Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Clorox appoints Unilever executive as its new CEO

Clorox on Thursday appointed Unilever executive Fabian Garcia as its new chief executive officer effective January 5. Here are more details:-

Asia OneHealthcare files draft prospectus for Malaysia IPO

Malaysian hospital operator Asia OneHealthcare has filed a draft prospectus for an initial public offering of up to 4.38 billion shares and a planned ​listing on Bursa Malaysia, the Securities Commission Malaysia's website showed on Wednesday. Reuters reported in April that US-based private equity firm TPG had hired Maybank and UBS to explore options for Asia OneHealthcare, including a domestic listing that could value the company at about 30 billion ​ringgit ($7.4 billion)

Health Rounds: Wildfire smoke exposure during pregnancy linked to higher autism risk in children

With wildfires becoming larger and more prevalent, today we report on a study that suggests ‌a link between exposure ​during pregnancy to harmful particles in smoke from the infernos and autism in the women's children. Speaking of harmful particles, we also feature a study that may have discovered one way in which microplastics in our systems are causing health problems. WILDFIRE SMOKE IN PREGNANCY LINKED WITH AUTISM RISK

GSK pipeline doubts, vaccine underperformance overshadow sales beat

GSK investors punished the British drugmaker on Wednesday despite a third-quarter sales and profit beat, focusing instead on questions over its drug pipeline and weak sales of vaccines, including its shingles shot Shingrix. The company's London-listed shares were down around 4% by 1430 GMT, after tumbling 7.3% earlier in the day, and were on track for their steepest slide since April, largely erasing gains made since CEO Luke Miels took over in January.

Haleon shares tumble as weak flu medicine demand, China woes prompt outlook cut

Haleon cut its sales outlook to below market forecasts on Thursday, hurt by weak ‌demand for flu and cold medicines and a regulatory setback in China, sparking the biggest-ever one-day fall in the British consumer health group's shares. The stock, spun off from drugmaker GSK in July 2022, was down nearly 15% by 1300 GMT, making it the worst performer in European and British benchmark indexes.

Oura to study link between smart ring data and obesity treatment outcomes

Oura said on Wednesday it has launched a clinical trial to study how sleep, heart rate and other measures monitored by the company's smart ring are associated with outcomes of obesity treatments such as GLP-1 drugs and bariatric surgery. The trial will examine whether changes in those measures are linked to outcomes from the treatment such as weight loss, blood sugar control and treatment persistence.

Lilly's obesity drug strength fuels record rally, Wall Street optimism

Eli Lilly shares surged to a record high on Thursday, as sales of blockbuster weight-loss injections helped the drugmaker beat quarterly profit expectations and raise its full-year revenue forecast, reinforcing its lead in the booming obesity market. Shares of the world's most valuable healthcare company hit a record high of $1,408.34 in early trading and were last up 7.5% at $1,389. If those gains hold, it would add roughly $80 billion to Eli Lilly's market capitalization of about $1.2 trillion.

Pennsylvania measles cases near 1,400, ‌state health department says

Measles cases in Pennsylvania have risen to 1,398 as of Wednesday, up 38 from the state health department's last update on Monday, as the state battles its worst measles outbreak in years. Here are more details:

Merck to boost next decade revenue forecast on new drugs optimism

Merck said on Thursday it plans to raise its revenue forecast from new products over the next decade, buoyed by recent clinical trial successes and acquisitions, as the company prepares for the loss of patent protection on blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda. Merck CEO Robert Davis said its January forecast of $70 billion by ‌the mid-2030s for its emerging portfolio of new medicines had not factored in the potential impact of positive clinical trial readouts and some other new assets, such as its Terns Pharma deal and an experimental PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody drug.

Geron discontinues late-stage trial of blood cancer drug, shares plunge

Geron said on Wednesday it would halt a late-stage trial of its blood cancer treatment, marking a setback for the company's only commercial product, sending its shares plunging 20% in early trading. The drug, branded as Rytelo, was being evaluated as a treatment for myelofibrosis, a rare type of blood cancer in which scar tissue gradually builds up in the bone marrow.

US Health Secretary Kennedy opens access to some unapproved peptides

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday pushed forward a policy allowing licensed pharmacies and physicians to compound certain unapproved peptides while regulators consider whether to formally permit their use in compounded medicines. Published in the Federal Register as Kennedy's "enforcement discretion policy," it enables US compounding of six peptides, including the popular BPC-157 and TB-500 — often taken together in a combination popularly known as the "Wolverine stack" — without fear of FDA reprisal.

Lilly's retatrutide outshines Ozempic on weight loss, blood sugar control in trial

Eli Lilly said on Wednesday its experimental next-generation obesity drug, retatrutide, outperformed Novo Nordisk's Ozempic on blood sugar control and delivered more than double the weight loss in a diabetes study. The data strengthens the competitive profile of retatrutide, which is widely expected to fuel Lilly's next wave of growth following the success of its Zepbound and Mounjaro.

Generic drugmaker Sandoz ⁠cuts sales outlook, shares fall

Swiss ​generic drugmaker Sandoz lowered its full-year sales growth guidance after short-term biosimilar-supply constraints weighed on third-quarter results, sending shares down as much as 8% on Wednesday. The company now expects ⁠net sales to grow by 5-6% at constant exchange rates, from mid-to-high single digit growth expected previously. However, it lifted its core earnings margin forecasts, seeing its EBITDA margin reaching 23%-23.5% in 2026 compared with the previously forecast increase of around 100 basis points from the 21.7% recorded in 2025.

WHO member states propose seven candidates for new chief, organization says

The World Health Organization said on Thursday that member states have proposed seven candidates for the position of WHO director-general, with the successful candidate expected to take office on August 16, 2027. The World Health Assembly will appoint the new director-general at its 80th session in May 2027, the organization added.

US judge blocks Trump limits to Medicaid work requirement exceptions

A federal judge on Thursday blocked ⁠US President Donald Trump's administration from enforcing a rule that would narrow exceptions to new work requirements for Medicaid recipients with serious medical conditions. US District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston sided with 25 states and the District of Columbia, which had argued that the new rule would force medically frail people to clear unnecessary hurdles to maintain government-funded health insurance coverage.

US FDA proposes new nutrient limits, labeling rules for infant formula

The US Food and Drug Administration proposed new nutrient limits and labeling rules for infant formula on Thursday, as part of its ongoing review of baby formula nutrients. The FDA launched "Operation Stork Speed" last year, which began a nutrient review process and increased testing for heavy metals and other ​contaminants in infant formula, while also urging companies to develop new products.

Bristol Myers raises 2026 revenue forecast, lowers EPS due to charge

Bristol Myers Squibb raised its full-year revenue forecast on Thursday, citing strong sales of its newer medicines, but lowered its 2026 earnings per share projection due to a hefty acquisition-related charge. The US drugmaker now expects 2026 adjusted earnings of $6.35 to $6.55 per share on revenue of $49.75 billion to $50.25 billion. That compares with its previous estimates of $6.75 to $7.00 a share and $49 billion to $50 billion in revenue.

Swiss biotech firm Molecular Partners ⁠to cut nearly half of workforce

Switzerland's Molecular Partners is cutting its workforce nearly in half, it said on Thursday, as it aims to narrow its focus on the booming field of radiotherapeutic medicines. The clinical-stage biotech company, which has partnered with pharma giant Novartis and American AbbVie, is set to reduce its employee headcount by up to 44%, or up to 55 people.

Perrigo to sell infant formula business to MeridianMade for up to $175 million

Perrigo said on Thursday that it will sell its infant formula business to privately held contract manufacturing firm MeridianMade for up to $175 million, as the consumer health products company sharpens its focus on over-the-counter medicines and self-care products. Here are some details:

Airline groups urge US CDC to reconsider Ebola declaration requirements

Major American and foreign airlines urged the US ⁠Centers for Disease ​Control and Prevention to reconsider new rules requiring all US-bound travelers to attest they have not been in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the prior 21 days. The International Air Transport Association and Airlines for America, in separate previously unreported letters reviewed by Reuters, urged the CDC to reconsider the plan announced last week that takes effect on November 3 and is aimed at preventing entry by people exposed to Ebola.

US FDA issues warning on Medline beds after 2 deaths, 16 serious injuries

The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday warned of safety risks associated with Medline beds and accessories after the company reported two deaths and 16 serious injuries linked to fire, entrapment and asphyxiation hazards. According to the regulator, Medline has told customers it is discontinuing and exiting the market for all Medline-branded beds and associated products, including homecare, bariatric and long-term care beds, as well as pendants, accessories and replacement parts.

Eli Lilly lifts revenue outlook as weight-loss shot demand soars, shares jump

Eli Lilly raised its full-year revenue forecast by $5 billion and beat third-quarter profit estimates on Thursday on booming demand for its injectable weight-loss drugs, partly among older Americans who pay just $50 monthly for them. The Indianapolis-based drugmaker now forecasts 2026 revenue of $91 billion to $92 billion, ⁠underscoring its expanding lead in the multibillion-dollar GLP-1 market over Danish rival Novo Nordisk that has propelled Lilly to a $1.2 trillion market valuation.

US estrogen supply crunch widens as women seek alternatives to scarce patches

Women in the US struggling to find hormone replacement treatments to manage menopause symptoms are facing shortages beyond estrogen patches amid surging demand, with some injectable and vaginal estrogen products also in short supply. The US Food and Drug Administration has been working with manufacturers since September to boost supplies of estrogen patches after months of shortages. But pharmacies and drug-shortage monitors ⁠are reporting problems with other forms of the hormone.

Gilead hikes full-year sales outlook, quarterly HIV sales rise 18%

Gilead Sciences hiked its full-year sales outlook on Thursday and reported third-quarter product ⁠sales rose 13%, driven by a double-digit percentage jump for its flagship HIV drug franchise. The company reported quarterly adjusted earnings of $2.55 per share on revenue of $8.3 billion, beating the average analysts' estimates of $2.19 a share and $7.8 billion in revenue, according to LSEG data.

Screwworm infests dog in Arizona, widening US cases

New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that eats warm-blooded animals alive, has infested a dog in Arizona, widening cases to a third US state, the US Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday. The first detection in Arizona was in Cochise County, which borders Mexico, according to the USDA.

Haleon CEO warns staff of 'difficult choices' ahead after sales miss, memo says

Haleon CEO Brian McNamara warned staff on Thursday that the British maker of Sensodyne toothpaste and Beechams cold medicines faced "difficult choices" in coming months, according to a memo seen by Reuters, after the group cut its annual revenue growth outlook. Haleon, which also makes ‌Advil painkillers, earlier posted third-quarter revenue that missed forecasts and reported weaker sales in key market China, knocking its shares ‌down 15% to the lowest since early 2024.

Big Caring launches IPO valuing Malaysian pharmacy chain at $2 billion

Malaysian pharmacy chain Big Caring Group on Thursday launches its initial public offering, which could value the company at about 8 billion ringgit ($2 billion) ahead of a planned November 19 listing debut on ​Bursa Malaysia. The retailer is offering up to 1.9 billion shares at a maximum price of 1.08 ringgit each, Big Caring said in a statement.