Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Amgen's Sjogren's drug cuts disease activity in trial

Amgen said on Wednesday a detailed late-stage trial data showed its experimental drug for the Sjogren's disease significantly reduced disease activity in patients. This builds on the initial results reported by the company in September for the drug, dazodalibep

Chinese traditional medicine firm Neautus ends 72% higher in Hong ​Kong debut

Shares of Sichuan Neautus Traditional Chinese Medicine closed 71.6% higher in their Hong Kong market debut on Wednesday after the company raised HK$262 million ($33.4 million) in an initial public offering. The shares of the Chinese traditional medicine manufacturer opened at ​HK$51.3, up 27.6% from their HK$40.20 offer price, and hit a high of HK$88.1

Bird flu detected on small farm in eastern Germany, ministry says

Bird flu has been ‌detected in a small ​domestic poultry holding in Brandenburg, the German state surrounding Berlin, for the first time this autumn, the local agricultural ministry said on Tuesday. The highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus was confirmed in a holding of about 160 ducks, geese and chickens in the Havelland district, prompting authorities to order the humane culling of the birds and the establishment of protection and surveillance zones around the site.

Smart ring maker Oura to acquire Counsel Health for $625 million

Smart-ring maker Oura said on Tuesday it will acquire virtual primary care company Counsel Health for $625 million in an all-cash deal, combining Oura's biometric data with Counsel's care platform and on-demand physicians. Counsel is an AI-enabled company that combines a chat-based medical interface with access to licensed, board-certified physicians for people to get help with everyday health questions.

Five US states join FTC suit against Hims & Hers over privacy ‌practices

Five US states have joined the Federal Trade Commission in a lawsuit that alleges telehealth company Hims & Hers Health engaged in deceptive and unlawful privacy practices, the FTC said on Tuesday. The lawsuit alleges the company shared consumers' sensitive health information with third-party advertising platforms including Meta Platforms and Snap, despite claiming its services maintain consumers' privacy.

US FDA approves Bayer's blood thinner to prevent repeat strokes

The US Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a new type of blood thinner developed by Bayer for the prevention of strokes in patients who have already had one or have had a "mini-stroke." The drug, which has the chemical name asundexian and will be sold under the brand name Sunharbo, is the first approved treatment designed to prevent harmful blood clots by blocking the clotting protein Factor XIa. Current big-selling blood-clot preventers, such as Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb's Eliquis and Xarelto, sold by Johnson & Johnson and Bayer, work by blocking Factor Xa, a different protein involved in the formation of blood clots.

Drug price hikes in Germany could cost health insurers extra $6.2 billion annually, study finds

Germany's statutory health insurers face $6.2 billion in additional costs if the country raises drug prices ‌in response to pressure from US President Donald Trump, with little benefit to the US, a Harvard Medical School study showed on Wednesday. The study's estimate was based on a 25% price increase scenario in Germany, similar to a recent deal between the US and Britain under Trump's "most-favoured-nation" pricing policy which seeks to tie some US medicine prices to those paid in other wealthy countries.

Congo's Ebola cases surpass 11,000, government data show

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 11,000, government data showed on ‌Tuesday. Confirmed infections now total 11,042, and 5,387 people have died, the data showed

Health Rounds: New blood test finds early risk for ovarian cancer

Today we highlight a diagnostic discovery that could transform preventive care for women at high risk of ovarian cancer. We also report on a promising pre-surgical dual-drug regimen for patients with bladder cancer, and the possible digestive benefits of regular coffee drinking. BLOOD TEST DETECTS OVARIAN CANCER PRECURSOR

Lundbeck hikes annual forecasts as migraine drug powers earnings beat

Danish drugmaker Lundbeck raised its full-year sales and profit forecasts on Tuesday after third-quarter earnings beat expectations, citing strong demand for its migraine treatment Vyepti in the United States. Shares were up around 5% by 1116 GMT, hitting a new record high.

US faces loss of measles-free status as experts meet for review

Global health experts will determine in the coming days whether the United States has lost its official measles-free status, a public health achievement it has held since 2000 now in jeopardy after outbreaks across the country sickened thousands of Americans. The decision by the Pan American Health Organization poses a new test for the Trump administration and its top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has for years spread doubts, without scientific evidence, about the safety of measles vaccines.

Siemens shareholders to get one Healthineers share for every two Siemens shares, sources say

Siemens shareholders are expected to receive one additional Siemens Healthineers share next year for every two ⁠Siemens shares they hold, two people familiar ​with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. Under the plan, Siemens would distribute around 385 million shares of its medical technology subsidiary to its own shareholders, according ⁠to Reuters calculations.

Analysis-Drugmakers tap China AI app boom to reach doctors as crackdown upends marketing

Drugmakers in China are seizing on a boom in digital assistants that has opened up a new — and potentially more efficient — way to connect with doctors after a sweeping graft crackdown disrupted traditional engagement channels. A wave of AI-powered apps similar to OpenEvidence — a sort of ChatGPT designed specifically for doctors, which is not available in China — has entered the market this year from companies including online healthcare giants Alibaba Health and JD Health.

AstraZeneca bolsters vaccine pipeline with US-biotech Omniose acquisition

AstraZeneca has acquired Omniose, an early-stage biotechnology firm developing vaccines against serious bacterial infections, and folded the business into its infectious diseases division, the ⁠target company said on Tuesday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed

Novo commits $200 million to the World Diabetes Foundation

Novo Nordisk said on Wednesday it will commit $200 million to the World Diabetes Foundation over 10 years starting 2027, supporting the organization's work to strengthen diabetes prevention and care in low- and middle-income countries. Here are some details:

Study suggests not all obesity means ill-health

Only between a quarter and a third of people currently diagnosed with obesity should be considered as in poor health, according to a new study that joins calls to overhaul how the condition is diagnosed. The study, published in Nature on Wednesday, follows a proposal ​last year from experts and medical organizations to move obesity diagnosis beyond just body mass index (BMI), based on a person’s weight and height, to include body fat and broader health.

Washington state accuses largest dialysis providers DaVita, Fresenius of suppressing competition

Washington state filed an antitrust lawsuit on Tuesday accusing DaVita and Germany's Fresenius Medical Care, the largest kidney dialysis providers in the US, of suppressing competition for kidney specialists, reducing treatment options for patients suffering from end-stage renal disease. The complaint filed by Washington Attorney General ⁠Nick Brown challenged the defendants' alleged longstanding practice of requiring kidney specialists, or nephrologists, to sign noncompete agreements when they serve as medical directors overseeing and assuring the safety of dialysis centers.

CAR-T trial deaths do not deter lupus patients hoping for a cure

Lupus patients struggling with the debilitating disease are lining up to try experimental CAR-T therapies even after the recent deaths of four patients in clinical trials for a variety of autoimmune diseases, according to doctors who treat the life-threatening condition. The trials remain halted and full details of the deaths — three linked to Novartis and one to Bristol Myers Squibb — have not been released.

Kenya releases last Ebola patient, starts 42-day countdown to disease-free status

Kenya discharged its last Ebola patient on ⁠Wednesday, starting a ​42-day countdown to when the country can be declared free of the disease, Health Minister Aden Duale said. Kenya has reported nine Ebola cases since early October, when a Kenyan man tested positive for the disease and died after arriving from Democratic Republic of Congo, where a large outbreak was declared in May

Hims & Hers to offer peptides as soon as November after US eases curbs

Hims & Hers Health said on Monday it will begin selling three wellness products in November, including a peptide that has not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, after regulators relaxed guidelines on compounding the products that have attracted interest from fitness and longevity enthusiasts. The November launch from the telehealth company will include glutathione, an unapproved peptide promoted for anti-aging and athletic recovery; sermorelin, a peptide associated with growth; and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+, a coenzyme that plays a role in cellular metabolism.

Alcon shares fall as tighter eye-care market outlook raises growth concerns

Shares in Swiss eye-care company Alcon fell around 6% on Wednesday as a weaker market outlook clouded its earlier profit upgrades, with analysts pointing to disappointing sales of implantable products such ⁠as intraocular lenses used to treat cataracts. New surgical equipment and eye treatments had helped Alcon raise its earnings forecasts twice this year, but a sluggish US cataract market and continued competition are now testing whether those products can sustain growth.

Indian billionaire, doctors spar over $900 brain blood-flow tracker Temple

A tiny, $900 wearable device being developed by an Indian billionaire entrepreneur and showcased by some of the country's top sportspersons has sparked criticism from doctors who say its claims of tracking blood flow to the brain are exaggerated. The Temple device is ⁠less than 1 inch (2.54 cm) wide and weighs under 2 grams (0.07 oz). It sticks to the side of the head between the forehead and the ear, ⁠or the temple area.

Exclusive-CDC chief says agency will not change measles response if US loses elimination status

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will not fundamentally change its response to measles outbreaks even if the US loses its measles elimination status this month, CDC Director Dr Erica Schwartz told Reuters on Tuesday. Global health experts convened by the Pan American Health Organization will determine in the coming days whether the US has lost its official measles-free status, a hard-won public health achievement it has held since 2000.

Mirum's liver infection drug lowers virus levels in second late-stage study

Mirum Pharmaceuticals said on Tuesday its experimental treatment for hepatitis delta, a serious liver infection, led to reduced virus and normal liver enzyme levels, meeting the main goal of a second late-stage study. The company said 59% of patients receiving weekly doses ‌of brelovitug achieved both outcomes after 24 weeks, compared with none in the delayed-treatment group

Aspen Pharmacare wins ‌approval for generic semaglutide in Brazil, South Africa

South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare said on Wednesday it had received regulatory approval in Brazil and South Africa for its generic injectable semaglutide, paving the way for launches in two key emerging markets. Aspen is betting on generic versions of semaglutide, the ​active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss treatment Wegovy, to drive growth in emerging markets and selected international markets