Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

AstraZeneca strikes $40 million AI drug discovery deal with insitro

AstraZeneca has teamed up with artificial intelligence biotech company insitro to discover and develop new treatments for difficult to treat liver and heart conditions, the British drugmaker said on Thursday. Under the agreement, AstraZeneca will pay $40 million up front, with California-based insitro eligible for up ​to about $1.46 billion in potential development and commercial milestones, as well as a single-digit percentage of future sales in royalties.

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.

Human cases of West Nile virus rise in Europe, with 141 dead in 2026, report says

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Thursday that as of early October, 18 European countries had reported 1,855 ‌people being infected by the West Nile virus since the beginning of 2026, including 141 deaths. "In 2026, WNV has reached record levels in Europe, with the number of human cases and animal outbreaks surpassing historical records," Giusi Amore, Scientific Officer in EFSA’s Biological Hazards and Animal Health & Welfare unit, told Reuters.

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.

Labcorp to buy select assets from Opko Health unit for up to $872 million

Laboratory operator Labcorp said on Thursday it will buy some assets from Opko Health's subsidiary in a $722 million cash deal, with a potential additional payment of up to $150 million tied to revenue from a prostate cancer test. Shares of Opko Health were up 20% in premarket trading.

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:

Kimberly-Clark posts preliminary results above estimates, China clears formamide claims

Kimberly-Clark on Thursday reported preliminary third-quarter sales and profit above expectations on the back of steady demand and cost-saving ‌measures. The results come hours after Chinese authorities said no formamide was detected in the company's products, disproving Chinese social media claims that Huggies diapers contained the toxic substance, which had hurt sales.

Vanda says anxiety drug failed main goal of late-stage study, puts program on hold

Vanda Pharmaceuticals said on Wednesday its experimental drug for social anxiety disorder failed the main goal of a late-stage study, prompting the company to put the program on hold pending further analysis of the data. Shares of the biopharmaceutical company were down about 17% in extended trading.

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.

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:

Analysis-Revolution Medicines' Europe efforts signal solo launch ambitions for cancer drug

Revolution Medicines is laying the groundwork for a broad European commercial rollout of its pancreatic cancer drug, signaling confidence in its ability to bring the therapy to market without relying on a local partner to help sell it. Following impressive clinical data against the notoriously difficult-to-treat cancer, analysts forecast peak annual global sales of $11.5 billion for Revolution's Rasonque, which won speedy US approval in August after an ⁠FDA expedited review.

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.

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.

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.

Congo Ebola outbreak spreads to new province bordering Central African Republic

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to a new province bordering Central African Republic, two health officials said on Thursday, posing a fresh challenge for authorities struggling to contain it. North Ubangi becomes the eighth province to be affected by the outbreak of the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which was announced in mid-May and has become the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, with more than 9,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths confirmed.

Revolution Medicines wins EU committee backing for pancreatic cancer treatment

A European Medicines Agency committee on Thursday recommended EU approval of Revolution Medicines' drug for adults with metastatic pancreatic cancer, potentially offering patients in the bloc a new option for a disease with limited effective therapies. The once-daily oral drug Rasonque, chemically known as daraxonrasib, was approved in the US in August under an expedited review process for ⁠one of the deadliest forms of cancer, and works by blocking RAS proteins that can drive cancer-cell growth.

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.