Reuters Health News Summary

Shares of San Jose-based Rani more than doubled in premarket trading. Trump says price of Ozempic will be lowered U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the price of Novo Nordisk's best-selling weight-loss drug would be lowered and that negotiations over price changes would be swift. Trump made the comments during a White House event on fertility treatments and drug pricing.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Trump, Merck KGaA announce deal to cut some IVF drug prices

U.S. President Donald Trump and Germany's Merck KGaA on Thursday said they had struck a deal that would cut the cost of some drugs needed for in-vitro fertilization in exchange for protection from future tariffs. Trump also said Merck would offer all new drugs launched in the U.S. at the prices it charges in other developed countries.

Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly shares drop as Trump vows weight-loss drug price cuts

Shares of weight-loss drug makers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly fell on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said that the price of Novo's popular Ozempic treatment would be lowered.

Although Ozempic is approved to treat diabetes, it shares the same active ingredient - semaglutide - as the Danish drugmaker's blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy. In the United States, Ozempic has been frequently used as a so-called off-label treatment for obesity and often served as a generic reference to weight-loss drugs.

US FDA announces recipients of national priority vouchers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced the names of nine products, under a new fast-track review process, which could potentially get approval within one to two months of filing a complete application. The regulator said it has selected Merck KGaA's fertility drug Pergoveris, Sanofi's Type 1 diabetes drug teplizumab, Regeneron's DB-OTO for deafness and ketamine for domestic manufacturing of a general anesthetic.

Rani Therapeutics signs up to $1.09 billion licensing deal with Japan's Chugai Pharma

Rani Therapeutics on Friday announced a licensing deal to develop and sell an oral version of Chugai Pharmaceutical's experimental antibody, with options to expand to five additional drugs, potentially valuing the deal at $1.09 billion. Shares of San Jose-based Rani more than doubled in premarket trading.

Trump says price of Ozempic will be lowered

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the price of Novo Nordisk's best-selling weight-loss drug would be lowered and that negotiations over price changes would be swift.

Trump made the comments during a White House event on fertility treatments and drug pricing. He was asked by reporters to identify the name of a drug that he earlier in the event said would be made less expensive.

Indonesia's free meals scheme falls 15% behind for lack of kitchens

Indonesia sees its ambitious programme of free school meals reaching just 72 million recipients by year-end, against an initial target of 83 million, the head of the national nutrition agency said on Thursday, as it scrambles to add kitchens. Since the programme's launch in January, it has been marred by cases of massive food poisoning, affecting more than 11,000 children nationwide, data from non-governmental organisation Network for Education Watch (JPPI) showed.

Nordic Capital-led consortium raises takeover price for Bavarian Nordic to $39 per share

Bavarian Nordic said on Wednesday a consortium led by Nordic Capital and Permira had raised its offer price for the vaccine maker to 250 Danish crowns ($39) per share after its initial bid was not accepted by a sufficient number of investors. Innosera, a newly formed entity controlled by the consortium, had offered to buy Bavarian Nordic in July for 233 crowns per share, or around $3 billion in total, with the biotech's board unanimously recommending the offer to its shareholders in August.

Gaza father hopes reopening of medical corridor can save his injured son

The father of 18-year-old Hassan who says his son was shot in the head over two months ago in Gaza while out seeking food hopes that the reopening of the Rafah border point will save him. "The Rafah crossing is our lifeline, for patients and for the Gaza Strip," Ibrahim Qlob told Reuters in Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis where Hassan lies motionless in bed, his eyes covered with bandages.

US state governors launch alliance to bolster coordination on public health

A coalition of 15 U.S. state governors representing more than a third of the country's population has launched a new bipartisan alliance on Wednesday, aimed at improving public health coordination and emergency preparedness. The Governors Public Health Alliance will serve as a hub for governors and public health officials to share best practices, exchange data and collaborate on emergency response, vaccine policy and other technical issues, according to a joint statement from the coalition.

Adtalem, Google Cloud to launch AI credential program for healthcare professionals

Adtalem Global Education said on Wednesday it will partner with Alphabet's Google Cloud to launch an artificial intelligence credential program aimed at students and healthcare professionals to use AI tools in clinical practice. The program, set to debut in 2026, will provide students and practicing clinicians across Adtalem's network, including Chamberlain University and Walden University, with hands-on experience using Google Cloud's AI tools, such as Gemini models and Vertex AI services.

Dutch agriculture ministry orders farmers to keep chickens inside due to bird flu risk

The Dutch Agriculture Ministry on Thursday issued a nationwide order to poultry farms to keep their birds inside and banned bird shows following the discovery of a case of bird flu on a chicken farm in the north of the country. The outbreak in the northern Drenthe province, the first in the Netherlands since March, led to an order to cull around 71,000 chickens last week.

Medical device maker Becton Dickinson's CFO to depart; shares slide

Becton Dickinson said on Wednesday that its Chief Financial Officer Chris DelOrefice will depart the company, effective December 5, after four years at the medical device maker. Shares of the company fell 5.8% to $176 in extended trading.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)