Health Headlines: Keytruda Pricing, Weight-loss Competition, and Fostered Clinical Trials

Current health news includes Merck's Keytruda facing government pricing, Lilly cutting weight-loss drug costs, Fresenius exceeding profit expectations, India's emerging clinical trial hub, J&J's lawsuit against Samsung Bioepis, AstraZeneca's breast cancer trial, a Trump-era grant hurdle, CDC's report on overdose decline, Gerresheimer's revenue revision, and e-cigarette market changes.

Merck anticipates its cancer therapy, Keytruda, will be included in the government's price-setting list in 2026, impacting its U.S. sales post-2028. The pharmaceutical giant foresees a sales dip after 2024, following record sales of $29.48 billion.

Eli Lilly slashed the prices of its Zepbound weight-loss drug to counter competition from compounding pharmacies and competitors like Novo Nordisk. The competitive landscape in the lucrative weight-loss market is shifting, prompting strategic pricing adjustments.

Fresenius, the German healthcare group, outperformed profit forecasts owing to robust performance in its drug unit, Kabi. This success triggered a 7% share price increase, marking a significant gain on Europe's STOXX 600 index.

(With inputs from agencies.)