Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Moderna to replace Warner Bros Discovery on Nasdaq 100

Nasdaq said on Thursday that vaccine maker Moderna will replace Warner Bros. Discovery on the Nasdaq 100 index, effective October 9. Here are some details:

AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo partner with Summit to test cancer drug combination

AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo have entered into a clinical collaboration with Summit Therapeutics ​to test their cancer drug, Datroway, in combination with Summit's ivonescimab across multiple tumour types, including lung and breast cancers. The companies said on Friday that they intend to begin with a Phase III trial in first-line triple-negative breast cancer

Quadria-backed Maxivision ​confidentially files for India IPO

India's Maxivision Super Specialty Eye Hospitals, backed by healthcare-focused buyout firm Quadria Capital, has confidentially filed for an initial public offering, a newspaper advertisement ‌showed on Friday. Reuters ​had reported in July that the eye-care chain had appointed ICICI Securities and IIFL Capital as bankers for an IPO that would include a mix of newly issued shares and stock sold by existing investors.

Pennsylvania reports 943 measles cases as outbreak grows

Pennsylvania's health department reported 943 measles cases as of Wednesday, according to its website, as the state grapples with a growing outbreak of the highly contagious disease. Here are some key details:

Health Rounds: Appendix removal linked with lower colon cancer risk in study

Today we highlight a potentially unexpected benefit of appendectomy and some underreported side effects of wildly popular GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss and diabetes. We also cover promising results of an experimental therapy being tested for the crippling muscle disorder that hit singer Celine Dion. REMOVING INFLAMED APPENDIX MAY LOWER COLORECTAL CANCER ‌RISK

Florida Attorney General sues Pfizer and CEO over COVID-19 vaccine claims

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Pfizer and its CEO, Albert Bourla, accusing the drugmaker of misleading consumers about the safety and effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine. Here are more details:

Experimental Lilly combination drug tops Zepbound in weight-loss trial

Eli Lilly said on Wednesday its experimental combination weight-loss drug outperformed its blockbuster Zepbound in a head-to-head trial, intensifying the competition with Danish rival Novo Nordisk for new, more effective obesity therapies. The Indianapolis-based drugmaker said patients with diabetes on the highest tested dose of EloraTZP, which combines tirzepatide and experimental drug eloralintide, lost an average of 23.3% of body weight over 48 weeks. That compared with 14.8% for patients on the highest dose of Zepbound in the mid-stage trial.

Netherlands reports four more deaths from West Nile virus

Four more people in the Netherlands have died from an infection caused by the West Nile virus in recent weeks, the public health institution RIVM said on Thursday, following an increased number of cases in Europe. The new fatalities increased the total number of people who have died from West Nile virus infection in the ‌Netherlands to nine this year

US FDA advisers recommend flu vaccine strains for 2027 Southern Hemisphere season

A panel of advisers to the US FDA on Thursday recommended the virus strains vaccine manufacturers should include for the 2027 southern hemisphere influenza season. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recommended that the egg-based trivalent flu vaccine include H1N1, H3N2 and influenza B strains for the 2027 season. All nine voting members of the committee were in favor.

Trump Medicare drug pricing model may apply to only four companies after exemptions

A Trump ‌administration rule to cut hospital drug prices for Medicare patients may apply to as few as four drugmakers after exempting companies that signed separate "most favored nation" pricing agreements with the administration, according to the finalized rule. According to the rule published on Wednesday evening, Medicare's regulator plans to waive the requirement manufacturers that have signed separate deals with the White House participate in the price-setting model, called GLOBE.

Foghorn to cut 40% of workforce after scrapping Lilly-partnered cancer drug

Foghorn Therapeutics said on Thursday it has discontinued development of an experimental cancer drug partnered with Eli Lilly after it failed to show enough benefit in an early-stage trial. The companies will not extend their 2021 partnership, originally valued at up to $1.6 billion, a decision that prompted Foghorn to cut about 40% of its workforce.

UnitedHealthcare, Aetna say 2027 Medicare Advantage plans to offer more limited provider networks

US health insurers including UnitedHealthcare and CVS Health's Aetna will shift to offer more Medicare Advantage plans that limit provider access for enrolled users, the companies said on Thursday. "We can't ignore the realities facing the healthcare system," said Bobby Hunter, president at UnitedHealthcare. "Funding pressures, rising medical costs, rising drug costs, and increased utilization are affecting every part of healthcare."

UK commits £80 million to accelerate dementia diagnosis

The UK's national research agency is backing a plan to speed up dementia testing with up to £80 million ($105.48 million) in funding, to improve diagnosis rates and cut waiting ⁠times that can exceed a year. Here ​are more details:

Merck's experimental skin disease drug succeeds in mid-stage study

Merck said on Wednesday its experimental drug significantly reduced inflammatory skin lesions in patients with ⁠a chronic skin disease, meeting the main goal of a mid-stage study. The results bolster Merck's push into immunology and could position the drug, tulisokibart, as a potential new treatment option for hidradenitis suppurativa, also known as acne inversa, which causes small, painful lumps to form under the skin.

Regeneron weight-loss drug halves muscle loss in combination with Novo's semaglutide in trial

An experimental weight-loss drug being developed by Regeneron used in combination with Novo Nordisk's semaglutide reduced the loss of muscle mass by 50% compared with the loss seen with semaglutide alone in a study of patients with obesity, according to data being presented at a medical meeting. With the explosive popularity of GLP-1 weight-loss ⁠drugs such as Novo's semaglutide, sold as Wegovy for obesity, there has been growing concern about significant loss of muscle accompanying rapidly shed pounds.

Trump's $500 Obamacare 'rebate' checks land in prime political battlegrounds

President Donald Trump's administration is sending $500 payments to nearly 1 million Americans this week, in a move that strategists say could potentially influence races that may determine whether his Republicans maintain control of Congress in the November midterm elections. The White House says the payments are a refund for what it describes as excessive fees charged to people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

Congo's Ebola outbreak has killed more than 4,000, government data shows

The number of ​deaths in Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has surpassed 4,000, government data showed on Friday, as the worst epidemic in the country's history resists containment efforts. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, became the largest and deadliest in Congo after surpassing the 2018-2020 epidemic.

Bangladesh warns dengue outbreak could worsen after deadly September

Bangladesh enters October facing a worsening dengue outbreak after its deadliest month this year, as experts warned that weather conditions could fuel further spread, piling pressure on hospitals already ⁠fighting the world's worst measles outbreak. The resurgence of dengue, with symptoms of fever and pain in the muscles and joints, follows Bangladesh's deadliest outbreak in 2023 and is adding to pressure on a healthcare system in which measles killed more than 1,100 children this year.

US states challenge Corteva spinoff as bid to evade PFAS liabilities

Fifteen US states sued agrichemicals company Corteva on Thursday, alleging that the spinoff of its seed and genetics business into Vylor was designed to shield the company's best assets from tens of billions of dollars in potential liabilities tied to PFAS "forever chemicals" that have polluted the environment. Corteva completed the Vylor spinoff into a separate publicly traded company on Thursday.

Zealand Pharma slides as concerns over ⁠patients quitting survodutide ​trials resurface

Nearly one in five patients quit Zealand Pharma's late-stage survodutide trial due to gastrointestinal side effects caused by the obesity drug, data released on Thursday showed, again raising investor concerns over the high dropout rates. The Danish drugmaker's shares slid as much as 13%, mirroring the trend seen in June when data from other late-stage studies on the survodutide injections, developed with partner Boehringer Ingelheim, showed a quarter of patients had left due to side effects, sending the shares up to 25% lower during the day.

FDA seeks scientists and consumer representatives for advisory panels

The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday launched a nationwide recruitment drive to bring in scientists, medical experts and consumer representatives to its committees that advise the agency on drugs, vaccines and other regulated products. Here are more details:

Sanofi, Regeneron expand tie-up with $8 billion drug-development deal, settle legal dispute

Sanofi and Regeneron said on Thursday they will develop four new drugs together in a deal worth up to $8 billion and settle prior litigation, moves analysts said signal a reset of their strained partnership and an early win for the French drugmaker's new CEO Belen Garijo. Sanofi ⁠will pay $1 billion upfront with an additional $7 billion in potential milestone payments. The companies will equally share development costs and future profits on the four drugs, with Regeneron leading research and Sanofi handling global sales if they are approved.

Grail's cancer blood test nears landmark FDA approval, but insurance coverage looms

An advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration handed Grail's Galleri blood test a milestone win last week, saying the early cancer detection test's potential benefits outweigh its risks and bringing it a step closer ⁠to approval. The FDA is not required to follow the panel's recommendation but often does, and Wall Street analysts expect the agency to rule in Grail's favor ⁠in the coming months.

Novartis strikes up to $7.8 billion mRNA deal with China's Abogen

Chinese biotech company Abogen said on Friday it has signed a licensing deal worth up to $7.8 billion with Novartis to develop messenger RNA-based therapy, underscoring the Swiss drugmaker's growing focus on an emerging class of treatments. Novartis has come under investor scrutiny over its dealmaking strategy after setbacks with drugs acquired through previous purchases.

Thousands flee Congo Ebola-hit camp, stoking concerns about disease spread

Thousands of displaced residents at an Ebola-hit camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have fled after soldiers entered the site, UN and Congolese officials said on Thursday, raising concern about the disease's spread. Security forces went to the Kigonze camp looking for weapons and clashes ensued, causing camp residents to flee over the last week, according to Congolese and health officials

MSF staff member ‌tests positive for Ebola in Congo, aid organisation says

A Médecins Sans Frontières staff member working on ‌the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo has contracted the Ebola Bundibugyo virus and is being evacuated to the Netherlands for treatment, the humanitarian organisation said on Thursday. "This person is being safely evacuated under a strict medical protocol in close coordination with the relevant ​health authorities in the DRC and the Netherlands, where the patient will be received by a designated hospital," MSF said in a statement.