Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

UK regulator suspends rare-disease drug Tavneos for new patients over unreliable data

Britain's medicines regulator on Tuesday suspended the use and sale of Amgen's rare-disease drug Tavneos to new patients, saying the main study supporting its approval was unreliable. Sold as Avacopan Vifor in Britain by CSL Vifor, the drug is used with other medicines to treat severe autoimmune diseases that cause ​inflammation in small blood vessels and can damage the kidneys and lungs.

GLP-1 weight loss drugs effective even at low starter doses

People taking popular GLP-1 obesity drugs who remain on low starter doses will lose some weight but may still experience side effects, although significantly ​less nausea than those who graduate to higher manufacturer-recommended doses, a new study suggests. And they are unlikely to experience the double-digit weight-loss percentages seen with the higher doses, the study found.

Mead ‌Johnson wins US federal ​bellwether trial over preterm infant formula Enfamil

A U.S. federal jury sided with Reckitt Benckiser's Mead Johnson on Monday in a test trial over claims the company's Enfamil infant formula for preterm babies caused necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a dangerous bowel disease. The Illinois jury concluded Enfamil formula did not cause a preterm baby boy to develop NEC. The case was brought by Alexis Inman, the mother of the boy who died soon after being born prematurely at 29 weeks.

UnitedHealthcare to drop prior authorization requirements for range of conditions from Oct. 1

UnitedHealth's insurance unit said on Tuesday that a broad range of conditions will no longer need prior approval, effective October 1, as it aims to eliminate prior authorization for 30% of healthcare services by the end of this year. Here are the details:

Novartis MS pill beats older drug in trials, boosts pipeline hopes

Swiss drugmaker Novartis said on Tuesday its oral drug remibrutinib outperformed an older treatment ‌in reducing relapses in patients with a form of multiple sclerosis, boosting hopes the medicine could become a blockbuster product. The trial results mark the first success from three closely watched Novartis pipeline programmes due to deliver data this year. Investors are focused on remibrutinib, heart drug pelacarsen and gene therapy del-desiran, which together are seen generating more than $10 billion nL4N43H0Z6 in peak annual sales and underpinning the company's long-term growth.

GSK to advance mRNA flu vaccine to late-stage trial

GSK said on Tuesday it will advance its mRNA-based seasonal influenza vaccine candidate to a late-stage trial after mid-stage data showed it generated stronger immune responses than currently approved standard- and high-dose shots in younger and older adults. The British drugmaker said it would be the first late-stage trial of an mRNA flu vaccine designed to target two key surface proteins, haemagglutinin and neuraminidase, an approach GSK said could improve protection and reduce transmission.

US FDA approves Lilly's Mounjaro to reduce cardiovascular risk

Eli Lilly said on Friday the U.S. FDA has approved its diabetes drug Mounjaro to reduce the chances of heart attack or stroke in adults with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk of cardiovascular events. The approval expands the use of Mounjaro, which targets the GLP-1 protein, beyond blood sugar control. In the U.S., Lilly sells the ‌obesity version of the drug under the brand Zepbound.

600,000 seniors have signed up for obesity drugs under new Medicare program

U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said on Monday that 600,000 seniors have signed up to receive GLP-1 weight loss medications in the first two months of a new federal program created to expand access to the highly sought-after treatments. Under the so-called Medicare Bridge program, which launched in July, millions of older Americans qualify for obesity medications at just $50 a month.

Novo Nordisk launches Wegovy weight-loss pill in Germany

Novo Nordisk has launched its Wegovy ‌pill in Germany, a spokesperson for the Danish drugmaker said on Tuesday, with investors keenly focused on the oral weight-loss treatment in light of intensifying competition with U.S. rival Eli Lilly. Novo was first to bring a highly effective GLP-1 weight-loss injection, Wegovy, to the U.S. market, but is under pressure to regain ground lost to Lilly's Zepbound in a business that analysts expect will be worth more than $100 billion a year by 2030.

Lilly to buy Merida Biosciences for up to $2.88 billion in autoimmune drug push

Eli Lilly said on Monday it would acquire privately held Merida Biosciences for up to $2.88 billion in cash, strengthening its immunology portfolio with an experimental treatment for thyroid-related autoimmune conditions. Lilly has been on an acquisition spree following windfall profits from the success of its weight-loss drugs. Its deal spending in 2026 has outpaced that in the prior years, as the pharma giant aims to expand beyond obesity and diabetes.

Trump administration announces drug pricing deals with CSL, Astellas and others

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new round of drug-pricing agreements with international pharmaceutical companies and some smaller biotechs on Monday, part of a push to make healthcare more affordable for Americans. Deals were signed with companies including Astellas, BeOne Medicines, CSL, BridgeBio, Sun Pharmaceutical, and UCB SA, Trump said in an Oval Office event with executives of the companies.

Trump names pastor to advise administration on tobacco health

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Pastor Darrell Scott will serve his administration as an adviser for tobacco health issues on a committee that advises the ⁠director of the Centers for Disease ​Control and Prevention. "For far too long, tobacco-related disease has taken an enormous toll on American Families, including Communities that have too often been overlooked and underserved," Trump said in ⁠a post on Truth Social.

Teladoc appoints insurance executive Michael Grasher as CFO

Teladoc Health said on Monday it appointed Michael Grasher as its chief financial officer, bringing in an industry veteran to help the virtual healthcare company navigate rising demand for its insurance-covered business. Here are some more details:

Alumis eyes late-stage lupus study despite trial miss

Alumis said on Tuesday it plans to advance its experimental drug for a type of immunity-related condition in a smaller subset of patients, even after the treatment failed to meet the main goal of a mid-stage trial. Its shares slumped more than 55% in premarket trading, as Wall Street had viewed the study as an important test in a disease long seen as a drug-development graveyard.

FDA allows marketing of Juul's new e-cigarettes ⁠and flavored pods

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized the marketing of three new 'JUUL2' e-cigarette products, the latest in a series of approvals for nicotine products the agency says may offer a lower-risk alternative to traditional cigarettes. Here are some details:

Exclusive-US refusals of crucial newborn vitamin spike, raising risk of dangerous bleeding

The percentage of parents and caregivers in the United States refusing a standard vitamin K shot for infants at birth has accelerated sharply this year, an exclusive data analysis for Reuters found, putting more newborns at risk of life-threatening bleeding episodes. The data confirms what a dozen pediatricians, neonatologists and pediatric critical care specialists told Reuters is a top concern: rising refusals of a life-protective shot and ​a growing wave of mistrust toward vaccines and other newborn interventions.

US states' lawsuit seeking to curb abortion drug access paused for now

A federal judge paused a lawsuit by Florida and Texas seeking to severely limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone nationwide while President Donald Trump's administration completes a review of the drug's safety. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, said on Monday that because the states' Republican attorneys general and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is conducting the review, had agreed to put the case ⁠on hold, it was reasonable to do so.

Booming weight-loss drug demand in Brazil fuels thriving black market and health fears

When Brazilian customs agents opened jars of dulce de leche aboard a tourist bus arriving from Paraguay in April, they discovered hundreds of vials of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in the popular weight-loss drug Mounjaro, mixed inside the sweet spread. The routine inspection turned into one of Brazil's largest seizures of weight-loss medications, with the total shipment exceeding 2,500 vials, according to the Federal Revenue Service. But it was hardly an anomaly.

Roche signs global licensing pact for Simcere's experimental blood cancer drug

Switzerland's Roche will pay $75 million upfront to Simcere Pharmaceutical Group for rights to an experimental blood cancer drug, the Chinese drugmaker said Tuesday. SIM0660 targets B-cell malignancies, Simcere said in a filing to the Hong ⁠Kong stock ​exchange.

Medtronic boosts fiscal 2027 forecasts on heart device demand

Medtronic raised its fiscal 2027 revenue growth outlook and the lower end of its profit forecast on Tuesday, banking on strong demand for its heart devices used in complex cardiovascular procedures. Medtech firms have been riding a wave of increased adoption of newer technologies and robust surgery demand.

Oncology firm Novocure says cyberattack exposed US patient records

Oncology company Novocure said on Tuesday a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain information systems in mid-August exposed internal records of more than 1,400 U.S. patients. The breach adds to a growing number of cyberattacks on the healthcare sector, including medical device makers Abbott, Stryker Medtronic and Boston Scientific, drugmaker Novo Nordisk and drug-delivery equipment supplier West Pharmaceutical Services.

Hims & Hers offers GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, men's health treatments in Australia

Telehealth company Hims & Hers said on Monday it has begun offering branded GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and other treatments to men in Australia as it continues to expand its international business. Hims finalized its acquisition of Australian digital health platform Eucalyptus, including its Sydney-based men's telehealth brand Pilot, earlier this year.

More than 6,000 people infected with Ebola in Congo, government figures show

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed the 6,000 mark, government data showed ⁠on Monday. The epidemic has become the largest in the central African country's history, surpassing the previous worst outbreak that lasted from 2018 to 2020.

India busts firm faking expiry dates, nutrition labels on PepsiCo, Nestle food exports

Indian authorities have raided an illegal operation in Mumbai that faked expiry dates and nutritional information on original food products manufactured by PepsiCo, Nestle, Coca-Cola and Unilever so they could be exported to other countries. Reuters got exclusive access to the warehouse last week as food officers conducted a six-day investigation and seized goods worth nearly $80,000. A photographer saw chemicals used to ⁠remove manufacturers' original expiry dates and ingredient labels, machines to print and apply replacements and scores of label packs for products including Lay's potato chips and Maggi noodles.

EU to suspend ⁠Brazilian meat imports from September 3, citing antimicrobial rules

The European Union will suspend meat imports from Brazil from September 3 after the South American country failed to guarantee its compliance with EU rules on the use of antimicrobial substances, an EU Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday. The EU had announced in May that Brazil was set to be removed from a list of compliant countries exporting certain animal products to the bloc.

AstraZeneca-Hutchmed drug combination shows promise in advanced lung cancer study

AstraZeneca and China's Hutchmed said on Tuesday that a late-stage trial of a combination of their cancer drugs Tagrisso and Orpathys significantly improved progression-free survival when given early for a type of lung cancer. Cancer therapies make up nearly half of AstraZeneca's sales and Tagrisso is one of its best-selling drugs, while Orpathys is being developed along with Hutchmed as the British drugmaker pursues its goal of $80 billion in overall annual ‌sales by 2030.

Novartis MS pill beats older drug in trials, boosts pipeline hopes

Swiss drugmaker Novartis said on ‌Tuesday its oral drug remibrutinib outperformed an older treatment in reducing relapses in patients with a form of multiple sclerosis, boosting hopes the medicine could become a blockbuster product. The trial results mark the first success from three closely watched Novartis pipeline programmes due to deliver data this year. Investors are focused on remibrutinib, ​heart drug pelacarsen and gene therapy del-desiran, which together are seen generating more than $10 billion in peak annual sales and underpinning the company's long-term growth.