Health News Roundup: AstraZeneca to cap out-of-pocket inhaler costs in US, following rival Boehringer's move; Kroger to sell specialty pharmacy business to Elevance Health's CarelonRx and more

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers also found no differences in most clinical measures between a group of 86 employees and their adult family members reporting unusual health incidents and a group of healthy volunteers with similar work assignments. Pfizer to cut stake in Sensodyne toothpaste-maker Haleon to 24% Consumer healthcare firm Haleon said on Monday that U.S. drugmaker Pfizer, its top shareholder, will sell down its stake in the company to about 24%.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Biden expands women's health research, adds $200 million for sexual, reproductive issues

President Joe Biden signed a new executive order on Monday that expands U.S. government research on women's health, while pledging $200 million next year to better understand issues, including sexual and reproductive conditions. Biden is also ordering his administration to report on progress they are making to erase gender gaps in research and to study how to use artificial intelligence to improve women's health research, according to a White House summary of the order.

No evidence of Havana syndrome brain injury, US studies find

A U.S. government research team found no significant physical evidence of brain injury in a group of federal employees suffering symptoms of the "Havana syndrome" ailment that emerged in 2016, according to studies published in a medical journal on Monday. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers also found no differences in most clinical measures between a group of 86 employees and their adult family members reporting unusual health incidents and a group of healthy volunteers with similar work assignments.

Pfizer to cut stake in Sensodyne toothpaste-maker Haleon to 24%

Consumer healthcare firm Haleon said on Monday that U.S. drugmaker Pfizer, its top shareholder, will sell down its stake in the company to about 24%. Pfizer, which currently holds a 32% stake in Haleon, said last year it planned to cut its ownership in a "slow and methodical" manner within months.

UnitedHealth says advanced over $2 billion in payments to providers

UnitedHealth Group said on Monday it has advanced payments of over $2 billion so far to provide assistance to healthcare providers, financially affected following a cybersecurity attack on its technology unit, Change Healthcare. The company said it will start releasing its medical claims software on Monday and it will become available to "thousands of customers" over the next several days.

US CDC urges measles vaccinations amid rising cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday issued a health advisory urging people, particularly children and international travelers, to get vaccinated against measles due to the increase in cases this year. The CDC had recorded 58 cases of the disease across 17 jurisdictions, as of March 14, same as the whole of 2023.

US approves first gene therapy for children with rare genetic disease

The U.S. health regulator on Monday approved UK-based Orchard Therapeutics' gene therapy to treat children with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), making it the first approved treatment in the United States for the rare, hereditary disease.

Orchard, which was acquired by Japanese pharmaceutical firm Kyowa Kirin for $477.6 million last year, said it will provide details on the pricing and availability of the therapy later in the week.

AstraZeneca to cap out-of-pocket inhaler costs in US, following rival Boehringer's move

Drugmaker AstraZeneca said on Monday it would cap out-of-pocket costs for its inhaled respiratory products at $35 per month in the United States from June, following a similar move by rival Boehringer Ingelheim earlier in the month. High drug prices in the United States have been the subject of growing political scrutiny for years.

Kroger to sell specialty pharmacy business to Elevance Health's CarelonRx

Grocer Kroger said on Monday it had entered a definitive agreement for the sale of its specialty pharmacy business to CarelonRx, a unit of U.S. health insurer Elevance Health. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Gambian parliament debates bill to reverse ban on female genital mutilation

Gambian lawmakers on Monday debated whether to repeal a ban on female genital mutilation, which has been on the rise in recent years despite activist campaigns to end the practice. The small West African nation imposed steep fines and jail sentences in 2015 for those who carry out female circumcision, known by the acronym FGM.

More than 60% of US abortions in 2023 were done by pill, study shows

The proportion of U.S. abortions administered by medication rose to more than 60% in 2023, following a dramatic decline in surgical abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a report said on Tuesday. The Supreme Court's 2022 decision to end abortion rights allowed more than a dozen states to ban abortion with limited exceptions and close clinics, restricting access to surgical abortion procedures.

(With inputs from agencies.)