Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

US and German scientists win Nobel medicine prize for work on light and brain

American Karl Deisseroth and Germans Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday for developing optogenetics, a technique that uses light to control individual nerve cells in the brain. The Nobel Assembly of Sweden's Karolinska Institutet said Deisseroth, 54; Hegemann, ​71; and Nagel, 73, had been selected for their "discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics."

Russia tells WHO there are no plague cases in Siberian city

Russian authorities told the World Health Organization on Tuesday that it has no cases of plague in the city ​of Irkutsk in Siberia, where a laboratory worker at a plague research institute died last week, according to a spokesperson for the UN health agency. Moscow, which is required under global ‌health rules to respond to ​WHO requests within 24 hours, previously told the WHO authorities were investigating whether pneumonic plague caused her death.

Pennsylvania measles cases rise to 1,004 as outbreak spreads

Pennsylvania's health department reported 1,004 measles cases as of Monday, as the state grapples with a fast-growing outbreak. Five Pennsylvania residents have died after contracting the highly contagious disease, as cases in the US reach their highest level in more than three decades.

Bangladesh considers dengue vaccine trials as outbreak worsens

Bangladesh is considering carrying out clinical trials of a vaccine against dengue fever after thousands of patients have been hospitalised with the disease and hundreds have died, a minister said on Tuesday. More than 90,350 people have been hospitalised with dengue and 281 have died since the beginning of the year, according to health ministry data.

Gate Bioscience expands Lilly drug discovery deal worth more than $870 million

Gate Bioscience said on Monday it expanded a research and licensing ‌agreement with Eli Lilly to develop treatments targeting disease-causing proteins, in a deal potentially worth more than $870 million. The companies' original agreement, announced in July 2025, was worth up to $856 million.

Factbox-Global healthcare companies invest billions to boost US presence

Global healthcare firms have announced a wave of US investments, committing billions of dollars to expand manufacturing and research operations as they prepare for a shifting trade environment under the Trump administration. Drugmakers including Eli Lilly, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Roche have announced roughly $500 billion in US investments as they seek to strengthen infrastructure, mitigate supply-chain risks and reassure investors.

FTC says it urged US hospitals to provide prompt, accurate pricing information to patients

The US Federal Trade Commission said on Monday it has sent letters to 24 of the country's largest healthcare services companies about their legal obligation to provide pricing information to patients. The commission said in a statement that "failing to do so can be an unfair or deceptive practice."

ArriVent's lung cancer treatment fails late-stage trial

ArriVent BioPharma said on Tuesday its therapy to treat patients with a type of lung cancer did not meet the main goal in a late-stage trial. The company's shares were halted in premarket trading.

Trump says US will help Russia after Siberia plague institute death

US President Donald Trump on Monday at the ‌White House told reporters that the United States will help Russia after a laboratory worker died at a plague research institute in Siberia. Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a trip to Nebraska that the outbreak is a "big problem for Russia."

Dozens quarantined in Siberia after plague institute lab worker dies

A laboratory worker at a plague research institute in Siberia fell ill and died in undisclosed circumstances, prompting authorities to quarantine dozens of people and the head of Russia's health watchdog to fly to the Irkutsk region. The death has sparked public health fears ‌on social media, but the authorities said on Monday the situation was under control.

Zambia to sign $1.5 billion US health pact after resolving differences over data-sharing

Zambia's government will sign an agreement allowing it to receive $1.5 billion in health funding from the United States after resolving concerns over Washington's request for medical data, its health minister said on Tuesday. Earlier this year negotiations stalled over Zambia's concerns over data privacy and a US attempt to tie the funding to access to critical minerals.

US advances first government-funded trials of psychedelic drug ibogaine

US health officials are advancing the first government-funded clinical trials of the psychedelic drug ibogaine to treat opioid addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder, the FDA said on Monday, as it sought public feedback on safety rules for the studies. The initiative follows an April executive order by President Donald Trump, dedicating $50 million to the federal ibogaine research, as well as recent calls by experts and veterans for strict safety standards on psychedelic treatments.

Russia says no plague cases detected among contacts of deceased lab worker

Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among people who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week. Authorities say the 28-year-old woman died on Friday from pneumonia of an as-yet unestablished origin, in a case that has prompted international concern, including from US President Donald Trump.

McKesson, CD&R to take infusion therapy provider Option Care private in $5.8 billion deal

Drug distributor McKesson and private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice on Tuesday agreed to ⁠take infusion therapy provider Option Care Health ​private in a deal worth about $5.8 billion including debt. The per-share offer price of $32.05 represents a 37.1% premium to Option Care's last closing price.

Genmab, AbbVie blood cancer ⁠drug combo cuts risk of progression or death in late-stage study

Danish biotech firm Genmab and US drugmaker AbbVie said on Monday their combination treatment for patients newly diagnosed with a type of lymphoma reduced the risk of disease progression or death in a late-stage study. US-listed shares of Genmab were up about 1.04% in extended trading. AbbVie's shares were flat.

How Trump's America First policy hit the Ebola response in Congo

When US doctor Patrick LaRochelle realized in May that he'd been exposed to Ebola in a mining town in Democratic Republic of Congo, he expected to be rushed home for treatment. That's what happened to him during a previous outbreak in 2018. And this time, at least three of the 13 state-of-the-art US biocontainment centers had ⁠agreed to treat him and his infected US colleague Peter Stafford.

Indonesia's candidate for WHO chief calls on US to rejoin agency

Indonesia's pick to lead the World Health Organization, its health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, told Reuters that the United States should rejoin the agency after its exit at the start of this year. A banker with stints at IBM and major Indonesian bank Mandiri, Budi is one of six candidates seeking to replace Ethiopia's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as the WHO's director-general, along with other nominees from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Botswana, and Belgium.

Most Americans support switch to Medicare for all health insurance

Most Americans now favor government-paid health insurance for all, according to a new poll, ​as voters across party lines see major healthcare reforms as a priority less than a month before midterm elections to decide control of the US Congress. Two-thirds of US adults — up from 53% in 2020 — said they are in favor of universal US health insurance often referred to as "Medicare for all," according to a poll conducted by health policy research firm KFF released on Tuesday.

Becton Dickinson pledges $19 billion US investment in deal with government

Becton Dickinson became the first major US medical device company to strike a deal with the ⁠government to expand its domestic manufacturing, pledging $19 billion over several years in return for shelter from future tariffs. Under the agreement, the company on Tuesday said it plans to make capital, operational and supply chain investments in the US, with $3 billion earmarked for manufacturing sites across the country.

AstraZeneca to invest over $1 billion in Massachusetts, boost workforce

AstraZeneca said on Monday it would spend more than $1 billion in Massachusetts as part of its broader $50 billion US investment plan, a move expected to expand its workforce in the state by more than 50% in the coming years. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker also opened a new research and development center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as part of the investment.

Trump says Becton Dickinson to invest $3 billion to expand US medical product manufacturing

American medical technology company Becton Dickinson has agreed to ⁠invest $3 billion ​to bring manufacturing of essential medical products to the United States, President Donald Trump said on Monday in a post on the Truth Social website. BD will invest more than $1 billion in Nebraska to ramp up production of numerous products, including needles made with American steel, Trump said.

Alector soars as Roche licenses Parkinson's therapy for up to $1.27 billion

Swiss drugmaker Roche will pay up to $1.27 billion to license Alector's experimental treatment for Parkinson's disease, the US biotech said on Monday, sending its shares surging 72% in premarket trading. Genentech, a unit of Roche, will pay Alector $100 million upfront and up to $1.17 billion more if the treatment reaches development, regulatory and sales targets. Alector is also eligible for royalties.

Democratic lawmakers urge FAA not to drop rule requiring epinephrine on all flights

A group of Democratic lawmakers urged the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday not to relax a requirement that all US airlines keep epinephrine on board flights for medical emergencies, especially severe allergic reactions. "Having multiple doses of epinephrine on every aircraft, in delivery methods that can be easily self-administered by individuals without medical training, is more urgent than ever," said the letter sent by Senators Tammy Duckworth, Chuck Schumer, Cory Booker, Richard Blumenthal and Tammy Baldwin, as well ⁠as Representative Doris Matsui and more than a dozen other lawmakers.

Mexico says FDA lettuce probe did not conclusively identify contamination source

Mexico's Health Ministry said on Saturday that a US Food and Drug Administration investigation into the cyclospora parasite outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in Mexico did not conclusively identify the source of contamination. Mexico's food-safety regulator Cofepris said tests conducted by its national reference laboratory on raw materials, finished products and water from the facility investigated in the outbreak were negative for the cyclospora parasite.

PepsiCo, Monster, Reliance win reprieve on 'energy drink' label ban ⁠in India

PepsiCo, Monster Beverage and Reliance Industries can keep the "energy drink" label on products in India after a court put on hold a ban by the food regulator, ⁠a breather for the companies after a dispute they say disrupted operations. The regulator in June ordered makers of high-caffeine beverages sold as "energy drinks" to stop using the description, rejecting the industry's efforts to stall the move in a market expected to be worth $1.6 billion by 2028.

UK says it will monitor AI-based medical devices continually

AI-based medical devices will need constant monitoring even after they're approved for use, rather than a single pre-approval safety check, the head of the UK's medicines regulator said on Tuesday. The UK government will accept all 44 recommendations from a report on how such AI tools are approved, it said.

Kenya confirms first Ebola case imported from Congo after man dies in Nairobi

Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case on Tuesday after a Kenyan citizen who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo died in Nairobi. Kenya is the third country to record a case linked ‌to the Ebola epidemic in eastern Congo, the second largest on record with more than 8,000 cases. Uganda ‌reported 20 cases and two deaths earlier in the year but was declared Ebola-free in August.

New York declares first US measles disaster emergency since 2025 surge

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency on Monday over a measles outbreak, the first such declaration by a U.S. state since cases ​began surging in 2025. The state also expanded the pool of health professionals allowed to administer measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines as cases rise in rural communities.