Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
CVS bids for Rite Aid stores, patient data in Pacific Northwest, Bloomberg News reports
Healthcare conglomerate CVS Health has bid for a significant number of stores and patient data in the Pacific Northwest from bankrupt pharmacy chain operator Rite Aid, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. CVS put in a bid for stores in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, as well as patient prescription information, Rite Aid CEO Matthew Schroeder told employees, according to a recording of the meeting reviewed by Bloomberg News.
US FDA expands use of Merck's cancer drug for adrenal gland tumors
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it has approved the expanded use of Merck's cancer drug to treat two rare types of adrenal gland tumors. The drug, Welireg, became the first FDA-approved oral treatment for pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL), providing a convenient option for up to 2,000 patients diagnosed with these tumors in the United States each year.
South Africa has no plan to replace US HIV funds yet, minister says
South Africa's Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Thursday that the government had not secured any new funding yet for HIV after the U.S. cut aid, and denied reports that its HIV programme was badly affected. The United States' global HIV initiative, PEPFAR, was paying for about 17% of South Africa's HIV budget until President Donald Trump slashed aid shortly after taking office.
Exclusive-HIV patient testing falls in South Africa after US aid cuts, data shows
Testing and monitoring of HIV patients across South Africa have fallen since the United States cut aid that funded health workers and clinics, with pregnant women, infants and youth the most affected, previously unpublished government data shows. South Africa has the world's highest burden of HIV, with about 8 million people - one in five adults - living with the virus. The United States was funding 17% of the country's HIV budget until President Donald Trump slashed aid early this year.
US FDA approves Amneal's self-administered migraine treatment
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Amneal Pharmaceuticals' self-administered migraine drug, giving way to a quick and more convenient treatment option for patients. The treatment, branded as Brekiya, delivers a single dose of the drug called dihydroergotamine mesylate via an autoinjector. It is approved for the treatment of acute cases of migraine and severe, one-sided pain in the head called cluster headaches in adults, the drugmaker said on Thursday.
UnitedHealth under criminal probe for possible Medicare fraud, WSJ reports
The U.S. Department of Justice is carrying out a criminal investigation into UnitedHealth Group for possible Medicare fraud, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. UnitedHealth said it had not been notified by the DOJ about the "supposed criminal investigation reported," and the company stood by "the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program." The stock fell 8% in after-hours trade following the report.
FDA upheaval pushes some biotech firms to plan early trials out of US
Some U.S. biotech companies are considering moving early-stage trials of new medicines outside the United States as worry grows that layoffs and policy changes at the drugs watchdog under the Trump administration may delay regulatory reviews, executives, investors, and consultants told Reuters. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seen as the global gold standard for drug regulation and companies typically seek American approval first because it provides access to the world's most lucrative drug market.
UnitedHealth's string of setbacks, from exec murder to cyber attack
UnitedHealth Group is under federal investigation for possible criminal fraud involving its Medicare program, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, the latest in a series of setbacks for the insurer. The company has grappled with several challenges over the past year, including a surge in medical costs, a cyber attack at its tech unit, the killing of its insurance unit head and subsequent public backlash against the industry.
Explainer-How are vaccines tested?
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to require all new vaccines be tested against a placebo in human trials, and has said that almost no shots used in the United States have undergone such rigorous testing, which is not accurate. The American Academy of Pediatrics has said childhood vaccines are carefully studied in randomized controlled trials - including with placebos - to ensure they´re safe and effective. Here is what you need to know about how vaccines are tested and approved in the United States:
New US dietary guidelines to come before August, Kennedy says
New dietary guidelines for Americans will be released before August and will be four pages long, directing Americans to "eat whole food," Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. told a U.S. House of Representatives committee on Wednesday. The current U.S. dietary guidelines are 160 pages longer than those to be proposed by the new secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
UnitedHealth tumbles as criminal probe report adds to investor fears
UnitedHealth Group shares plunged nearly 13% on Thursday after a Wall Street Journal report that the U.S. Department of Justice had begun a criminal investigation into the company for potential Medicare fraud. The reported probe adds to a string of recent setbacks for the healthcare conglomerate that has erased more than half, or over $300 billion, from its market value since November, when shares were trading at record highs.
FDA plans to review chemicals in US food supply, official says
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to step up safety reviews on chemicals in foods, including one widely used as a preservative in products containing fats, said Kyle Diamantas, the agency's top food official, on Thursday. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose agency oversees the FDA, has pledged to tackle chronic illnesses by overhauling the U.S. diet. He has pushed for bans on synthetic food colors and encouraged fast-food chains to switch to beef tallow instead of seed oils for French fries.
US health chief Kennedy clashes with lawmakers over vaccine comments
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came under fire on Wednesday from lawmakers who said he has made false statements over vaccine testing and safety since taking the nation's top health job. Kennedy made his first appearance in Congress since his confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary in February, facing questions over everything from his mass layoffs at federal health agencies to his handling of a worsening U.S. measles outbreak.
Indian IT firm Persistent Systems drops after report that key client UnitedHealth faces criminal probe
Shares of Persistent Systems declined 3% on Thursday, the most among Indian IT services providers, after a media report said that key client UnitedHealth Group was under a criminal probe for possible Medicare fraud. The U.S. Department of Justice's healthcare-fraud unit is overseeing the criminal investigation, which focuses on UnitedHealth's Medicare Advantage business practices, the Wall Street Journal had reported. The company said it stood by the integrity of the program.
US FDA approves AbbVie's drug for a type of lung cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved AbbVie's drug to treat adults with a type of lung cancer who have received previous treatment, the drugmaker said on Wednesday. The treatment, branded as Emrelis, belongs to a class of drugs known as antibody-drug conjugates, which act as "guided-missiles" that target only cancer cells while sparing healthy cells, unlike conventional chemotherapy.
Novo Nordisk strikes $2.2 billion deal with Septerna to develop new obesity treatments
Novo Nordisk has struck a collaboration and licensing deal with U.S. biotech Septerna to develop oral small molecule medicines for obesity, type 2 diabetes and other cardio-metabolic diseases that could be worth up to $2.2 billion for Septerna, they said on Wednesday. Novo, maker of the wildly popular Wegovy weight-loss drug, has sought to further strengthen its position in the potential $150 billion obesity market through the development of next-generation drugs, acquisitions and partnerships.
HHS to stop recommending Covid shots for children, pregnant women, WSJ reports
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is planning to drop CDC recommendations for routine Covid-19 vaccines for pregnant women, teens and children, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is part of the HHS, currently recommends that individuals aged six months and older should be given an updated COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of previous inoculations for the disease.
Merck KGaA cautious on 2025 profit on currency effects, tariff uncertainty
German pharmaceutical and specialty materials group Merck KGaA on Thursday guided more cautiously for 2025 earnings, citing foreign-exchange effects and uncertainty over tariffs.
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), adjusted for one-off items, would likely reach between 5.8 billion euros ($6.5 billion) and 6.4 billion this year, compared with 6.07 billion euros reported for 2024.
Trump officials back steeper Medicaid, food stamp work requirements
The U.S. Congress should enact steeper work requirements for Medicaid and food aid in a tax cut and spending plan being advanced by Republicans, four senior Trump administration officials said in a New York Times opinion column. Republicans on Wednesday pushed forward key elements of President Donald Trump's budget package, including new and expanded work requirements for receiving Medicaid and benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the nation's largest food aid program.
EPA to rollback 'forever chemical' rule, extend timelines
The EPA will rescind much of the Biden administration's first nationwide drinking water standard aimed at protecting people from toxic "forever chemicals" known as PFAS found in many household items, but will maintain current limits on two of these chemicals, it announced on Wednesday. Dubbed "forever chemicals" because they do not easily break down in the human body or environment, PFAS are found in hundreds of consumer and commercial products, including non-stick pans, cosmetics, firefighting foams and stain-resistant clothing.
California Governor Newsom seeks to scale back free healthcare for migrants
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday announced a budget proposal to scale back a free healthcare program for low-income undocumented migrants, warning the state must brace for an expected $16 billion dent in state revenues from President Donald Trump's tariffs. The change formed part of Newsom's budget presentation released on Wednesday. The governor's office projected that sharply lower revenues after Trump's tariffs would require the state "to take corrective action that balances fiscal responsibility while preserving core tenets of key investments."
China's Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals aims to raise up to $1.27 billion in HK listing
Chinese drug developer and producer Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals is aiming to raise up to HK$9.89 billion ($1.27 billion) in a Hong Kong listing, according to a regulatory filing made on Thursday. The deal will be the second in Hong Kong to raise above $1 billion in the past week, as the city's sluggish listings and initial public offering (IPO) markets start to show signs of revival.
