Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

AbbVie expands Oxford R&D facility as part of £120 million-plus investment

AbbVie has expanded its UK research and development facility in Oxford as part of a more than £120 million ($161 million) investment, the US drugmaker said on Wednesday. The investment comes a few months after the US and Britain finalised an agreement aimed at ​increasing UK medicine prices in line with President Donald Trump's new US pricing policies.

CVS will split up its pharmacy and insurance business into two companies, WSJ says

CVS Health plans to break up its $117 billion business, separating its ​retail pharmacies from the Caremark pharmacy benefit management operations and the Aetna insurance company it bought nearly a decade ago, the Wall Street Journal quoted ‌the company as saying on ​Tuesday. CVS Health, which is set to report quarterly results on Wednesday, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Teva Pharm to grow more in 2027 despite US' IRA impact on Austedo

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries expects to grow in 2027 despite the US inflation reduction act that will cap prices for its top branded drug Austedo to treat Huntington's Disease and Tardive Dyskinesia, CEO Richard Francis said on Tuesday. Francis, in an interview with Reuters, also said that Teva's just launched schizophrenia drug Weltruza will not likely see significant revenue until second half of 2027 but that it was in a good position for 2028.

Food distributor Sysco says cyclosporiasis outbreak hit Q1 sales

Sysco said on Tuesday a cyclosporiasis outbreak worsened already soft restaurant demand in August, as ‌the food distributor reported weaker-than-expected quarterly sales, sending its shares down nearly 8%. Here are more details:-

Roundup settlement expected before Christmas, Bayer CEO says

German drugs and agrochemicals group Bayer is expecting a $7.25 billion settlement on its Roundup weedkiller to come before Christmas, CEO Bill Anderson said on Tuesday. The company is seeking to resolve tens of thousands of Roundup lawsuits through the proposed settlement, which is under review by a Missouri state court judge in St. Louis.

South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare to sell women's health product in Europe to Ennogen

South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare will sell the European commercialisation rights and related intellectual property for its women's health product Ovestin to Ennogen Healthcare International for €197 million ($220 million), it said on Monday. Europe-focused Ennogen will also buy related inventory valued at about €4 million, Aspen said

Coloplast pares back China operations as market recovery remains elusive

Coloplast has reduced its commercial operations in China by 80 people and does not expect its business there to stabilize until 2027/28, the Danish medical equipment maker told Reuters on Tuesday. Forming around 4% of group sales, China has become a drag on ‌Coloplast's largest division, ostomy care, as domestic competition and weak consumer confidence weigh on demand for ostomy bags that consumers pay out of pocket.

Merck gets US FDA emergency use nod for treatment of screwworm in dogs

The US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday issued an emergency use authorization for Merck's Bravecto tablets to treat New World screwworm in dogs and puppies, expanding treatment options to combat the parasite. Here are more details:

Nurix says Sanofi discontinues autoimmune disease drug program

Nurix Therapeutics said on Tuesday ‌that Sanofi has decided to discontinue development of an experimental treatment for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, eliminating potential future milestone payments and royalties related to the program. Shares of Nurix plunged 38% in extended trading.

FDA to review uniQure's Huntington's gene therapy, decision due on May 2027

Dutch gene therapy developer uniQure said on Monday the US FDA had accepted its application for its Huntington's disease treatment and would decide on the drug by May 1, 2027. US-listed shares of the company were up 2.5% in premarket trading.

Dr Reddy's gets tentative US FDA nod for generic HIV prevention

Dr Reddy's said on Monday that the US FDA has tentatively approved a generic version of a new and highly effective HIV prevention drug, paving the way for sales in many low- and middle-income countries, though not yet in the United States. Some doctors and activists say the new treatment could help control the 44-year-long AIDS epidemic which still infects 1.3 million people a year, and which the World Health Organization estimates has killed 44 million since it first emerged.

Tiziana's experimental MS treatment meets main goals in mid-stage study

Tiziana Life Sciences said on Monday its experimental therapy for a progressive form of multiple sclerosis with no approved treatments reduced brain inflammation and showed a favorable safety profile in a ⁠mid-stage trial. Shares of the biopharmaceutical company ​were up more than 7% in premarket trading.

Teva profit beats forecasts, raises 2026 revenue estimates

Israeli drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries reported a higher-than-expected third-quarter profit ⁠on Tuesday, as strong sales of a trio of its branded medicines offset declines in generic drugs. Teva raised its 2026 forecasts and Chief Executive Richard Francis said he expects continued growth in 2027, led by the company's branded drugs. Generic drugs are also expected to grow as its large pipeline of biosimilars come to market.

Novartis heart drug failure leaves doctors seeking evidence for genetic cholesterol target

The recent failure of a Novartis experimental heart drug in a large trial raised questions among cardiologists and investors about the widely held idea that reducing levels of a genetically set cholesterol carrier called lipoprotein(a) can improve heart health. Doctors say the ⁠upcoming release of trial details will shed light on whether drugs that target the blood particle, commonly referred to as Lp(a), or "LP little a," might be the next big breakthrough in heart disease prevention, or whether the fatty particle is merely an indicator of risk, rather than a cause.

Ebola survivors comfort sick children in Congo's isolation wards

Whenever Jerkis Mahamba hears a child cry out in the Ebola ward in Butembo, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, he puts on protective gear and rushes to their side. He has a very good idea of what they are going through. Mahamba ​caught the highly infectious disease himself in September and recovered after 18 days of treatment at the same centre. His ordeal gave him immunity from the strain of the virus coursing through Congo, meaning he can work with young patients when their own parents aren't allowed to touch them.

Pennsylvania measles cases rise to 1,433, state health department says

The number of measles cases in Pennsylvania reached 1,433 as of Monday, up seven cases from the previous update, ⁠as the state battles its worst outbreak of the disease in years. Here are more details:

Biomérieux third-quarter organic sales growth beats expectations

French biotechnology firm Biomérieux reported on Tuesday a better-than-expected organic sales growth in the third quarter, helped by a 13% increase across key growth areas under its GO28 strategic plan. Total sales for the period came in at €1,042 million ($1.17 billion), up 8% year on year, above the company's compiled median consensus for sales of €1,007 million and organic growth of 5.9%.

Kenya discharges five Ebola patients, no new cases reported

Kenya on Tuesday discharged five Ebola patients from hospital after laboratory tests confirmed they had cleared the virus. The country has sought to limit cases to ⁠a ​single infection cluster by tracing and quarantining contacts of patients. The health ministry said in a statement that the country's two remaining Ebola patients were continuing to receive treatment in Nairobi hospitals

Thousands of pregnant women at risk in Yemeni city of Taiz, UN agency says

Fighting and access restrictions in and around the Yemeni city of Taiz have left more than 13,000 pregnant women without essential healthcare and are leading to more miscarriages, the United Nations Population Fund said on Tuesday. Taiz has been largely isolated for a month, with fighting preventing humanitarian supplies from entering and civilians from leaving, following an escalation in clashes between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.

Bayer raises 2026 profit outlook as pharma business beats expectations

German pharmaceuticals and agriculture group Bayer raised its 2026 profit outlook on Tuesday, citing a better-than-expected performance at the company's pharmaceuticals business in the third quarter. The upgrade sent Bayer's shares up 5% by 1044 GMT.

Amgen posts higher-than-expected third quarter results, but shares dip

Amgen on Tuesday said third-quarter sales rose 8%, led by cholesterol drug Repatha ⁠and newer medicines Imdelltra for lung cancer and rare disease therapy Uplizna, as the company moves ahead with development of its high-profile experimental weight-loss drug MariTide. But sales of some older drugs fell sharply and the company's shares, which dipped nearly 1% in regular trading, were down more than 2% at $450 after hours.

Philips reaches DOJ agreement over device recall, books €288 million provision in Q3

Philips has reached a preliminary agreement with the US Department of Justice to end investigations linked to ⁠the Dutch company's 2021 global recall of sleep and respiratory-care devices, it said on Tuesday. The healthcare technology manufacturer recalled millions of devices in 2021 over ⁠concerns that sound-reducing foam could degrade and potentially become toxic.

Pfizer raises 2026 forecasts as Eliquis, cancer drugs drive third-quarter results

Pfizer raised its full-year profit and revenue forecasts on Tuesday as strong demand for its recently acquired cancer drug Padcev and blockbuster blood thinner Eliquis led to higher-than-expected third-quarter results. Pfizer is now targeting annual sales of $62 billion to $64 billion, up from the prior forecast of $60.5 billion to $62.5 billion, and earnings of $2.95 to $3.05 per share, compared with its previous outlook of $2.80 to $3.00 a share.

Cerus' blood-safety system meets main goal in late-stage trial

Cerus Corp said on Monday a late-stage study showed that red blood cells treated with its blood-safety technology performed as well as conventional red blood cells in patients requiring transfusions. Cerus' Intercept technology is designed to reduce the risk of viruses, ‌bacteria and other pathogens in donated blood products.

New York state reports first measles-linked child death ‌in over 30 years amid outbreak

The New York State Department of Health said on Monday that a child in Lewis County had died in connection with an ongoing measles outbreak, marking the state's first known measles-associated death in more than 30 years. Last month, Governor Kathy ​Hochul declared a State Disaster Emergency in response to the measles outbreak across areas of New York and neighboring states.