Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
UnitedHealth tech unit's rivals say new, post-hack customers are staying
Smaller rivals to UnitedHealth's tech unit Change Healthcare say they are signing longer-term contracts with hospitals and other customers who had temporarily switched from the company after February's cyberattack shut down the unit's services. The new contracts landed by Waystar and privately held Availity and Inovalon show a shift to healthcare practices signing deals with multiple service providers instead of relying on a single vendor, in what may be the first sign of needed change in an industry. Health tech experts said the move to more than one vendor is long overdue, but was hastened by the hack.
EU regulator backs use of Novo's Wegovy for obesity-related heart condition
The European Medicines Agency backed the use of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy in patients with an obesity-related heart condition, the Danish drugmaker said on Thursday. The company expects the EU label update for expanded use of Wegovy will be implemented shortly. The update will allow the drug to be given to patients suffering from obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
Mpox is not under control in Africa, warns Africa CDC
The mpox outbreak in Africa is still not under control, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned on Thursday, adding that cases were still increasing in several countries. The World Health Organization declared the recent outbreak of the disease a public health emergency of international concern after the new variant was identified.
Boehringer Ingelheim faces second hung jury in Chicago Zantac trial
The latest trial over claims that the discontinued heartburn drug Zantac causes cancer ended with a hung jury on Wednesday, as jurors in Chicago were unable to agree on whether Boehringer Ingelheim must pay damages to an Illinois man who said he developed prostate cancer as a result of taking the drug, according to the man's lawyer. It was the second time a jury failed to reach a verdict at trial during the ongoing wave of litigation over the now-discontinued drug.
Bavarian says mpox vaccine approved by EU regulator for adolescents
Bavarian Nordic said on Thursday its mpox vaccine was approved by the EU's drug regulator for use in adolescents, bolstering the case for using the shot in the 12 to 17 age group to contain an outbreak in parts of Africa. Mpox has been declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO), with children and adolescents being particularly vulnerable to the disease.
Hong Kong-listed CSPC Pharmaceutical to buy back shares worth $640 million
Hong Kong-listed CSPC Pharmaceutical said on Thursday it would buy back shares worth up to HK$5 billion ($640 million) in the next two years. The drugmaker, which has already spent about HK$773 million under its ongoing HK$1 billion buyback programme, will use available cash reserves to fund the initiative.
UN to add nutrients to second round of Gaza polio vaccinations
The second round of a vaccination campaign to protect 640,000 children in Gaza against polio will also deliver micronutrients - essential vitamins and minerals - and conduct nutritional screening, a senior U.N. Children's Fund official said. Discussions are also underway about the feasibility of adding further vaccinations to the campaign, including a measles immunization, said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF's deputy executive director for humanitarian action and supply operations.
US FDA declines to approve Vanda's stomach condition drug
Vanda Pharmaceuticals said on Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve its drug to treat a type of stomach condition that disrupts digestion and called for additional studies. Shares of the company fell about 14% to $4.26 in premarket trading.
Global health fund says health, climate, conflict 'triple whammy' hits world's poorest
Climate change and conflict risk overshadowing efforts to improve people's health, when in reality the issues overlap, Peter Sands, head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said. He was speaking in London ahead of Thursday's release of the Global Fund´s 2024 report covering its work last year, which showed improvement in tackling the three diseases after COVID-19 knocked efforts off course.
US FDA approves Elanco's skin disease treatment for dogs
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Elanco Animal Health's skin disease treatment for dogs, the health regulator's website showed on Thursday, sending the company's shares up 2% in afternoon trade. The oral drug, Zenrelia, aims to control pruritus, or itching, associated with allergic dermatitis and to control atopic dermatitis in dogs that are at least 12 months old.
