Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Mankind Pharma's quarterly profit jumps 39% on strong chronic drug demand

Indian drugmaker Mankind Pharma reported an over 39% jump in second-quarter profit on Monday, helped by strong demand for chronic therapies such as diabetes and cardiac treatments, Here ​are the details:

Obesity drug developer Corxel to go public in US via SPAC deal

Obesity drug developer Corxel Pharmaceuticals will go public in the US through a merger with special ​purpose acquisition company Amanat Acquisition Corp, the companies announced on Monday. The success of newer weight-loss therapies has spurred a wave of ‌investments by biotechs ​looking to capture a slice of the fast-growing sector dominated by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly

China approves Bayer blood thinner asundexian

China's drug regulator said on Monday it approved the blood thinner asundexian from Bayer, a potential boost for the German drugmaker in the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market as it moves to counter competition from generic medicines. Bayer is betting on asundexian to offset declining revenue from older blockbuster drugs, such as its blood thinner Xarelto, which has faced increased competition from cheaper generics since losing patent protection.

Swiss woman with Ebola evacuated from Nigeria to Geneva

A woman infected with the Ebola virus ‌and her husband, a Swiss diplomat, were flown from Nigeria to hospitals in Switzerland on Monday, Swiss authorities said. The Ugandan-born wife of the diplomat, based in Abuja, was being treated at Geneva University Hospitals for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has caused an outbreak that started in Democratic Republic of Congo.

US judge won't block Eli Lilly ads for weight-loss drugs, rules against Novo Nordisk

A US judge on Monday rejected Novo Nordisk's request to block Eli Lilly from continuing weight-loss drug advertisements that the Danish drugmaker considered false and misleading. Novo Nordisk had requested a preliminary injunction to halt Eli Lilly's advertising while the case proceeded.

Roche says divarasib cut risk of death 44% in lung cancer trial

Swiss drugmaker Roche said on Sunday its experimental lung cancer drug divarasib reduced the risk of death by 44% compared with existing treatments in a phase III study. • ‌Roche said patients with previously treated KRAS G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer who received divarasib had median overall survival of nearly 18 months, compared with 12 months for those treated with sotorasib or adagrasib

Aspen Neuroscience, Bambusa Therapeutics launch US IPOs as biotech boom rolls on

Drug developers Aspen Neuroscience and Bambusa Therapeutics launched their US initial public offering roadshows on Monday, adding to a wave of issuers ‌from the biotech industry that have tapped the fall IPO window. The sector has been a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster fall IPO window this year, as rising borrowing costs and choppy market conditions keep a lid on activity from other industries.

Ebola scientists to probe Nigeria case origin, Africa CDC says

A team of leading Ebola scientists will travel to Nigeria to help investigate how the country’s first patient in more than a decade got infected, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said. Their task will involve trying to work out how the female patient, the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja, caught the Bundibugyo species of Ebola. Her travel documents show she had not visited the outbreak epicentre in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kaseya said in an interview with Reuters in London.

Pennsylvania measles cases rise to 1,360, state health department says

The Pennsylvania Health Department on Monday reported 1,360 measles cases in the state, up 22 cases from its previous update. Here are key details:

Bon Secours nears $6 billion takeover of Bain-backed Surgery Partners, ⁠FT reports

US based not-for-profit ​health system Bon Secours Mercy Health is in late-stage talks to buy a majority stake in Surgery Partners in ⁠a deal which would value the company at roughly $6 billion including debt, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Here are a few details:

Regeneron extends US agreement for additional supply of Ebola treatment

Regeneron said on Monday it extended its agreement with a US health authority to provide additional supply of its Ebola treatment, amid a growing outbreak in Africa. Here are some details:

GSK, Hansoh's bone cancer drug delays disease progression in late-stage China study

An experimental drug for a hard-to-treat bone cancer, being developed by Hansoh ⁠Pharmaceutical and GSK, helped patients live longer without the disease worsening, according to data presented by researchers at a medical meeting on Monday. Patients on ris-rez, a type of targeted cancer therapy, lived a median of 5.5 months without their disease worsening, compared with 1.4 months for those on chemotherapy, according to a late-stage study conducted in China.

Johnson & Johnson's prostate cancer drug shrinks tumors in early-stage trial

Johnson & Johnson on Saturday said its experimental once-daily oral prostate cancer drug caused ​tumors to disappear or shrink in an early-stage trial. J&J had gained access to the drug through its $3.05 billion deal to buy Halda Therapeutics last year.

AstraZeneca's stomach cancer drug extends overall survival, late-stage trial data finds

AstraZeneca's experimental drug sone-ve helped patients with advanced stomach cancer who had received at least two prior treatments to live longer than analysts had expected, according to late-stage ⁠trial data presented on Sunday. Patients on the drug lived a median of 10 months, compared with 5 months on their doctor's choice of chemotherapy, a 53% reduction in the risk of death.

Kenya releases first Ebola contacts from quarantine, milestone in containment efforts

Kenya on Monday released from quarantine the first group of people who came into contact with its index Ebola patient, a milestone in its efforts to contain cases to a single infection cluster. The 20 people released completed 21 days of monitoring without developing Ebola symptoms and are ⁠in ​good health, the director-general in Kenya's health ministry, Patrick Amoth, said in a statement.

Takeda to seek Japan approval for gastric cancer drug next year

Takeda Pharmaceutical plans to seek regulatory approval in Japan next year for its gastric cancer drug, after it extended overall survival and delayed disease progression in a late-stage study, a company executive told Reuters. The drug, arcotatug tavatecan, or TAK-921, met both those main goals of the trial in patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer who had received at least two prior therapies.

Brazil detects second Newcastle disease outbreak in Santa Catarina

Brazil has identified a second Newcastle disease outbreak in Santa Catarina state at a poultry farm in Coronel Freitas, the Agriculture Ministry said late on Sunday. The new case lies within an existing restricted area, requiring only a small adjustment to the containment zone after ⁠an initial case was reported last week at a turkey farm in the nearby city of Nova Itaberaba, the ministry added.

Merck drug extends survival in endometrial cancer trial, wins US priority review

The US health regulator has accepted Merck's experimental targeted drug for a priority review based on data from a late-stage trial where it extended survival in women with an advanced form of endometrial cancer. The drug, ⁠sacituzumab tirumotecan, also known as sac-TMT, delivers a cancer-killing payload to cells that carry a protein called TROP2, which ⁠is common in endometrial tumors.

Senior doctors in England set to strike over pay offer in November

Senior hospital doctors in England are set to stage a two-day strike in November, the British Medical Association said on Monday, following a government recommendation of a below-inflation pay rise. The strike, due to take place on November 25 and 26, is the latest example of disputes over pay and working conditions across Britain's National Health Service which have led to more than a dozen rounds of industrial action since 2023.

Surgery Partners to be taken private by Bon Secours affiliate in $5.7 billion deal

Surgery Partners said on Monday it ‌would be taken private by HealthSpan Partners, an affiliate of nonprofit hospital system ‌Bon Secours Mercy Health, in a deal valued at about $5.7 billion including debt, sending its shares up 46%. Private equity group Bain Capital, which has been a minority shareholder since 2017 and owns 39% of ​Surgery Partners, will back the deal and retain a major ownership stake after closing, the companies said.