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

Summit Therapeutics on Friday ​announced a clinical trial collaboration with AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo to test their cancer drug Datroway ‌in combination ​with Summit's ivonescimab across multiple tumour types, including lung and breast cancers.

Here are more details:

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.

Bayer to invest $2.2 billion in new US pharma site

Bayer's pharmaceuticals unit on Friday unveiled plans to invest $2.2 billion in a new manufacturing site in New Albany, Ohio, part of a push to boost the business's US revenue. Bayer expects to create about 600 high paying jobs in New Albany, with another 1,500 jobs resulting temporarily from construction.

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

Biogen's experimental lupus drug shows benefit against skin symptoms

Biogen said on Friday its experimental drug showed ‌durable improvement in skin symptoms among patients with a type of autoimmune disease in a mid-stage study. Here are some details:

Analysis-Vance's fraud crackdown may raise costs for US health insurers, enrollees

A crackdown on Obamacare health insurance could raise prices for US consumers and insurers by removing healthy, low-cost enrollees, adding pressure to a shrinking marketplace. The 2010 Affordable Care Act created income-based government-subsidized health plans for individuals, with 19 million people now enrolled. Millions have dropped out this year as extra COVID-19 pandemic subsidies expired.

Rebel-held eastern Congo records six new Ebola cases

Six new Ebola cases have been recorded in areas of eastern Congo controlled by AFC/M23 rebels, the group said, days after the only previously known active case in rebel-held territory was discharged. The Rwanda-backed ⁠AFC/M23 rebels control ​large parts of North and South Kivu provinces after staging a lightning offensive last ⁠year

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:

US FDA closes cyclospora lettuce parasite probe, finds strong link to Taylor Farms Mexico

The US Food ⁠and Drug Administration said on Friday it has concluded its investigation into the largest recorded multistate outbreak involving the cyclospora parasite, saying there was strong evidence of a link to recalled shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms' Mexico subsidiary. The outbreak, which sickened thousands, prompted one of the largest food recalls in recent years and renewed scrutiny of ​food-safety controls for imported produce.

US FDA extends review of Novo Nordisk's hemophilia drug over facility issues

The US FDA has extended its review of Novo Nordisk's experimental hemophilia A drug due to ongoing remediation work at a manufacturing facility, the Danish drugmaker said on Friday. Here ⁠are some details:

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.

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.

Pennsylvania measles cases near 1,000 as outbreak spreads

Pennsylvania's health department reported 977 measles cases as of Friday, according to its website, as the state continues to battle a fast-growing outbreak of the disease. Here ⁠are more details:

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 therapies, 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.

AbbVie ‌joins US government pilot to test drug discount rebates

US drugmaker AbbVie said on Friday it would participate in a US government pilot program aimed ​at testing a new rebate system for discounted medicines. Here are some details: