Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Lilly says its obesity drugs helped patients lose weight in clinical trials

Eli Lilly & Co on Saturday released some new data from several clinical trials of its obesity drugs for the ObesityWeek 2026 medical conference, but it has not yet released the full results. In the Phase ​2 trial of EloraTZP, an investigational combination of eloralintide and tirzepatide:

Wisconsin reports second child death linked to measles outbreak

Wisconsin health officials on Friday reported the death of a second child linked to an ongoing measles ​outbreak in the state.

Exclusive-Pfizer to stop selling Premarin hormone therapy in Canada

Pfizer will no longer sell its hormone replacement therapy Premarin, which has been ‌available as a ​vaginal cream and three strengths of oral tablets, in Canada following an internal review. Premarin vaginal cream, used to treat symptoms of menopause, has been in shortage in Canada since June and no further batches will be supplied, Pfizer Canada confirmed to Reuters on Thursday.

Novo's haemophilia drug gets EU approval

Novo Nordisk said on Friday the European Commission has granted approval for its treatment to prevent or reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in adults and children with haemophilia A, a rare blood disorder. Here are more details:

Hungary eases abortion rules in women's rights overhaul

Hungary's government will ease access to emergency contraception and roll back a controversial abortion rule as part of a broader package of women's rights reforms, Prime Minister Peter ‌Magyar said on Thursday. The measures, which also include stronger protections for victims of abuse and ratification of an international treaty on violence against women, mark a sharp break with the policies of former premier Viktor Orban.

Novo Holdings-backed Windward Bio valued at $1 billion as shares rise in Nasdaq debut

Novo Holdings-backed Windward Bio was valued at $1.07 billion after its shares opened above their IPO price in their Nasdaq debut on Friday. Shares opened at $18.35 after the Basel, Switzerland-based company priced its IPO at $17 per share within its marketed range of $16 to $18, raising $175 million.

Six-year-old Gaza burn victim caught in Israeli dispute over aid

The excruciating burns run around the side of Masa Yassin's tiny face, behind her ear, over her scalp and down her neck. Since her family's tent burst into flames when a nearby cooking gas tank exploded in July, part of the 6-year-old girl's treatment has been a clear plastic 3D-printed mask, which helps manage swelling and control the scars on her face.

Attacks on health workers hamper Congo Ebola ‌fight, Africa CDC warns

Attacks on health workers and facilities are increasingly hindering efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that has killed more than 5,400 people, Africa's top public health agency said on Thursday. The incidents included four armed attacks, 16 assaults on responders and 11 health facilities that were burned or otherwise targeted, Africa CDC's Wessam Mankoula said at a press briefing on Thursday

US measles cases rise to 5,412, CDC says

The ‌US CDC on Friday reported 5,412 measles cases in the country as of November 12, up by 230 from the previous update, as the country battles its worst outbreak of the viral infection in decades. Here are key details:

Novo's Wegovy pill helps patients lose about 6% of weight in three months, real-world data show

Patients who stayed on Novo Nordisk's daily Wegovy pill lost an average of 6.2% of their body weight over three months, according to real-world data due to be presented at the ObesityWeek conference in Washington. The pill, launched in January, has helped Novo regain some ground lost to Eli Lilly, and the Danish drugmaker is trying to stay ahead of its US rival in the race for oral obesity treatments.

Pennsylvania, Wisconsin report measles-linked deaths as cases rise

Health officials in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin reported a measles-associated death each on Friday as the worst outbreak in decades spreads across the US. Pennsylvania's seventh measles-linked death this year involved an unvaccinated Montour County resident, the state health department said. The state has recorded 1,542 cases in 46 counties as of Friday, including 305 hospitalizations.

Nigeria ends 21-day Ebola contact monitoring with no secondary transmission

Nigeria has completed the 21-day monitoring period for all 62 contacts ⁠linked to the country's reported ​Ebola case with none of them falling ill, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said on Friday. Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola ⁠case in more than a decade on October 20 in a Swiss woman who had travelled to Uganda and then returned to Nigeria. She and her husband were evacuated to Switzerland where she recovered fully and has been discharged from hospital.

CVS says GLP-1s save money when priced below $350 per month

CVS Health said employers and other health plan sponsors could break even on GLP-1 drugs if they are priced below $350 per month as reduced use of medical services, such as hospitalizations and emergency room visits, lower spending enough to offset drug costs. CVS said that an analysis ⁠of its Aetna insurance claims data found that across patients with obesity, diabetes or other conditions, the current prices for GLP-1 drugs add to spending because they are too high to be impacted by lower medical costs.

EU panel backs AstraZeneca hypertension drug baxdrostat

AstraZeneca said on Friday a European medicines committee had backed its hypertension pill baxdrostat, branded as Baxfendy, for marketing authorisation, potentially making it the first drug of its class to reach patients in the European Union. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, recommended baxdrostat for adults whose ​hypertension is insufficiently controlled by at least two medicines

AstraZeneca cuts 600 sales jobs in US, Bloomberg News reports

AstraZeneca has cut about 600 jobs from its respiratory and immunology commercial teams in the US as part of its three-year cost-savings initiative, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The cuts follow the UK-based drugmaker's late-October announcement that it planned to save about $1.5 billion annually and reinvest in its drug pipeline.

Novo ⁠Holdings-backed Windward Bio raises $175 million in US IPO

Novo Holdings-backed Windward Bio said on Thursday it had raised $175 million in its US initial public offering after selling about 10.3 million shares at $17 apiece. The IPO price was within its marketed range of $16 to $18.

Health Rounds: Blood-brain barrier discovery could lead to new Alzheimer's disease approach

Today we feature an exciting discovery about how the blood-brain barrier allows beneficial proteins to reach the brain, which could lead to new therapeutic approaches. We also cover a small trial that could be very good news for people with diabetic foot ulcers that won't heal, and a cautionary study for pregnant women ⁠who may ​be exposed to wildfire smoke. THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER IS ACTUALLY A FILTER

Bavarian Nordic beats Q3 revenue expectations on travel health strength

Danish vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic reported better-than-expected third-quarter revenue on Friday, boosted by a continued strong performance in its travel health business. CFO Henrik Juuel told Reuters Bavarian does not see any signs that the market for the rabies vaccine - one of its biggest revenue drivers - will decline anytime soon.

Bavarian Nordic beats Q3 revenue expectations

Danish vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic reported higher than expected revenue for the third quarter on Friday, boosted by a continued strong performance in its travel health business. Bavarian's outlook increasingly hinges on whether strong rabies demand proves durable and whether newer products such as Vimkunya can offset volatility in the preparedness-vaccine business.

US CDC confirms six measles-related deaths in 2026

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed six measles-related deaths in the US this year, according to the agency's website on Thursday, as the country grapples with its worst ⁠resurgence of the virus in decades. The updated figure doubles the death toll recorded in 2025 and underscores the continuing spread of the highly contagious viral disease, which was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000.

Respiratory illnesses rise in Gaza with worst to come as winter floods arrive, WHO says

The World Health Organization warned on Friday of surging respiratory illnesses in Gaza, with worse expected after heavy rains flooded tens of thousands of tents ⁠housing displaced Palestinians. “The numbers already show the pressure. Acute respiratory infections are 33,000 cases higher than at the same time last year,” Dr Reinhilde ⁠Van De Weerdt, WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, told reporters in Geneva from Jerusalem.

US loses measles-free status after continued spread of the disease, WSJ reports

The Pan American Health Organization has revoked the United States' measles-elimination status, ending a 26-year run after determining the country failed to halt continuous transmission of the highly contagious virus for more than a year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The international health body did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment on the report, which cited people familiar with the matter.

Pfizer, Innovent GLP-1 drugs added to China national insurance for diabetes

GLP-1 drugs from Pfizer and Innovent Biologics will be added to China's state-run health insurance scheme from January ‌1 for patients with type 2 diabetes, the National Healthcare Security Administration said on Saturday, ‌in a fresh challenge to Danish rival Novo Nordisk. China has the highest number of adults with diabetes in the world, according to an estimate by the International Diabetes Federation. Pfizer's ecnoglutide and Innovent's mazdutide belong to the class of GLP-1 receptor agonist ​drugs already included in China's state insurance list from firms such as Novo, Eli Lilly and Guangzhou Innogen Pharmaceutical.