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:-

Health Rounds: Rise in US colon cancer rates not limited to young adults, analysis finds

Today we report on a troubling cancer trend among US adults of all ages. We also report on impressive survival ​data from a two-drug regimen that could be an alternative to more expensive immunotherapies for some patients with a type of advanced kidney cancer. COLORECTAL CANCER RATES ON THE RISE IN ALL US ADULTS

Sun Pharma's profit falls on Organon deal charge; specialty drug sales remain strong

India's Sun Pharmaceutical Industries ​reported a drop in second-quarter profit on Friday, as a one-time charge largely tied to its planned acquisition of Organon weighed, though demand for specialty medicines remained strong. The country's top drugmaker by ‌revenue posted a consolidated ​net profit of 19.89 billion rupees ($209.31 million) in the quarter ended September 30, down from 31.18 billion rupees a year earlier.

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.

Japan's Omron Healthcare taps India manufacturing to reduce reliance on Vietnam

Omron Healthcare, the medical-device unit of Japan's Omron Corp, opened its first Indian factory on Friday as part of its plans to reduce its reliance on Vietnam and target a largely untapped domestic market for blood pressure monitors. India could eventually become one of Omron Healthcare's biggest production bases, President and CEO Ayumu ‌Okada told Reuters earlier this week, ahead of the inauguration of the factory in the southern Indian city of Chennai on Friday.

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.

Sanofi teases appetite for larger deals, lifts 2026 growth targets under new CEO Garijo

French drugmaker Sanofi said on Friday it was prepared to pursue larger deals as it seeks to rebuild its basket of experimental drugs for future growth under new CEO Belen Garijo.

Shares in the company rose more than 5% and were among the top gainers in Europe as the company raised its 2026 growth targets for the second time this year.

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.

Exclusive-India orders Sun Pharma to halt eye-care drug production at plant after quality lapses

Indian drug regulators ordered Sun Pharmaceutical Industries to stop manufacturing, selling and distributing ophthalmic products made at its Assam facility after finding failure in its quality management system, documents reviewed by Reuters showed. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and the office of Drugs Controller Assam ordered the shutdown on August 20 after a joint federal-state inspection of the facility identified ‌lapses in the system meant to ensure product quality and safety, following Sun Pharma's move in July to voluntarily recall about 11 eye-care brands.

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.

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.

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 argued that the 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:

AbbVie lifts profit forecast as immunology drugs continue to fuel growth

AbbVie raised its annual profit forecast after topping Wall Street expectations for the third quarter on Friday, as booming sales of newer immunology drugs made up for the decline in former top-selling treatment Humira. AbbVie's immunology franchise, led by Skyrizi and Rinvoq, is doing the heavy lifting for the drugmaker to fill the void left by its former marquee drug Humira, after the arthritis treatment lost US patent exclusivity in 2023.

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.

AstraZeneca targets $1.5 billion in annual savings, beats quarterly forecasts

AstraZeneca on Friday unveiled a restructuring programme aimed at funding investment in its drug pipeline, but gave few details on how it would achieve expected annual savings of about $1.5 billion. Shares in the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker rose about 3% in morning trade after it also beat third-quarter sales and profit forecasts and maintained its 2026 outlook.

India's Max Healthcare posts lower quarterly profit on higher tax expenses

India's Max Healthcare Institute reported a 15.6% fall in second-quarter profit on Friday, as the absence of a one-time tax benefit from a year earlier overshadowed growth in patient volumes across ⁠its expanding hospital network. The hospital operator's consolidated net profit fell to 4.15 billion rupees ($43.64 million) in the quarter ended September 30 from 4.91 billion rupees a year earlier.

Bayer wins US trial in which it was alleged that Roundup caused cancer in three women

Bayer won a US court trial on Thursday over claims by three women that Roundup had caused their cancer cases.

EMA starts review of Deanxit after reports about side effects

The European Medicines Agency has started a review of depression and anxiety medicine Deanxit, made by Danish drugmaker H Lundbeck, after reports of "serious neurological and psychiatric side effects". Here ⁠are some details:

France recalls more condoms over manufacturing defects

France is recalling more condoms after its consumer watchdog said on Friday it had found they had manufacturing defects that raised ⁠the risk of them bursting and ripping. The agency said it was suspending for a year sales and imports of all condom brands that were made by a Malaysian manufacturer using the faulty process.

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 2026 sales outlook, says Medicare cuts Biktarvy price by 38% starting in 2028

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.

Bayer wins Roundup weedkiller cancer trial while awaiting settlement ruling

Bayer won a trial on Thursday over claims by three women that its Roundup weedkiller caused their cancer, while awaiting a broader ruling from a separate court on the company's $7.25 billion effort to settle other Roundup cases. The trial was a ​test for the continued viability of Roundup lawsuits after a US Supreme Court ruling in Bayer's favour limited the legal claims that plaintiffs can bring.