Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Glaukos says late-stage eye disease treatment shows lasting benefits after single dose

Glaukos said on Wednesday patients treated with its late-stage eye disease therapy maintained improvements in vision and corneal shape three years after a single treatment for keratoconus, a disease that can progressively distort vision. The medtech firm said patients who received a single ​Epioxa treatment did not require additional intervention during the three-year follow-up period.

CDC sees low plague risk, monitors Siberia arrivals after worker death, director says

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Erica Schwartz said on Wednesday the risk to the US from ​an unconfirmed pneumonic plague case in Siberia was extremely low, but the agency was prepared to monitor and screen travelers. "We are working with Department of Homeland Security, ‌working (with) Department of State, ​Department of War, and other agencies within the government to make sure that we know exactly if anyone from that area comes into the United States," Schwartz said at the Wall Street Journal's The Future of Health event in Washington.

Russia says plague institute worker's death does not risk an epidemic

Russia's health regulator said on Wednesday there were no risks of an epidemic breaking out in Siberia after a plague institute worker there died, as the World Health Organization pressed Moscow for more information about her cause of death. Russian authorities say the 28-year-old laboratory worker died last Friday from pneumonia of an as-yet unestablished origin, in a case that has prompted international concern, including from US President Donald Trump. Around 200 people were initially placed in quarantine.

Nvidia-backed Iambic Therapeutics launches IPO as biotechs buck market gloom

Nvidia-backed Iambic Therapeutics, which ‌uses AI to develop drugs, is aiming to raise up to $159.4 million in its US IPO, as the biotech sector emerges as a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster market. The initial public offering would value the drugmaker at up to $805.8 million — towards the top of its indicated price range — based on the number of outstanding shares listed in its prospectus, a regulatory filing showed on Tuesday.

US FDA expands use of Novartis drug for chronic skin condition

The US Food and Drug Administration has expanded the use of Novartis' drug to treat adults with a chronic skin condition that causes recurring itchy welts, the Swiss drugmaker said on Wednesday. The condition, called symptomatic dermographism, is a form of chronic hives in which scratching, rubbing or friction on the skin can trigger itchy welts.

North Carolina reports first flu death of 2026-27 season

North Carolina has reported its first flu death of the 2026-2027 season, state health officials said on Thursday, urging residents to get vaccinated against seasonal respiratory illnesses. An adult living in the central part of the state died from flu complications during the first week of October, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said.

US ‌states label abortion drugs a 'public nuisance' in bid to curb access

Three Republican-led US states are testing a novel legal argument as they seek to stem the flow of abortion pills to residents who can still obtain them from out-of-state providers despite their abortion bans. Louisiana, Alabama and Arkansas filed two lawsuits last week claiming that medical providers are creating a "public nuisance" by mailing abortion drugs over state lines and that New York, California and Massachusetts have aided that conduct by adopting shield laws protecting abortion providers from out-of-state prosecution and civil ‌liability.

Russia says checks following Siberian plague lab death are complete

Russia said on Thursday it had completed health checks on all the contacts of a deceased lab worker at a plague research facility in Siberia, signalling a desire to draw a line under the affair. Statements from the state health watchdog and the regional governor said monitoring of all the dead woman's contacts had concluded, and reiterated that no dangerous pathogens had been found in nearly 5,000 samples.

Argenx discontinues Vyvgart study in Sjögren's disease, shares tumble

Argenx said on Thursday it had discontinued a late-stage study of its efgartigimod drug in adults with Sjögren's disease, an autoimmune condition that damages the glands producing tears and saliva, putting its shares on track for their biggest one-day fall in almost three years. The drug, commercialized under Vyvgart, has become one of Europe's most successful biotech launches through its use in treatment of two other autoimmune diseases, and Argenx sees rheumatology as a potential new growth platform for it. Sjögren's is primarily diagnosed and treated by rheumatologists.

People in Russian-occupied Ukrainian town risk 'road of death' to get food

Trapped and facing starvation, residents of the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine risk their lives to travel for hours by foot and bicycle along mine-strewn roads to get food and water. The main route out of the town, lying near the front line east of the Dnipro River, heads deeper into Russian-controlled areas. ⁠It is littered with burned-out cars and ​charred by blasts, according to witnesses, relatives, humanitarian groups and video footage verified by Reuters. Attack drones prowl overhead.

Zambia says it is negotiating US minerals ⁠deal after 'decoupling' from health pact

Zambia is negotiating a critical minerals deal with the US government after "decoupling" it from a separate health funding agreement it signed on Thursday, its foreign minister said. "There was this (Memorandum of Understanding) on health and another on critical minerals, and we were saying that these need to be decoupled, and this has been done," Mulambo Haimbe said at a signing ceremony for the health pact, which will see the US provide $1.5 billion in funding

New York governor plans to seek federal help to tackle measles outbreak

New York Governor Kathy Hochul will seek federal assistance to tackle the measles outbreak in the state, including support from the US Department of ⁠Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, her spokesperson said. Hochul will make a "detailed and specific request for assistance from the federal government," spokesperson Nicolette Simmonds told Reuters late on Wednesday.

Abortion drug safety review will be completed by March, US FDA says

The Trump administration plans to complete a review of the abortion drug mifepristone by March 2027, according to a court filing, paving the way for potential changes that could limit access to the pills. The US Food and Drug Administration in a filing in Louisiana federal court late on Wednesday said it expects to receive the results of a study on the ​drug's safety risks in December and will issue a report after interpreting them.

AI companies run virtual drug trials, aim to improve success of human studies

Novartis’ experimental del-desiran for a rare type of muscular dystrophy was expected to be a winner, with the Swiss company's CEO predicting annual peak sales of $5 billion. When a late-stage trial missed its goal last month, shares fell 11%, erasing $30 billion in market value. AI start-up BioinvestGPT was not surprised. In July, it ran a simulated trial to measure how virtual ⁠patients would respond to del-desiran and predicted an insignificant clinical benefit.

Pharma lobby sues Trump administration over Medicare drug price cuts

The pharmaceutical industry's top lobby group on Wednesday sued to invalidate the Trump administration's efforts to benchmark US drug prices to lower costs overseas in the Medicare health insurance program, arguing that it is an illegal government overreach. The GLOBE rule intends to set hospital drug prices for Medicare patients. Its final version was published last week on exactly how a "most-favored-nation" pricing system based on what is paid in a group of comparable countries would be integrated in the Medicare Part B program.

Explainer-What do we know so far 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 initially 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.

Kenya Ebola case exposes gaps in border screenings

By the time Kenya's first Ebola patient was whisked to a hospital by relatives straight after landing at Nairobi airport, he was already exhibiting some classic symptoms - fever, chills, muscle pain and bleeding beneath the skin. Two days later he was dead, leaving public health experts to piece together how he had managed to transit through three countries and evade layers of screening meant to stop the ongoing outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo from spreading to neighbouring states.

Viatris bets on non-opioid pain drugs with $1.65 billion Pacira deal

Drugmaker Viatris said on Thursday it would buy Pacira BioSciences for $1.65 billion in cash, adding two non-opioid pain treatments to its portfolio as it looks to build out higher-value branded medicines beyond its core generics business. Viatris will pay $36.50 per share, representing a 44.8% premium ⁠to the stock's last close. Pacira shares rose about 44% in morning trading, while Viatris shares slipped nearly 2%.

Kenya says tests on suspected Ebola case come back negative

Preliminary laboratory results on a sample from a Kenyan patient who was suspected of having Ebola have come back negative, the governor of the county where he is being treated said on Thursday. Kenya reported its first-ever Ebola case on Tuesday after a citizen who had travelled from Democratic Republic of Congo died of the virus in Nairobi.

WHO endorses ⁠lifestyle changes over GLP-1 drugs in child obesity fight

The World Health Organization on Wednesday recommended diet, exercise and counseling over popular weight-loss drugs in its first global ⁠guidelines addressing rising obesity among younger children. According to UNICEF data, obesity has surpassed being underweight as the most common form of malnutrition in school children and adolescents worldwide.

US FDA flags four deaths in Newron's schizophrenia drug studies

Italy's Newron Pharmaceuticals said on Thursday the US FDA had identified four deaths among patients treated with its experimental schizophrenia drug in feedback following the agency's earlier decision to place a clinical hold on the treatment's trial in the US. Shares of the Switzerland-listed company fell 5.7% in afternoon trading after the US Food and Drug Administration raised safety concerns, including the potential risk of irregular heart rhythms.

Medical device maker Centinel Spine discloses revenue rise in US IPO filing

Medical device maker Centinel Spine revealed a 42% rise in first-half revenue in its US initial public offering filing on Wednesday. The filing comes against an uncertain ‌backdrop for the fall IPO market, as rising bond yields and high interest rates have dampened investor appetite ‌and prompted several major companies to delay their listings.

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.