Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Novo's CagriSema helped women lose 25% of weight on average, analysis shows

Novo Nordisk said on Tuesday its next-generation experimental drug, CagriSema, showed 25% weight loss on average in women with obesity or overweight, according to data analyzed after the completion of a late-stage study. CagriSema, viewed as a successor to the Danish drugmaker's blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, ​could help Novo claw back ground lost to rival Eli Lilly in the fast-growing weight-loss market. Wegovy faces patent expiries after 2030.

Nigeria reports Ebola case, fourth African country affected by outbreak

Nigeria reported its first Ebola case in more than a ​decade on Tuesday, becoming the fourth African country and the most populous yet to be affected by an outbreak that health officials have described as the fastest-spreading on ‌record. The Ebola species behind the ​outbreak kills about half of those infected and has no approved treatment or vaccine. Since the first cases were confirmed in Democratic Republic of Congo in May, the disease has killed 4,646 people. Health officials fear misinformation and funding shortfalls could fuel further spread within the region and across borders.

Abbott plans to spin off nutrition business, cuts 2026 sales growth view

Abbott Laboratories said it plans to separate its nutrition business into an independent, publicly traded company and reduced its 2026 sales growth forecast, sending shares down 3.4% in premarket trading. "This separation will benefit both companies," CEO Robert Ford said and added that Abbott's core portfolio of medical devices, diagnostics and established medicines has compelling growth opportunities.

Polish lawmakers vote to ease abortion ban, but face likely presidential veto

Poland's lower house of parliament on Tuesday voted to allow abortion in case of ‌foetal abnormalities and to decriminalise providing help in getting an abortion, as lawmakers seek to reverse a near-total abortion ban introduced by the previous government. The legislation, however, is almost certain to be vetoed by the nationalist president.

How cheap Chinese antibiotics threaten Europe's last major penicillin plant

Tucked away in the green foothills of the Austrian Alps, the last fully integrated European penicillin plant faces an uncertain future in the shadow of rising Chinese industrial power. The reason: China is churning out the same antibiotics and ingredients as the Sandoz factory in Kundl, Austria, at much lower cost for the European market.

Saluda Medical's shares hit record low on Evoke device recall

Saluda Medical said on Wednesday it is undertaking a voluntary recall of certain Evoke neurostimulation devices after identifying a manufacturing-related issue, sending shares of the US-based firm to a record low. Here are the details:

Hims & Hers Health launches online weight management service for men in Germany

Hims & Hers Health said on Tuesday it launched an online weight management service for men in Germany, marking a deeper investment by the US telehealth firm in one of Europe's largest healthcare markets. Here are some details:

Intuitive tightens 2026 robotic-surgery procedure growth forecast; shares fall

Intuitive Surgical ‌on Tuesday tightened its 2026 forecast for growth in procedures performed using its da Vinci robotic surgery systems. Procedure growth is a key measure for Intuitive as surgeries performed using its da Vinci systems generate recurring sales of instruments and accessories, its largest revenue segment.

US FDA issues guidance on apps used with prescription drugs

The US FDA on Tuesday issued guidance aimed at clarifying how drug companies can develop, distribute and label apps used alongside their prescription medicines. Here are some details:

Kennedy says Trump administration aims for regulated market for peptides

US Health Secretary ‌Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Tuesday the Trump administration aims to expand access to peptides by creating a regulated marketplace for the drugs promoted by social media influencers and by the health secretary. They have attracted consumers in a gray market, bolstered by social media claims for a host of unproven uses, and with scant safety and efficacy evidence from human studies.

Early US flu season, current strain may signal risk for younger people; doctors urge shots

Doctors are urging Americans aged 6 months and older to get vaccinated against the flu after an unusual early rise in cases on the West Coast that virologists are still working to understand. It could be the strain itself. The predominant flu strain this year is H1N1, which caused the 2009 swine flu pandemic and is now a standard part of the flu shot. But this year’s version of the virus has a new mutation called G155E.

Nigeria reports first Ebola case in a decade in woman who arrived from Uganda

Nigeria reported its first Ebola case in about a decade on Tuesday after a foreign woman living in the capital tested positive for the viral infection after arriving from Uganda. A senior public health official told a local television station the woman is "originally from Uganda and so made a quick travel to Uganda."

Kenya confirms new Ebola case, total at nine, health ministry says

Kenya has confirmed a new Ebola case, ⁠bringing the total number of infections ​to nine, the health ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry said the latest case was a close family member of the first patient and had already ⁠been placed in quarantine.

AstraZeneca-Amgen asthma drug hits 69% remission in esophageal disease trial

Amgen and AstraZeneca said on Tuesday their asthma drug helped reduce swallowing difficulties and achieved disease remission in 69% of patients with a type of chronic inflammatory disorder of the esophagus. The result builds on August data, when AstraZeneca said the drug met the trial's main goals after 24 weeks of treatment by reducing esophageal inflammation and easing swallowing difficulties versus placebo.

Beauty giants target 'Ozempic face' as boom in obesity drugs opens new market

Swiss skincare firm Galderma, Brazilian cosmetics group Natura and beauty giant L'Oreal are testing treatments for consumers worried about facial sagging and volume loss, looking to capitalise on a growing market tied to ⁠the boom in obesity drugs. The companies are targeting concerns known as "Ozempic face," a term that emerged as the diabetes drug became widely associated with weight loss. Experts say the loss of facial volume is linked to rapid weight loss rather than GLP-1 drugs themselves.

Australia's CSL names GSK executive Waterhouse as next CEO

Australian biotechnology company CSL on Wednesday named GSK executive Deborah Waterhouse as its next chief executive and managing director, effective February, seeking to turn a budding share-price recovery into sustained earnings growth. Waterhouse will be the first woman to lead CSL since it was incorporated more than three decades ago. She will replace interim CEO ​Gordon Naylor and be based in Britain, the Melbourne-headquartered company said.

As weight-loss drug users turn to dietary supplements, doctors, regulators raise flags

For Allison Vecchio, 42, GLP-1 drugs were "a reset button on life," but at a price — side effects like gastrointestinal distress, brittle nails, and feelings of weakness so intense that at times she could not leave her bed. But the Fort Pierce, Florida-based ER nurse said the symptoms eased when she began a cocktail of supplements that included fiber, collagen and electrolytes, a haul ⁠that costs $200 to $300 a month. "You really have to take the reins" to turn mere weight loss into improved health, she said.

Fecal waste contaminates sinkholes, drinking wells in Mexico's Yucatan, Greenpeace says

Water from wells and sinkholes in Mexico's Yucatan state that residents use for drinking is contaminated with fecal bacteria, according to a Greenpeace report published on Tuesday, which said nearby pig farms and municipal wastewater were likely sources. Greenpeace called for an immediate moratorium on new industrial livestock operations and farm expansions in the state, home to the ancient Maya civilization.

Brazil avoids nationwide China poultry ban after Newcastle disease case

Brazil's government said on Tuesday that China's restrictions on poultry imports following an outbreak of Newcastle disease at a turkey farm in Santa Catarina ⁠will be limited ​to that state, easing concerns about broader trade disruptions. Analysts had flagged the scope and duration of China's restrictions as key factors in assessing potential impacts on exporters, while noting that the outbreak was unlikely to cause lasting damage to the industry.

AstraZeneca partners with Oracle for AI-driven clinical trials

AstraZeneca said on Tuesday that it is working with Oracle to use AI and real-world data to identify eligible patients for clinical trials and monitor safety signals, among other measures, as the drugmaker looks to improve clinical research. The collaboration will combine AstraZeneca's drug development expertise with Oracle's AI and healthcare data capabilities to support patient matching and research

US FDA approves GSK's hepatitis B drug, offering patients chance to stop long-term treatment

The US FDA said on Tuesday it had approved British drugmaker GSK's hepatitis B drug Hibsago, allowing patients with the liver infection a way to keep the virus under control after stopping treatment. The drug, chemically known as bepirovirsen, is the first FDA-approved antisense oligonucleotide for chronic hepatitis B, according to the agency.

US health agency confirms third measles-related death this year

The United States has logged a third measles-related death this year, the ⁠Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday, as the country battles its worst outbreak in decades. The toll matches the previous year's total, with the agency reporting 4,410 confirmed cases nationwide as of October 15.

Elevance lifts 2026 profit forecast on disciplined cost management

Elevance Health on Wednesday raised its annual profit forecast after posting better-than-expected quarterly results, helped by lower medical costs. Health insurers have been grappling with declining membership, as well as rising costs from elevated demand for behavioral health services and specialty drugs in government-backed plans.

Brazil's Newcastle poultry ⁠outbreak unlikely to have major long-term impact, analysts say

An outbreak of Newcastle disease in Brazil is unlikely to cause lasting damage to the country's poultry industry if authorities ⁠contain it quickly, analysts said, though uncertainty over trade restrictions, particularly from China, remains a key risk for exporters. Brazil, the world's largest chicken meat exporter, confirmed a case of the disease at a commercial farm in the southern state of Santa Catarina on Monday, prompting containment measures and triggering concerns over poultry trade flows.

Cherry or tabasco? Perfumers test weight-loss drug users' appetite for food-inspired scents

From cherry and banoffee pie to tabasco and sesame, the list of food aromas popping up in luxury fragrances keeps growing. Now some perfume makers are starting to ask if weight-loss drugs might be reshaping what consumers want in a scent. So-called gourmand fragrances like Thierry Mugler's pioneering cotton candy-inspired Angel and Nina Ricci's toffee apple scent Nina have been around for decades. More recent growth in the segment has been attributed to the pandemic-era ‌boom in online retail — when familiar food associations helped sales of perfumes that cannot be smelled before ‌purchase — and the growing prominence of Gen Z consumers.

Cencora to acquire American Oncology Network in $2.4 billion deal

Drug distributor Cencora said on Wednesday it would acquire American Oncology Network in a deal valuing the cancer care provider at up to $2.4 billion, deepening its reach in community oncology across the ​United States. Cencora, which currently owns about 4% of AON, will acquire all of the equity interests that it does not currently own.