Health News Roundup: J&J's $6.5 Billion Settlement, CSL's Profit Forecast, Pfizer's RSV Vaccine

This summary highlights key health news, including Johnson & Johnson's support for a $6.5-billion talc settlement, CSL's weaker-than-expected profit forecast, Novartis' legal setback, and Ascendis Pharma's hormone disorder therapy approval. Other news includes Revance's acquisition deal and Pfizer's RSV vaccine showing promise in immunocompromised adults.

Johnson & Johnson has secured sufficient backing for its $6.5-billion settlement plan concerning allegations of its talc products causing cancer, with over 75% of claimants in support, Bloomberg reports. The proposal is a critical step for J&J's third attempt at subsidiary bankruptcy protection.

Australian biotech giant CSL Ltd saw a share drop of over 3% after issuing an annual profit forecast that, while higher than the previous year, did not meet market expectations. The company projected a net profit after tax between $3.2 billion and $3.3 billion for the 2025 financial year.

In a legal battle, Novartis failed to block MSN Pharmaceuticals from launching a generic version of its heart-failure drug Entresto. U.S. District Judge Richard Andrews stated Novartis' likelihood of winning the patent-infringement case was too low, though MSN's launch is temporarily halted pending appeal.

Ascendis Pharma's Yorvipath therapy for hypoparathyroidism received U.S. FDA approval, becoming the sole treatment in the U.S. after Takeda ceases production of Natpara. The decision boosted Ascendis' shares by over 10% in premarket trading.

Revance Therapeutics is set to be acquired by Crown Laboratories for $924 million. The deal, which includes debt, aims to enhance Revance's competitive edge in the aesthetic products market against rivals like AbbVie's Botox.

Pfizer's RSV vaccine Abrysvo demonstrated a strong immune response in a late-stage study of immunocompromised adults, generating significant neutralizing antibodies against RSV-A and RSV-B across all tested groups.

(With inputs from agencies.)