Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Exclusive-China plans late entry into WHO leadership race, sources say

China plans to put forward a late candidate to lead the World Health Organization, according to four diplomats and a source familiar with the matter, giving Beijing a chance to expand its influence after the US quit the WHO. Beijing has long sought to take on ​more responsibility within UN agencies and other multilateral bodies, just as the United States under President Donald Trump winds down its engagement with the UN and some of its constituent organisations.

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.

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.

ArriVent's cancer pill fails to 'meaningfully' delay disease progression, shares dive

ArriVent BioPharma said on Tuesday its oral therapy to treat patients with a rare type of lung cancer did not significantly delay disease progression in a late-stage trial, sending its shares plunging nearly 60% in ‌morning trading. The therapy, firmonertinib, was tested in previously untreated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a genetic alteration called EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation, which can fuel cancer growth.

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.

Texas AG Paxton probes Fruit of the Loom, Hanes over potential toxic chemicals in children's underwear

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation on Tuesday into whether Fruit of the Loom and Hanes use toxic chemicals in producing children's underwear. Paxton said he sent civil investigative demands to Fruit of the Loom, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, and Hanes, which is owned by Gildan Activewear, citing the chemicals' potential effects on children's health. He did not accuse either company of wrongdoing.

US appeals court weighs block on Kennedy's vaccine panel appointments

A lawyer for the Trump administration told a federal appeals court on Tuesday that a judge had improperly hamstrung an influential vaccine advisory panel by blocking Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s handpicked appointees from serving on it. US Justice Department attorney Matthew Zorn argued at a hearing before the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston that the judge's ruling was preventing the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices from meeting due to concerns that any new appointments Kennedy made to it could also be blocked.

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.

No plague cases detected in Siberia, Russia says, and locals play down scare

Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted. 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. Its shares were up 32.8% at $31.03.

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 strategic manufacturing sites across the country.

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.

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

PepsiCo, Monster Beverage and Reliance's beverage unit can keep the "energy drink" label on existing stocks in India, a court ruled on Tuesday as it reviewed a ban on the label by the food regulator. The ruling provides a breather for the companies ⁠after a months-long dispute they say disrupted operations.

Explainer-What do we know about plague institute lab worker's death in Russia?

A laboratory worker at a plague research institute ⁠in Siberia fell ill and died in undisclosed circumstances on October 2, prompting authorities to quarantine about 200 people and causing public health fears on social media. Here's what we know about the case, which officials have not linked to her work or plague, and about the disease she studied.

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 after man who travelled from Congo dies

Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case on Tuesday after a Kenyan citizen who had travelled from Democratic Republic of Congo died in Nairobi. Kenya ‌is the fourth country to record a case linked to the Ebola epidemic in eastern Congo, ‌the second largest on record with more than 8,000 cases.

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.