Health News Roundup: Scientists investigate thousands of dead Antarctic penguins for bird flu; CVS Caremark to cover Perrigo's birth control pill in US at zero cost for plan sponsors and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Tennessee court weighs blocking abortion ban during pregnancy complications

A Tennessee state court on Thursday weighed a bid by a group of doctors and women to block officials from enforcing the state's near-total ban on abortion in instances when dangerous pregnancy complications arise. Lawyers for seven women who were denied abortions following pregnancy complications and two doctors told the three-judge panel in Tennessee's Twelfth Judicial District Court in Nashville that a medical exception in the state's abortion ban was so vague that physicians were turning away patients seeking emergency care.

Scientists investigate thousands of dead Antarctic penguins for bird flu

Has bird flu already killed hundreds, if not thousands of penguins in Antarctica? That's what researchers are seeking to find out after a scientific expedition last month found at least 532 dead Adelie penguins, with thousands more thought to have died, according to a statement from Federation University Australia.

CVS Caremark to cover Perrigo's birth control pill in US at zero cost for plan sponsors

CVS Caremark, the pharmacy benefit management subsidiary of CVS Health Corp, will add Perrigo's birth control pill to its preventive services oral contraceptives list and make it available at no cost for many plan sponsors, according to a pharmacy update on March 28. The U.S. FDA in July approved over-the-counter use of Perrigo's drug Opill, making it the first oral contraceptive in the country that can be purchased without a prescription.

Bird flu dairy cow outbreak widens in Ohio, Kansas, New Mexico

Bird flu has infected a dairy herd in Ohio for the first time and was detected in additional herds in Kansas and New Mexico, according to the U.S. government, expanding an outbreak in cows that has raised concerns about possible risks to humans.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed infections in herds across six states since it first reported cases in Texas and Kansas on March 25.

Sanofi to settle 4,000 Zantac cancer lawsuits in US state courts

Sanofi has reached an agreement in principle to settle 4,000 U.S. lawsuits linking the discontinued heartburn drug Zantac to cancer, the company said on Wednesday. Sanofi did not disclose the financial terms of the deal. The agreement, which still needs to be finalized, will resolve most of the lawsuits against the French pharmaceutical company in U.S. state courts, except Delaware where the majority of the cases are pending.

Wider bird flu spread raises concern for humans, animal health body says

The spread of bird flu to an increasing number of species and its widening geographic reach have raised the risks of humans being infected by the virus, the head of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Thursday. Monique Eloit's comments come after the U.S. government reported cases of the disease in dairy cows in several states and a person in Texas, which she said would only be a strong concern if there had been a transmission between cows, something the U.S. authorities are still investigating.

US FDA issues warning letters to retailers against underage sale of ZYN nicotine pouches

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it had issued warning letters and filed civil money penalty complaints against retailers engaged in underage sale of various flavors of ZYN nicotine pouches. The FDA said it had issued 119 warning letters to brick-and-mortar retailers and had filed 41 civil money penalty complaints seeking more than $55,000 in total for underage sales of flavored ZYN nicotine pouches, including espressino, black cherry, lemon spritz, and cucumber lime.

Mitsui and Rohto to buy $594 million Chinese medicines company Eu Yan Sang

Japan's Mitsui & Co said on Thursday it had teamed up with Rohto Pharmaceutical Co to buy Eu Yan Sang International in a deal valuing the Singapore-based traditional Chinese medicines firm at S$800 million ($594 million). Mitsui said in a statement that a special purpose company jointly owned by Mitsui and Rohto would acquire around 86% of Eu Yan Sang from Righteous Crane Holding.

Boehringer to lay off salespeople as Humira biosimilar sales lag

Boehringer Ingelheim on Thursday said it will lay off some of its salesforce due to poor U.S. sales of its biosimilar version of AbbVie’s blockbuster arthritis treatment Humira. The German drugmaker said it planned to reduce its customer-facing teams in favor of a hybrid in-person and virtual sales model by June 30, in large part because pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) had kept branded Humira on their lists of medicines for reimbursement.

Philippines reports H5N1 bird flu outbreak on poultry farm

The Philippines has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, on a poultry farm in the centre of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Thursday. The virus killed 4,475 birds out of a flock of 60,529 on a farm in the province of Leyte, the Paris-based WOAH said in a report, citing local authorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)