Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

BioNTech's mRNA cancer therapy misses first goal in head and neck trial

BioNTech said on Tuesday its experimental mRNA cancer immunotherapy failed to meet the first main goal of a mid-to-late-stage trial in patients with head and neck cancer. US-listed shares of the drug developer were ​down nearly 3% in early trading.

Roche strikes obesity drug licensing deal worth up to $1.16 billion with Chinese Rona Therapeutics

Swiss drugmaker Roche entered a licensing agreement worth up to $1.16 billion with Rona Therapeutics for its investigational obesity ​drug candidate, the Chinese biotech firm said on Tuesday. Roche has been racing to break into the obesity drug market dominated by Eli Lilly and ‌Novo Nordisk.

Health Rounds: ​Experimental drug treats gluten-caused intestinal damage in celiac patients

Today we feature some promising news for people dealing with gluten issues from celiac disease. We also report on studies that appear to debunk cannabis as a sleep enhancer, and another way in which artificial intelligence could help people monitor and better understand various health conditions. EXPERIMENTAL DRUG PROTECTS AGAINST GLUTEN DAMAGE, SYMPTOMS

Lonza sets new mid-term targets, confirms 2026 outlook

Swiss contract drug manufacturer Lonza set new mid-term targets and confirmed its 2026 outlook on Wednesday ahead of its capital markets day, while saying third-quarter performance was in line with expectations across its business areas. Lonza is seeking to become a pure-play drug manufacturer once it finalizes the planned sale of its ‌Capsules & Health Ingredients business. Closing of the $3 billion deal, agreed with Lone Star Funds in March, is expected by the end of 2026.

Galderma to buy US firm ZO Skin Health for $1.5 billion

Swiss skincare firm Galderma has agreed to acquire US company ZO Skin Health for an enterprise value of $1.5 billion, it said on Wednesday, confirming a report published by Reuters earlier in the day. The acquisition of the Irvine, California-based company is the biggest since Galderma floated on the stock market in early 2024, and will complement its science-backed skincare brand Alastin.

Bristol Myers' lung disease drug succeeds at lower dose in late-stage trial

Bristol Myers Squibb said on Monday a lower dose of its experimental drug slowed the progression of a serious lung-scarring disease, putting it on track to be a first-of-its-kind treatment if approved. The late-stage trial enrolled 1,255 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and tested two oral doses of admilparant, which targets a pathway involved in lung scarring by blocking the LPA1 protein receptor.

CVS settles US Justice ‌Department case over opioid prescriptions for $315 million

CVS Health has agreed to pay $315 million to resolve allegations that the pharmacy chain operator unlawfully filled medically unnecessary prescriptions for addictive opioid painkillers, the US Justice Department said on Tuesday. The settlement resolves a case the department announced in 2024 that sought to hold CVS responsible for its role in dispensing massive quantities of dangerous drugs like opioids that were at the heart of a nationwide addiction epidemic.

J&J posts weak medical ‌device sales, shares fall

Johnson & Johnson reported sales in its medical devices business on Tuesday that fell short of Wall Street expectations, citing geopolitical issues including the Middle East conflict, and its shares fell more than 6%. The results marked the second successive quarter that its MedTech unit missed analysts' estimates.

WHO unsure what caused pneumonia that killed plague-lab worker in Russia

The World Health Organization said on Saturday that it still does not know what caused the pneumonia that killed a Russian lab worker at an anti-plague research center in Siberia this month, and that no case of plague had been registered. The WHO said the Russian state regulator reported that tests of the lab worker and those who came in contact with her were negative for the high-threat pathogens tested, that her contacts still showed no symptoms, and that no further linked cases of severe pneumonia had been identified.

Walmart to offer 250-plus free medications, including GLP-1s, to employees

Walmart on Tuesday introduced a plan to offer employees more than 250 medications, including GLP-1s, insulin and inhalers at no cost, as the retailer expands healthcare benefits for its workforce. Here are some details:

CDC to deploy additional support to Pennsylvania to probe measles outbreak

The US CDC ⁠said on Tuesday it would ​deploy additional support to Pennsylvania to help investigate the ongoing measles outbreak, as the state formally requested federal assistance through the agency's Epi-Aid ⁠emergency response program. Pennsylvania health officials have reported 1,136 measles cases and five deaths linked to the outbreak this year as of October 9, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed two measles-associated deaths nationwide in 2026, without identifying the states involved.

As Ebola spreads in eastern Congo, mothers and children shun vital care

The fear of Ebola is keeping women and children from seeking healthcare in eastern Congo, health workers and aid agencies say, contributing to soaring maternal deaths and falling childhood immunization rates that could strain the healthcare system for years to come. Health workers say ⁠that misplaced anxiety about contact with Ebola is the primary reason women are forgoing crucial prenatal care and opting to give birth at home, and dying more often in the event of complications.

Bristol Myers radiopharma cancer drug slows rare tumor progression in study

Bristol Myers Squibb said on Monday its experimental radiopharmaceutical cancer therapy significantly delayed disease progression in patients with rare, advanced gastrointestinal and pancreatic tumors that had progressed after earlier treatment. Shares of the drugmaker were up nearly 2%.

Australian court dismisses Cosette appeal to drop Mayne Pharma takeover

Australia's New South ​Wales Court of Appeal on Wednesday rejected Cosette Pharmaceuticals' bid to terminate its takeover of Mayne Pharma, upholding a lower court ruling that the US-based drugmaker had no valid grounds to abandon the deal. Here are some of the details:

Congo's Ebola infections surpass 9,000, government report shows

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen above 9,000, government data showed on Tuesday, as responders struggle to ⁠slow transmission in multiple hotspots. The latest situation report from Congo's public health institute put the number of cases at 9,066 and deaths at 4,381.

UnitedHealth raises profit forecast as turnaround efforts gather pace

UnitedHealth Group raised its 2026 profit forecast on Tuesday and indicated that Wall Street's current estimate for 2027 earnings was too low, saying it would build on restrained medical-cost spending in its health insurance business and improved margins in clinical care. The company has been in turnaround mode for the past two years after it suffered one of the biggest cyber attacks on the industry, missed financial targets and was forced to withdraw its ⁠outlook. It ​was also rattled by the killing of a top executive outside the company's investor meeting in New York nearly two years ago.

Sanofi avoids fine as EU accepts offer to stop disparaging rival vaccine

French pharmaceutical company Sanofi has staved off a potential hefty fine after European Union antitrust regulators on Wednesday said they had accepted its offer to stop disparaging a rival flu vaccine. The European Commission opened an investigation in June into whether Sanofi disparaged a vaccine called "Fluad" made by CSL Seqirus, primarily in France and Germany, which competes with its "Efluelda" flu vaccine.

Guinea-Bissau says it has not approved hepatitis B vaccine trial in newborns

Guinea-Bissau's transitional government said Tuesday it has not approved a proposed clinical trial of a hepatitis B vaccine in newborns, denying reports that the study had been authorized.

The denial followed news reports that the Trump administration-funded study to assess the effects of administering the hepatitis B vaccine at birth would go ahead in the West African country.

Exclusive-Galderma ⁠agrees to buy ZO Skin Health for around $1.5 billion, sources say

Swiss skincare conglomerate Galderma has agreed to buy medical-grade skincare company ZO Skin Health for around $1.5 billion, according to two people familiar with the matter. A deal could be announced in the coming days, the people said.

Martin Shkreli violated lifetime pharma industry ban, FTC and states say

Martin Shkreli has violated a lifetime ban from the pharmaceutical industry by trading stocks and discussing his opinions ⁠about companies in the industry, federal and state regulators said on Tuesday. In a court filing, the Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of ⁠seven states asked US District Judge Denise Cote to hold Shkreli in contempt and issue a fine equal to his profits from trading pharmaceutical company stocks since February 4, 2022.

Malaysian pharmacy group Big Caring signs retail underwriting deal ahead of IPO

Malaysia's largest pharmacy chain operator Big Caring Group said on Wednesday it has signed a retail underwriting agreement with three local banks for its planned initial public offering. Maybank Investment Bank, RHB Investment Bank and AmInvestment Bank have committed to underwrite the retail offering of 267.6 million shares

Liquidia surges as United Therapeutics settlement removes key litigation risk

Liquidia shares jumped nearly 37% in premarket trading on Wednesday after the drugmaker settled a years-long legal dispute with United Therapeutics over ‌its lung disease drug. The settlement, announced late on Tuesday, ends six lawsuits over patents, trade ‌secrets, contracts and antitrust claims related to Liquidia's Yutrepia, an inhaled dry-powder form of the drug treprostinil.

GSK to cut up to 1,217 jobs in Belgium

GSK is planning to cut up to 1,217 jobs from its sites in Belgium, the British ​biopharmaceutical company said on Wednesday. The company announced the plan to unions earlier on Wednesday, Belgian newspaper L'Echo reported