Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Health Rounds: Glucose monitoring devices for type 2 diabetes benefit even those not on insulin

Today we highlight a study that found benefits of wearable glucose monitoring devices for all patients with diabetes, regardless of insulin dependence. We also report on a positive trial of a J&J pill in ​ulcerative colitis, and a discovery about ovaries after menopause. CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITORING BENEFITS ALL WITH DIABETES

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.

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.

Factbox-Weight-loss drug developers line up to tap lucrative market as competition heats up

The weight-loss drug market is booming, with biotech firms racing to capture a slice of the fast-growing sector dominated by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Analysts expect the weight-loss sector to generate about $100 billion in annual sales in the next decade.

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.

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.

Rotting meat ⁠smell sparks protest at Mexico's screwworm sterile-fly plant

A rotten smell hanging over a town in Mexico's southern Chiapas state drove residents into the streets on Thursday to demand the removal of a sterile-fly plant at the center of the US-Mexican fight against the flesh-eating New World screwworm parasite. Residents in Metapa de Dominguez compared the odor to rotting meat and spoiled food, describing it as “pungent in your nose and mouth” and causing nausea. The smell, once concentrated around the plant, could now be detected farther away, particularly when winds carried it across the town, protesters said. The odor ​had reached schools near the plant and disrupted classes.

US FDA takes step to change peptide compounding policy

The US FDA on Thursday submitted a new policy change that could allow pharmacies to more easily compound certain peptides to the White House for consideration. Telehealth company Hims & Hers Health had previously said it plans to offer peptides if regulations permit.

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.

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.

UN says Gaza malnutrition gains fragile as commercial supplies halt

Gains in tackling malnutrition in Gaza remain fragile and could be undermined by disruptions to supplies entering the Palestinian enclave, the UN children's agency UNICEF said on Friday, urging that all crossings remain open. Israel said on Wednesday commercial goods were no longer entering Gaza because of what it described ‌as a dispute over taxes between local merchants and militant group Hamas.

Eli Lilly's weight-loss pill ‌wins EU drug regulator's backing

The European Medicines Agency's committee on Friday recommended approval of Eli Lilly's weight-loss pill Foundayo, the second oral obesity drug to win the agency's backing after Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill. The European Commission will now review the recommendation and give a ​final nod for the company to launch the drug in the region. Novo's Wegovy pill won EU approval in July.