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:

Africa CDC says Ebola outbreak still out of control six months since it was declared

Africa's top public health agency said on Sunday that the Ebola outbreak in Congo was still out of control ‌six months after it was declared, citing problems including deadly attacks on health workers, unpaid staff and a lack of resources. "We are all in agreement today to say that this outbreak is still serious, and is still not under control," Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa CDC, told Reuters in an interview.

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.

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.

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.

US FDA declines to approve Summit lung cancer drug after trial misses key survival goal

The US Food and Drug Administration on Sunday declined to approve Summit Therapeutics' lung cancer drug ivonescimab, a setback for efforts to expand treatment for patients whose cancer has progressed after earlier therapies. In its so-called complete response letter, the FDA cited ⁠a late-stage trial showing that, while ivonescimab significantly delayed disease progression, it did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in overall survival.

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.