Health News Roundup: Alzheimer's drug adoption in US slowed by doctors' skepticism; US Supreme Court faces fight over emergency abortions after toppling Roe and more
Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech sued Moderna at London's High Court in September 2022, seeking to revoke patents held by Moderna, which hit back days later alleging its patents had been infringed. Novartis raises guidance after beating Q1 expectations Swiss drugmaker Novartis raised its full-year guidance on wider use of psoriasis and arthritis drug Cosentyx on Tuesday and said it had tapped the former boss of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) to become its chairman next year.
![Health News Roundup: Alzheimer's drug adoption in US slowed by doctors' skepticism; US Supreme Court faces fight over emergency abortions after toppling Roe and more](https://devdiscourse.blob.core.windows.net/devnews/26_04_2019_20_06_25_4555535.jpg)
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Alzheimer's drug adoption in US slowed by doctors' skepticism
Nine months into the U.S. launch of the first drug proven to slow the advance of Alzheimer's, Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi is facing an unexpected hurdle to widespread use: an entrenched belief among some doctors that treating the memory-robbing disease is futile. Alzheimer's experts had anticipated bottlenecks due to Leqembi's requirements, which include additional diagnostic tests, twice-monthly infusions and regular brain scans to guard against potentially lethal side effects.
US Supreme Court faces fight over emergency abortions after toppling Roe
The idea of a doctor in the United States having to consider the risk of imprisonment before performing an emergency abortion might have been difficult to imagine just two years ago. But after the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022 overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that had legalized abortion nationwide, such dilemmas are a reality in several states that have since adopted Republican-backed near-total bans that include the threat of criminal penalties and loss of medical licensure.
US FDA approves ImmunityBio's bladder cancer therapy
The U.S. health regulator approved on Monday ImmunityBio's combination therapy to treat a type of bladder cancer, marking an end to the company's efforts to bring its therapy to the market. The agency's green light is a shot in the arm for ImmunityBio, which had reiterated doubts in a regulatory filing last month about its ability to remain in business.
India tells spice makers to verify quality after Hong Kong allegations
India's spice exports regulator has asked MDH and Everest to provide details of quality checks after sales of some of their products were halted in Hong Kong for allegedly containing high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide. The companies' products are hugely popular in India and are exported to countries in Europe, Asia and North America.
Abeona shares tumble as FDA declines to approve skin disorder treatment
Abeona Therapeutics said on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had declined to approve its treatment for a rare skin blistering condition, sending its shares down 51% in after-market trading. The health regulator sought certain additional data to satisfy requirements pertaining to chemistry, manufacturing, and controls before the treatment, called pz-cel, can be approved, in its so-called "complete response letter".
Pfizer vs Moderna battle over COVID vaccine patents begins in UK
Pfizer and BioNTech asked a London court to revoke rival Moderna's patents over technology key to the development of vaccines for COVID-19, as the latest leg of a global legal battle began on Tuesday. Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech sued Moderna at London's High Court in September 2022, seeking to revoke patents held by Moderna, which hit back days later alleging its patents had been infringed.
Novartis raises guidance after beating Q1 expectations
Swiss drugmaker Novartis raised its full-year guidance on wider use of psoriasis and arthritis drug Cosentyx on Tuesday and said it had tapped the former boss of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) to become its chairman next year. It expects its 2024 net sales to grow by a high-single to low double-digit percentage with adjusted operating income growing by a low double-digit to mid-teens percentage, Novartis said in a statement.
Danaher beats quarterly estimates on strength in diagnostics business
Danaher beat quarterly profit and sales expectations on Tuesday, driven by strength in its diagnostics and bioprocessing businesses, sending shares of the life sciences firm up more than 7% before the bell. However, the company forecast a low single-digit percentage decline in its 2024 adjusted core revenue, as it expects the impact of reduced demand to continue into the second quarter of 2024.
Quest Diagnostics raises 2024 profit and revenue forecast on strong demand
Laboratory operator Quest Diagnostics raised its 2024 profit and revenue forecast on Tuesday after beating first-quarter estimates on robust demand for its diagnostic tests. Demand for routine diagnostic health checkups has grown over the past few quarters as more people undergo non-urgent surgeries that were delayed due to the pandemic.
New Biden rule protects privacy for women who get abortions
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration issued a final rule on Monday aimed at strengthening privacy protections for women seeking abortions that bans the disclosure of protected health information related to reproductive health. The new rule, issued through the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, strengthens existing provisions under the Health Insurance Portability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) privacy rule.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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