Reuters Health News Summary

First-quarter sales of the drug totaled $166 million, beating the $143 million forecast by Wall Street, according to LSEG data. CDC says monitoring US travelers on cruise ship after hantavirus outbreak The United States is closely monitoring the situation with U.S. travelers on board the luxury cruise ship that was hit by a hantavirus outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Promising Revolution Medicines pancreatic cancer drug has high rate of mostly manageable side effects

An experimental drug from Revolution Medicines that nearly doubled survival time for patients with advanced pancreas cancer in clinical trials comes with a high rate of mostly low-grade side effects, ​researchers reported on Wednesday. The report from a first-in-human trial of daraxonrasib is the first peer-reviewed paper to show safety data for what analysts say could become the next standard of care for previously ​treated metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Italy's Angelini to buy US Catalyst Pharma in $4.1 billion state-backed deal

Angelini Pharma said on Thursday that it would acquire U.S. rare-disease drug ‌maker Catalyst ​Pharmaceuticals in a $4.1 billion deal, marking the Italian drugmaker's entry into the U.S. pharmaceutical market. The Italian group specialises in drugs treating brain diseases and its CEO Sergio Marullo di Condojanni said the deal would establish it as a "relevant global player in neurological rare diseases," expanding Angelini's scale and capabilities.

Gilead raises 2026 sales forecast, cuts profit outlook due to acquisitions

Gilead Sciences on Thursday posted a higher-than-expected first-quarter profit and raised its outlook for 2026 sales, but said it now expects a loss for the year due to charges and financing costs related to recent acquisitions. The drugmaker raised its estimate for 2026 sales of HIV prevention drug Yeztugo, which was launched in the U.S. last year, ‌to $1 billion from a previous $800 million. First-quarter sales of the drug totaled $166 million, beating the $143 million forecast by Wall Street, according to LSEG data.

CDC says monitoring US travelers on cruise ship after hantavirus outbreak

The United States is closely monitoring the situation with U.S. travelers on board the luxury cruise ship that was hit by a hantavirus outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday. Three people - a Dutch couple and a German national - have died in the outbreak on the MV Hondius. Eight people, including a Swiss citizen, are suspected to have contracted the virus, according to the World Health Organization.

Global crackdown on illicit pharmaceuticals sees $15.5 million in seizures

Interpol said on Thursday an operation across 90 countries and territories has resulted in the seizure of 6.42 million doses of unapproved and counterfeit pharmaceuticals worth $15.5 million. Operation Pangea XVIII led to 269 arrests and the dismantling of 66 criminal groups involved in the illicit pharmaceutical trade, the organization said.

US CDC ‌notifies Texas of two state residents on cruise ship with hantavirus outbreak

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has notified the Texas health department that two of the state's residents were passengers on the MV Hondius, a ship that experienced an outbreak of hantavirus while traveling in the Atlantic Ocean. Public health workers in Texas have reached the two individuals, who reported that they were not experiencing any symptoms and did not ‌have any contact with a sick person while aboard the ship.

Siemens Healthineers cuts 2026 outlook on Chinese market woes

Siemens Healthineers cut its full-year revenue growth outlook for the 2026 financial year on Thursday, with the company's diagnostics division struggling in China prompting spin-off considerations. Shares of the company fell 3.3% after the results were announced.

Passengers on hantavirus-stricken ship sway between fear, boredom

It was billed as an Atlantic odyssey to some of the most remote islands in the world. Instead, the cruise on the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius was left stranded off Cape Verde with passengers in their cabins, medics in protective suits tending to the sick and the ship's operator seeking a safe port.

The outbreak has left three dead and eight confirmed or suspected cases linked to the Dutch-flagged expedition ship. Passengers, some of whom have been aboard since March 20, have reported moods swinging between fear and boredom: empty lounges, quiet decks, hot drinks, face masks, medical checks, and the uncertainty of not knowing when and how their journey will end. On Wednesday, specialist teams evacuated three people as the vessel prepared to extend its voyage to Spain's Canary Islands with the ⁠consent of local authorities. After four days ​stationed off the West African archipelago, the ship set sail late Wednesday toward the Canary island of Tenerife, where around 150 ⁠remaining passengers and crew may finally disembark under medical supervision. It is not clear whether they will be quarantined on arrival.

Analysis-Novo and Lilly gain on signs weight-loss pills could expand the market

Early data from weight-loss pills are lifting shares in Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly as investors bet that easier-to-take drugs could expand the market to millions more patients and help counter pricing pressure. Denmark's Novo, which has struggled to keep pace with U.S. rival Lilly in recent years, saw its shares spike on Wednesday after saying first-quarter sales of its newly launched ⁠Wegovy pill were about twice expectations.

US FDA grants new fast-track voucher to Partner Therapeutics' bile duct cancer drug

Private biotech firm Partner Therapeutics said on Wednesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted a priority review voucher to its experimental bile duct cancer drug as part of a new fast-track review program. The antibody drug, Bizengri, is under review for adults with advanced cholangiocarcinoma whose tumors carry a rare genetic mutation and whose disease has worsened after prior treatment.

Entrada shares sink after Duchenne drug falls short ​of expectations

Entrada Therapeutics' drug for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy fell well short of analyst expectations in an early-to-mid stage trial, sending its shares down more than 50% in premarket trading on Thursday. The company tested the drug, ENTR-601-44, in ambulatory patients aged six to 17 who have a form of Duchenne caused by a gene mutation that can be treated by skipping exon 44.

Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine ⁠outperforms standard shot in late-stage trial

Moderna's mRNA-based seasonal flu vaccine worked better than conventional flu shots in a late-stage international trial of more than 40,000 adults aged 50 and older, researchers reported on Wednesday. The vaccine is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after the agency rejected the company's initial application. A decision is expected by August 5.

Explainer-What is the hantavirus that killed three cruise ship passengers?

Three people have died in an outbreak of hantavirus aboard a luxury cruise ship, with another five confirmed or suspected cases reported, but the World Health Organization has said the wider ⁠threat ​to public health remains low. WHAT HAS HAPPENED ON THE CRUISE SHIP?

Countries track passengers of virus-hit cruise ship

Countries worldwide sought to prevent further spread of the hantavirus on Thursday, after an outbreak on a cruise ship, by tracking those who had disembarked before the virus was detected and anyone in close contact with them since. Three people - a Dutch couple and a German national - died in the outbreak on the MV Hondius.

Switzerland's Roche agrees to acquire US-based PathAI

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche said on Thursday it had agreed to acquire U.S.-based digital pathology and AI-powered technology firm PathAI in a deal worth $750 million upfront plus further milestone payments of up to $300 million. The acquisition builds on a five-year partnership between Roche and PathAI that was scaled up in 2024 to include the development of AI-enabled companion diagnostic algorithms.

Fake rumors, real killings: Inside Congo's deadly health misinformation crisis

In Tshopo, a northeastern Congolese province blanketed in rainforest, rumours ⁠rippled through villages late last year claiming a mysterious illness had caused men's genitals to atrophy. Within days, testimonials proliferated on social media that amplified the imaginary threat, triggering a real-life panic that turned deadly before the government could react.

Amazon to carry Ozempic at US kiosks, offer same-day delivery

Amazon.com said on Thursday its pharmacy will stock Novo Nordisk's Ozempic pill to treat type 2 diabetes at its kiosks and offer same-day delivery of the ⁠drug Novo's Ozempic uses the active ingredient semaglutide to control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, where the body either ⁠fails to produce or resists insulin, the hormone regulating blood sugar. Amazon has been stocking Novo's weight-loss drug Wegovy, which uses the same active ingredient as Ozempic, since January. It announced in April it would also stock rival Eli Lilly's Foundayo pill for weight-loss.

Becton Dickinson raises 2026 profit forecast on drug delivery devices demand

Becton Dickinson raised annual profit forecast and beat estimates for second-quarter results on Thursday, riding strong demand for its drug-delivery devices and surgical equipment, sending its shares up more than 5%. Strong demand for injectable diabetes and obesity drugs of GLP-1 class has buoyed the performance of device makers such as Becton Dickinson, which makes injection pens used to administer these therapies, ‌though analysts warn oral weight-loss pills could weigh.

Zealand unveils buyback, Roche payments; shares ‌rise

Danish drug developer Zealand Pharma on Thursday unveiled share buyback plans and flagged expected milestone payments from Roche, easing investor concern about how it will fund late-stage obesity trials. Shares in Zealand rose as much as 18% after the company ​announced a $200 million buyback and said it expected to book $700 million in milestone payments from Roche this year.