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.

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

South Africa revises rules around customisation of weight-loss drugs

South Africa is revising ‌its rules governing ​the customisation of medicines, including sought-after GLP-1 treatments for diabetes and weight loss, health regulators said, warning pharmacies not to act as small-scale manufacturers. At a multi-stakeholder roundtable on counterfeit medicines on Wednesday, South African Pharmacy Council Registrar and CEO Vincent Tlala said the council was working with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) on updated minimum standards and guidelines for compounding medicines.

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.

Explainer-How does the US count measles deaths?

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has changed how the federal government recognizes deaths from measles in the midst of the worst US outbreak of the highly infectious virus in more than three decades, prompting backlash from disease experts and political opponents. Here is what you need to know about how US measles deaths are currently determined:

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.

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.

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:

Zealand Pharma, Generate strike AI obesity drug deal worth up to $1.2 billion

Danish obesity-drug developer Zealand Pharma has partnered with US biotechnology company Generate Biomedicines to develop protein-based treatments for obesity and other metabolic diseases ⁠using AI, in a deal ​worth up to $1.2 billion. Generate will receive $30 million upfront and up to $35 million in early preclinical milestones, and is eligible for total milestone payments of nearly $1.2 ⁠billion, the companies said on Tuesday. Generate's shares were up about 5% in extended trading.

Pennsylvania reports 1,222 measles cases as outbreak grows

The Pennsylvania Health Department on Wednesday reported 1,222 measles cases in the state, up 86 cases from a week earlier. Key details include:

Factbox-What is lung adenocarcinoma, the cancer diagnosed in Pope Leo?

Pope Leo was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung during surgery on Tuesday, the Vatican said. Here are some facts about the disease.

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.

Vir, Gilead team up on solid tumor cancer therapies in up to $1.9 billion deal

Vir Biotechnology said on Wednesday it had signed a collaboration agreement worth up to $1.88 billion with Gilead Sciences to discover and develop new cancer treatments for solid tumors. Shares of Vir rose more than 10% in premarket trading following the announcement.

US cuts Obamacare subsidies for 189,000 with duplicate coverage

The Trump administration said on Wednesday it is cutting off Affordable Care Act subsidies for about 189,000 people it identified as having duplicate government coverage or being deceased, a move officials estimate will save taxpayers roughly $738 million this year. US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services identified enrollees ⁠in ​2026 as holding subsidized coverage on the ACA federal marketplace, also known as Obamacare, while also enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program. It also identified deceased people still on the subsidy lists.

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.

US individual health insurance enrollment fell to 20.5 million as of June, KFF says

Affordable Care Act and other individual health insurance plan enrollment fell 18% to 20.5 million members in June, according to health policy research firm KFF, marking the steepest annual decline since 2015 as Americans struggle with rising health insurance costs. Enrollment was 25.2 million in the year-earlier period, KFF 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

Kenya reports second Ebola case, family member of first patient

Kenya reported a second case of Ebola on Wednesday, about a week after ⁠recording its first ever infection of the viral disease when a Kenyan who had been living in Congo died in a Nairobi hospital on October 5. The second patient, a 39-year-old man, is a close family member of the first case and was already in quarantine when he fell ill on Tuesday, the health ministry said in a statement. It said he had been isolated immediately after developing symptoms including fever, fatigue and joint pains.

Liquidia surges as United Therapeutics settlement removes key litigation risk

Liquidia shares jumped 26% on Wednesday after it settled a years-long legal dispute with United Therapeutics over its lung disease drug, removing a major litigation risk for the drugmaker. 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 plans to cut up to 1,217 jobs in Belgium as it begins three-year restructuring plan

GSK ‌said on Wednesday it could cut as many as 1,217 jobs in Belgium, in the first sign that the British drugmaker's three-year plan to save £1.9 billion ($2.50 billion) in costs is moving into action. CEO Luke Miels had launched the effort in July as part of a broader push ​to speed up drug development and reassure investors that GSK can manage an approaching patent cliff for its blockbuster HIV drug dolutegravir.