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 refuses to block Eli Lilly ‌weight-loss drug ads, rules against Novo Nordisk

A US judge rejected on Monday Novo Nordisk's request to block Eli Lilly from continuing advertisements for weight-loss drugs that the Danish drugmaker considered false and misleading, affecting markets with tens of billions of dollars of annual sales. US District Judge Zahid Quraishi in Trenton, New Jersey, said Novo Nordisk did not deserve a preliminary injunction, having failed to show that Eli Lilly's ads threatened sales, undermined its goodwill, or caused lasting damage to its clinical reputation.

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:

Indian drugmaker Cipla misses profit view on US weakness, shares slip

Indian drugmaker Cipla missed second-quarter profit estimates on Tuesday as a sharp slowdown in its US business eclipsed strong growth at home. The country's third-largest drugmaker by revenue is experiencing weakness in North America, its biggest overseas market, since the start of the year as sales of generic Revlimid, Bristol Myers Squibb's blood cancer drug, continue to moderate after it went off patent.

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.

Congo's Ebola cases surpass 10,000 as fears grow ⁠of wider African spread

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of Congo has risen above 10,000, government data showed on Tuesday, a milestone that coincides with growing fears the epidemic could spread to more African countries. The latest situation report from Congo's public health institute put the number of cases at 10,060, with those killed by the virus reaching 4,887.

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.

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.

Novartis books $2.2 billion hit from ​drug trial setbacks, but lifts guidance

Novartis recorded about $2.2 billion in charges related to two drugs that failed in late-stage studies last month, even as it boosted its full-year profit expectations on Tuesday. The Swiss drugmaker's operating income fell 61% in the third quarter, hurt by higher research and development costs and a $1.9 billion partial impairment charge for del-desiran, one of two consecutive major trial setbacks unveiled in September that sent its shares tumbling at the time.

Reckitt lowers annual ⁠guidance on manufacturing struggles in North America

Dettol maker Reckitt lowered its annual revenue forecast on Tuesday and reported revenue growth below analyst expectations in the third quarter, hampered by a challenging consumer environment and manufacturing constraints in its North American market. The company, which makes Durex condoms and Lysol cleaning products, reported like-for-like net revenue growth of 3.3% in its core business for the quarter ended September 30, compared with a 3.6% forecast by analysts in a company-compiled poll.

HCA reports upbeat quarterly results on medical services demand

Hospital operator HCA Healthcare beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter results on Tuesday, as robust demand for medical services offset the impact of a rise in uninsured patients. Shares of the ⁠company were ​up 1.5% in premarket trading.

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.

Centene lifts profit forecast on cost control benefits

Centene raised its annual profit forecast after reporting better-than-expected third-quarter results, as cost control measures and higher premium ⁠revenues helped the health insurer offset the impact from a decline in membership. Higher medical costs in recent years due to elevated healthcare demand have squeezed margins for health insurers and prompted them to improve pricing and tighten cost controls.

GSK to nearly double cancer drugs in trials next year, WSJ reports

GSK expects to nearly double the number of cancer medicines it is testing in clinical trials next year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing an interview with a scientist at the British ⁠drugmaker. Hesham Abdullah, GSK's head of oncology research and development, told the WSJ that the company's clinical-stage portfolio of about 15 assets is likely to come ⁠close to doubling in 2027

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.

Artiva discontinues cell therapy after two patient deaths, cuts workforce by 94%

Artiva Biotherapeutics said on Tuesday it would halt the development of its experimental cell therapy for certain autoimmune conditions after two deaths among patients who were being tested on the treatment, sending its ‌shares down 30% in premarket trading. The therapy developer is also reducing its workforce by about 94% ‌and evaluating strategic alternatives, it said.

Hengrui Pharma reports 88.9% rise in 2026 third-quarter profit on licensing deals

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, China's biggest drugmaker by market value, reported on Tuesday a rise of 88.9% in profit for the third quarter of 2026, driven by income from out-licensing deals. ​Net profit of 2.5 billion yuan ($375 million) for the quarter ended September 30 was up from 1.3 billion a year ago