Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
US agency declares California wildfires a public health emergency
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Friday declared a public health emergency for California to address the health impacts of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County. The wildfires have devastated Los Angeles neighborhoods on the east and west sides of the sprawling metropolis and have so far killed 10 people and destroyed nearly 10,000 structures, with those figures expected to grow.
US proposes payment rate for 2026 Medicare Advantage insurers
The U.S. government on Friday proposed 2026 reimbursement rates for Medicare Advantage plans run by private insurers that will result in a 2.2% increase in payments, compared with a decline of 0.2% last year. Shares of insurers UnitedHealth Group, Elevance Health, CVS Health Corp and Humana rose between 1% and 3.2% in extended trade.
Health Rounds: Eligibility criteria limits minority patient access to precision cancer drugs
Eligibility for treatment with the latest cancer drugs is often determined by genetic mutations in tumors, criteria that leave minority patients at a disadvantage due to their under-representation in clinical trials, a new study found. The earlier studies that identified the gene mutations, or specific cancer biomarkers, targeted by these drugs were primarily done in patients of European ancestry, researchers reported on Thursday in JAMA Oncology.
Los Angeles wildfires trigger air quality warnings and health concerns
Business was brisk at Teddy's Cocina in Pasadena as wildfire evacuees ate lunch and passersby ducked indoors to escape from the brown, smoky air blanketing the city. "It's not breathable," said Dulce Perez, a cook at the restaurant, as an eye-watering haze hung overhead on Thursday about two miles (3.2 km) away from one of the multiple fires burning around Los Angeles. "We just try to stay indoors."
US chicken, pork plant workers face higher health risks, USDA studies confirm
Workers in U.S. chicken and pork plants face higher risks than other manufacturing workers for musculoskeletal disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome, according to two studies the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued on Friday. The findings highlight health concerns for employees who often perform repetitive tasks and use dangerous equipment, including sharp knives, to process meat for consumers. Those roles are disproportionately filled by immigrants and undocumented workers.
China in contact with WHO on respiratory diseases, foreign ministry says
The Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday that it had maintained close communication with the World Health Organization (WHO) on respiratory diseases, when asked about the rising cases of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China. The Chinese government takes the health of its people and that of foreign nationals in China seriously, but the HMPV is not a new virus and has been circulating in humans for more than 60 years, Guo Jiakun, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular press conference.
US Supreme Court to hear Obamacare preventive care dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide the legality of a key component of the Affordable Care Act that effectively gives a task force established under the landmark healthcare law known as Obamacare the ability to require that insurers cover preventive medical care services at no cost to patients. The justices took up an appeal by Democratic President Joe Biden's administration of a lower court's ruling that sided with a group of Christian businesses who objected to their employee health plans covering HIV-preventing medication and had argued that the task force's structure violated the U.S. Constitution.
Biogen proposes to buy remaining stake in Sage in $442 million deal
Drugmaker Biogen will buy all outstanding shares of Sage Therapeutics that it does not already own for $7.22 apiece, a filing showed on Friday, sending the latter's stock up 34% in extended trade. As per the filing, Biogen has a 10.2% stake in Sage Therapeutics. The offer price, representing a 30% premium to the stock's close on Friday, values Sage's equity at $441.7 million, according to Reuters calculations.
Weight-loss drug developer Metsera reveals wider loss in US IPO filing
Weight-loss drug developer Metsera, backed by ARCH Venture Partners, revealed a wider loss in its paperwork for a U.S. initial public offering on Friday. The terms of the IPO were not disclosed in the filing.
Pfizer's bladder cancer therapy meets main goal in late-stage study
Pfizer's experimental treatment for a type of bladder cancer significantly improved the time that patients remained free of certain complications, including cancer recurrence, the drugmaker said on Friday following data from a late-stage study.
The antibody treatment, sasanlimab, in combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine met the main goal of the study in patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) who have not received the vaccine for the cancer.
