Tuesday, the first U.S. deaths from the disease reported in 2026 and the first in the state in 35 years.

A decline in vaccination among U.S. children in recent years, fueled by unscientific claims that the shots are unsafe, has triggered larger outbreaks. Here is what you need to know about measles:

Record salmonella outbreak in Belgium infects at least 306

A record salmonella outbreak ⁠in a Belgian chicken farm ​has infected at least 306 people after they ate eggs, the food safety agency said on Tuesday. The agency said those who developed symptoms had been contaminated by ⁠a strain found at the farm, though many more may have contracted the disease but not been tested as they had shown only mild or no symptoms, said a spokesperson for the agency, known as AFSCA.

Pennsylvania reports first U.S. measles deaths this year as outbreak grows

Two Pennsylvania residents died from measles, health officials said on Tuesday, the first such deaths this year in the United States, which is contending with the highest number of cases of the highly infectious disease in more than three decades as vaccination rates drop. Both people were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which did not release additional details, citing privacy concerns.

NFL-At least one in ⁠four former players who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE, study shows

At least one in four former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 was found to have had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), according to a study released on Tuesday. Out of the 878 former players who died during that time frame, 235 donated their brains, researchers said, with 215 of those donated brains found to have CTE, a degenerative disease that can only definitively be diagnosed after death.

Hungary foreign ministry files report on $964 million pandemic-era ventilator deals

Hungary's Foreign Ministry has filed a report with prosecutors on suspected fraud and other crimes involving the 2020 purchase of ​ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic under the previous government, Foreign Minister Anita Orban said on Tuesday. The report on the purchase of nearly 17,000 ventilators worth a combined 300 billion forints ($963.82 million) says the ministry bought thousands of surplus ventilators that could not be used realistically at inflated prices, Orban told reporters.

More US employers to drop weight-loss drugs in 2027, as healthcare costs increase

About 14% of employers in the United States have already or plan to drop GLP-1 drugs in 2027, as companies ⁠see rising healthcare costs, according to a survey released on Tuesday by the Business Group on Health. Healthcare costs are set to increase 9.2% if employers do not make changes to manage costs in 2027, up from 8.5% in 2026, the group said. Two-thirds of employers surveyed said they saw rising utilization of the drugs.

U.S. court orders Guardant to pay $245 million in DNA sequencing patent dispute

A U.S. court has ordered Guardant Health to pay more than $245.2 million to TwinStrand Biosciences and the University of Washington after finding that the company infringed patents covering DNA sequencing technology, TwinStrand said on Monday. Here are the details:

FDA authorizes Abbott's wearable to monitor ketone and glucose in diabetes patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday ⁠it authorized Abbott ​Laboratories' glucose monitor, making it the first device that continuously monitors both ketone levels and blood sugar. Here are some details:

Eli Lilly launches oral weight-loss drug Foundayo in UK

Eli Lilly has launched its pill, Foundayo, in the UK for weight management and type 2 diabetes, it said on Monday, making Britain the first country in Europe where the oral treatment is available. The pill, known chemically as orforglipron, will be available via private prescription after Britain's medicines regulator authorised the drug on August 10, making it the second GLP-1 tablet to be launched in the UK after Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill.

Explainer-How the Merck/Moderna cancer vaccine works and possible barriers to wide use

The personalized cancer vaccine being developed by Moderna and Merck has boosted hopes that mRNA technology could open up a new avenue of treatment, but the available evidence is still limited. Interim data from a large trial showed the experimental vaccine, when combined with Merck's blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda, helped reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence and spread in patients whose tumors have been surgically removed.

Snoring, subways and stealth ads: how big pharma targets China's waistline

Weight-loss drugmakers, vying to tighten the belts ⁠of Chinese consumers, are promoting obesity awareness in metro stations, exercise studios and soccer stadiums as local restrictions prevent the direct advertising of prescription medicines in the world’s second-largest drug market. China's rate of overweight or obese people could reach more than 65% by 2030, the country's National Health Commission has said.

McKesson strikes $2.25 billion Precision Medicine deal in clinical research bets

McKesson said on Tuesday it would buy privately held Precision Medicine Group in a deal valued at about $2.25 billion, as part of a years-long effort to strengthen its higher-growth businesses. The U.S. drug ⁠distributor has been reshaping its portfolio by exiting non-core assets and streamlining its operations while investing in businesses such as oncology and specialty care to drive long-term ⁠growth.

Capricor's Duchenne drug gets three-month FDA extension after new data submission

Capricor Therapeutics said on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had extended the review period for its experimental cell therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy by three months. The delay follows Capricor's submission of new 24-month data from its late-stage study, along with extra analyses, to support a refined proposed indication focused on upper limb function, the trial's main goal.

Roche, Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's blood test gets FDA clearance

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared Roche and partner Eli Lilly's blood test to help identify signs of Alzheimer's disease in people aged 55 and older with cognitive decline. The test, Elecsys pTau217, is a biomarker blood test that can help doctors identify patients who are likely or unlikely to have Alzheimer's-related brain changes, Roche said on Monday.

India wanted red flags on chip ‌packets and soda. Big Food fought back

A can of Fanta sold in London has 63 calories. ‌Buy the same brand in India, and it contains three times as much sugar. It also includes artificial dye, whose presence in food products in Europe requires a prominent health warning. In India, the colorant’s presence is noted merely in small print on the back of the can. That suits ​some of the world’s biggest companies, which have long resisted Indian efforts to mandate nutritional warnings on the front of packaged products.