Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
US aid freeze sows disruption in HIV, malaria product supply chains
The U.S. government's foreign aid freeze has upended the supply chain for medical products crucial for fighting diseases including HIV and malaria in some of the world's poorest countries, and life-threatening gaps could persist for months, according to two sources familiar with the sector. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) usually places around $600 million of orders annually for products such as medicines, diagnostic tests and equipment like bed nets, as part of one of its biggest health supply contracts including HIV, malaria and reproductive health.
US FDA approves Mirum Pharma's genetic disorder drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Mirum Pharmaceuticals' genetic disorder drug on Friday, making it the first treatment for a rare condition that interferes with the body's ability to process cholesterol. Patients with the disorder known as cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis are unable to break down cholesterol properly, causing toxins to build up throughout the body over time.
CVS cuts bonuses after low profit levels in 2024
CVS Health said on Friday it has cut bonuses for some employees because of its low profit levels last year, as the healthcare conglomerate grapples with higher costs across its Medicare plans. "We did not meet our financial goals in 2024, and that's reflected in our corporate bonus," a company representative told Reuters in a statement.
US CDC reports five-fold increase in weekly measles cases as Texas outbreak grows
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported that measles cases so far this year had jumped to 93 from 14 a week ago, mainly driven by an outbreak in Texas.
An outbreak in Gaines County, Texas, where cases have now risen to 57 from 22 on February 11, has raised concerns over its spread to other parts of the state. Texas reported 90 cases overall as of Friday.
Exclusive-US FDA asks fired scientists to return, including some reviewing Musk´s Neuralink
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is asking some of its recently fired scientists if they will come back to their jobs, including some employees reviewing Elon Musk's brain implant company, Neuralink, multiple sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The FDA plans to rehire around 300 people in total, according to four sources with secondhand knowledge of the situation, following President Donald Trump's rush last week to fire employees at the agency responsible for reviewing drugs, food safety, medical devices and tobacco. Reuters could not verify the figure.
Novo's Wegovy and Ozempic removed from US FDA shortage list, compounders on notice
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday there was no longer a shortage of Novo Nordisk's popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs, Wegovy and Ozempic, a declaration that will curtail widespread sales of cheaper copies made by compounding pharmacies. Shares of Hims & Hers Health, which advertised its compounded versions of weight-loss drugs during the Super Bowl this month, plunged 22% to $52, on a day it announced the purchase of a plant to make the class of drugs that includes Wegovy and Ozempic.
DOJ launches UnitedHealth billing probe, WSJ reports; insurer says it is unaware
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating UnitedHealth's Medicare billing practices, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, while the health insurer said it was unaware of any new probe underway. UnitedHealth Group shares were down 7.3%, weighing on the broader Dow Jones Industrial Average, which was down more than 1%. Shares of rival insurers were caught up in the sell-off, with Humana down 5.5% and CVS Health off 2.3%.
Chinese researchers find bat virus enters human cells via same pathway as COVID
A newly discovered bat coronavirus uses the same cell-surface protein to gain entry into human cells as the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, raising the possibility that it could someday spread to humans, Chinese researchers have reported. The virus does not enter human cells as readily as SARS-CoV-2 does, the Chinese researchers reported in the journal Cell, noting some of its limitations.
