Keyword "HECA" - List of latest news (2 860 results)

13:11 Trump cuts threaten free vaccine program for kids amid measles outbreak

Dr. Ali Sherif normally gives about 50 doses of the measles vaccine to children each month at his clinic in Hobbs, New Mexico, near the Texas state line.

08:40 Key hospital in central Haiti closes due to gang violence

A top hospital in Haiti is closing its doors due to worsening insecurity after gangs attacked the central city of Mirebalais, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Tuesday, marking another blow to the country's fragile health sector.

07:51 Switzerland flexes financial muscle ahead of tariff date in Washington

Top Swiss officials will this week test whether big commitments to the U.S. can help secure relief from import tariffs, after pharma giant Roche followed its cross-town rival Novartis in announcing major investments in the United States.

07:41 Trade war and safety concerns take centre stage at Shanghai auto show

China's annual major auto shows have become a showcase for the rise of ever-cheaper, better-performing electric vehicles and more confident local brands in the world's biggest market for cars.

23:51 IMF slashes global outlook as White House says trade talks pick up pace

Worldwide economic output will slow in the months ahead as U.S. President Donald Trump's steep tariffs on virtually all trading partners begin to bite, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday as global finance chiefs swarmed Washington seeking deals with Trump's team to lower the levies.

21:53 Breakingviews - Crafty CEOs peek around tariff corners

There are many reasons to dump U.S. stocks, but even in bad markets there are good opportunities. In these trade-ravaged times, some companies have positioned themselves, relatively speaking, to ride out the turmoil, for a while at least.

22/04 Israel steps up Gaza strikes; polio vaccination halted by blockade

The Israeli military launched one of the biggest waves of strikes in Gaza for weeks, residents said, and health officials issued a new warning that healthcare faced total collapse from Israel's blockade of all supplies.

22/04 Focus: Trump looking at cutting US drug prices to international levels, sources say

Drugmakers have been warned that the Trump Administration is considering linking U.S. medicine prices to lower amounts paid by other developed countries, according to two company sources who called the option the pharmaceutical industry's top concern.

22/04 Roche to invest $50 billion in United States over next five years

Roche on Tuesday said it will invest $50 billion in the United States over the next five years, in one of the biggest inward investment moves by companies dealing with President Donald Trump's tariffs policy.

21/04 Gilead says Trodelvy-Keytruda combo effective for aggressive breast cancer type

Gilead Sciences said on Monday a late-stage study showed that its drug Trodelvy used in combination with Merck's immunotherapy Keytruda significantly slowed disease progression in patients with an aggressive type of breast cancer.

21/04 Walgreens to pay $300 million in US opioid settlement

Walgreens has agreed to pay $300 million to settle U.S. prosecutors' allegations that it illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances, the U.S. Justice Department said on Monday.

21/04 US Supreme Court to hear clash over Obamacare preventive care

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to consider the legality of a provision of the Obamacare law, formally called the Affordable Care Act, that helps ensure that health insurers cover preventive medical care such as cancer screenings at no cost to patients.

21/04 Indians battle respiratory issues, skin rashes in world's most polluted town

Two-year-old Sumaiya Ansari, a resident of India's Byrnihat town which is ranked the world's most polluted metropolitan area by Swiss Group IQAir, was battling breathing problems for several days before she was hospitalised in March and given oxygen support.

21/04 India's Modi to host JD Vance in Delhi under US tariffs shadow

U.S. Vice President JD Vance begins a four-day visit to India on Monday and will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as New Delhi rushes to avoid steep U.S. tariffs with an early trade deal and boost ties with the Trump administration.

19/04 Wall St Week Ahead Busy US earnings week confronts market grappling with tariff fallout

A heavy slate of U.S. company results in the coming week will test a stock market shaken by a U.S. trade policy overhaul that upended the outlook for the global economy and corporate America.

18/04 Trump's White House launches COVID website that criticizes WHO, Fauci and Biden

Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's White House launched a COVID-19 website on Friday in which it blamed the origins of the coronavirus on a lab leak in China while criticizing Democratic former President Joe Biden, former top U.S. health official Anthony Fauci and the World Health Organization.

18/04 Mangione faces federal charges, death penalty in UnitedHealth executive's killing

A federal grand jury has indicted Luigi Mangione, who is accused of murdering a UnitedHealth Group executive in New York last year, allowing prosecutors to seek the death penalty in his case, according to court filings on Thursday.

18/04 Exclusive: FDA fires most negotiators for pharma user fee talks, sources say

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's mass layoffs included senior negotiators in talks with the pharmaceutical industry over renewing the user fee programs that fund the regulator's drug review system, six sources familiar with the matter said.

17/04 US FDA suspends food safety quality checks after staff cuts

The Food and Drug Administration is suspending a quality control program for its food testing laboratories as a result of staff cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to an internal email seen by Reuters.

17/04 At least one dead in shooting at Florida State University

At least one person was killed and six others were wounded on Thursday after a shooting at Florida State University, and a suspect was taken into custody, according to media reports.

17/04 UK approves combination therapies of GSK's blood cancer drug Blenrep

GSK said on Thursday two combination therapies with its cancer drug, Blenrep, have received approval from British authorities for the treatment of a type of blood cancer in adults who had received at least one other therapy previously.

17/04 Lilly weight-loss pill works as well as Ozempic, shares surge

Eli Lilly's experimental pill worked as well as blockbuster drug Ozempic to lower weight and blood sugar in a trial of diabetes patients, and the company said it expects to seek regulatory approvals by the end of the year.

17/04 UnitedHealth shares tank after earnings miss, forecast cut as medical care costs soar

UnitedHealth Group surprised investors with what its CEO said was an "unusual and unacceptable" quarterly earnings miss, and it lowered its outlook for the full year due to higher-than-expected medical costs, sparking a 17% selloff in shares that reverberated across the sector.

17/04 Science caught in crossfire of Trump's fight with universities

Harvard scientist Dr. Donald Ingber, who works where medicine and engineering meet, saw federal funding for some of his projects frozen this week as his university clashed with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

17/04 US CDC advisers recommend lowering the age for RSV shots to 50-59 years

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's panel of outside experts on Wednesday recommended the use of respiratory syncytial virus vaccines in younger adults who are at increased risk of severe illness from the virus.

16/04 Exclusive: US consumer safety agency to stop collecting swaths of data after CDC cuts

The U.S. consumer product safety agency will stop collecting data on injuries from incidents like car accidents and adverse drug effects due to staff cuts at the CDC, according to an agency email seen by Reuters and a source familiar with the situation.

16/04 Kennedy plans studies to look for environmental contributors to autism

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Wednesday that he is planning new studies to identify environmental contributors to autism that he links to its rising prevalence in the country.

16/04 Pope Francis thanks doctors who saved his life in meeting at Vatican

Pope Francis on Wednesday thanked members of the medical team who saved his life during a five-week hospital stay for a serious case of double pneumonia, speaking softly but breathing without oxygen at the meeting in the Vatican.

16/04 Gaza a 'mass grave' of Palestinians, says MSF, as Israeli strikes kill 13

Gaza has become a "mass grave" for Palestinians and those trying to help them, medical charity MSF said on Wednesday, as medics said the Israeli military killed at least 13 in the north of the enclave and continued to demolish homes in Rafah in the south.

16/04 German palliative doctor charged with 15 counts of murder

Prosecutors in Berlin on Wednesday charged a doctor suspected of administering lethal amounts of various medications to palliative patients under his care with 15 counts of murder.

16/04 Trump signs healthcare executive order that includes a win for pharma companies

U.S. President Donald Trump directed his health department on Tuesday to work with Congress on revamping a law that allows Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, seeking to introduce a change the pharmaceutical industry has lobbied for.

15/04 Measles cases in Texas rise to 561, state health department says

The Texas health department reported 561 cases of measles in the state on Tuesday, an increase of 20 from April 11, as the United States battles an outbreak of the childhood disease.

15/04 J&J earnings beat estimates on strong cancer drug sales

Johnson & Johnson reported first-quarter revenue and profit above Wall Street estimates on Tuesday, driven by strong cancer drug sales, and provided its first forecast that accounts for trade tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

15/04 US CDC advisers to review vaccine guidelines after months-long delay

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's outside expert panel will convene on Tuesday after a nearly two-month delay and expects to review guidelines for several vaccines including recommendations for the next generation of COVID-19 shots.

15/04 At China's largest trade fair, exporters say US markets are 'frozen'

Candice Li says that after Washington raised tariffs on Chinese goods by 145%, U.S. orders for the medical devices her firm is making have vanished.

15/04 Morning Bid: Taxes and tariffs on the mind as relief rally limps along

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Rocky Swift

15/04 Eli Lilly's Mounjaro launch in India ignites wave of weight-loss enquiries

The India launch of Eli Lilly's popular weight-loss drug Mounjaro has triggered a huge wave of patient enquiries about its availability, with some Indian doctors fielding hundreds of calls about the medicine, according to a Reuters survey.

15/04 Bristol Myers' heart disease drug fails to meet main goals in late-stage study

Bristol Myers Squibb's drug to treat a type of heart disease did not significantly improve functional capacity and symptoms in patients, failing to meet the main goals of a late-stage study, the company said on Monday.

15/04 US steps up probes into pharmaceutical, chip imports, setting stage for tariffs

The Trump administration is proceeding with probes into imports of pharmaceuticals and semiconductors as part of a bid to impose tariffs on both sectors on grounds that extensive reliance on foreign production of medicine and chips is a national security threat, Federal Register filings on Monday showed.

14/04 Idaho judge relaxes abortion ban in cases where woman's life at risk

Idaho's abortion ban does not prevent doctors from performing abortions when a pregnant woman's life is in danger, even if her death is "neither imminent nor assured," a judge has ruled, a victory for four patients and two doctors who sued the state to expand the ban's narrow exception for medical emergencies.

14/04 Novo Nordisk warns consumers about counterfeit versions of Ozempic in US

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk said on Monday several hundred counterfeit units of its diabetes drug Ozempic were being distributed outside its authorized supply chain in the United States.

14/04 Brazil's Bolsonaro in intensive care after 12-hour surgery

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was recovering in an intensive care unit on Monday after a tricky 12-hour surgery due to recurring intestinal issues since he was stabbed while campaigning in 2018.

14/04 Pfizer ends development of weight-loss pill danuglipron

Pfizer on Monday said it has discontinued development of experimental weight-loss pill danuglipron after a trial patient experienced potential drug-induced liver injury which resolved after the medication was stopped.

14/04 Trump health policy uncertainty sends biotech sector into deeper slump

Trump administration cuts across federal health agencies have sent shivers through a biotech industry already struggling through a prolonged downturn, increasing concerns they will have a harder time getting products approved, investors, company executives and analysts said.

13/04 Sudan's RSF claims control of major Darfur camp, civilians flee

Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of a major camp for displaced people in North Darfur, the paramilitary group said on Sunday, after a four-day assault the government and aid groups have said left hundreds dead or wounded.

13/04 Trump is in excellent health, high cholesterol controlled White House doctor says

President Donald Trump remains in excellent health and his high cholesterol is "well controlled," White House physician U.S. Navy Captain Sean Barbella said in a report released on Sunday, two days after Trump underwent a routine physical.

13/04 Gaza 'hell on earth' as hospital supplies running out, warns head of Red Cross

The president of the Red Cross described the humanitarian situation in Gaza on Friday as "hell on earth" and warned that its field hospital will run out of supplies within two weeks.

13/04 Pope Francis makes brief appearance after Palm Sunday service

Unlike last Sunday, he was not receiving oxygen via a small hose under his nose.

12/04 Hundreds feared killed in Sudan as RSF launches attack on famine-stricken camp

A devastating assault by Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Zamzam Camp for displaced people near al-Fasher has left hundreds dead or wounded, the foreign ministry and aid groups said on Saturday, in what some described as one of the worst violations since the war began.

12/04 UnitedHealth asks healthcare providers for hack loan repayments

UnitedHealth Group is demanding that healthcare providers repay the loans they received from the company after a cyberattack at its tech unit Change Healthcare last year, according to two providers on Friday.

11/04 Wall St Week Ahead Broadening asset volatility intensifies worries for tariff-tossed US stocks

Wild swings in global markets are poised to keep U.S. stock investors on edge in the coming week, as a weakening dollar and a selloff in Treasuries compound extreme equity volatility that erupted after President Donald Trump launched his sweeping tariffs.

11/04 Mangione lawyers ask judge to prevent US prosecutors from seeking death penalty

Luigi Mangione's lawyers on Friday asked a judge to prevent the U.S. government from seeking the death penalty in a case accusing him of shooting and killing the CEO of UnitedHealth Group's insurance division, in New York last year.

11/04 Australia's Monash IVF admits 'error' after woman gives birth in embryo swap

One of Australia's biggest IVF providers said it accidentally implanted the embryo of the wrong couple into a woman who learned of the mistake after giving birth, with the company's initial investigation putting the mistake down to "human error".

11/04 Democratic state AGs sue to restore COVID-related programs for K-12 students

A group of Democratic state attorneys general on Thursday sued the Trump administration in an effort to stop it from cutting off more than $1.1 billion in funding meant to help address the long-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on elementary and high school students.

10/04 Hungary suggests 'biological attack' could be source of foot-and-mouth outbreak

Hungary on Thursday suggested a "biological attack" as a possible source of the country's first foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in more than half a century, which has triggered border closures and the mass slaughter of cattle in the northwest.

10/04 Trump administration urges states to limit what can be bought with food stamps

The Trump administration is calling on states to request waivers that would bar food stamp recipients from buying soda and other processed foods with their benefits, according to a Thursday op-ed by U.S. health and agriculture secretaries, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Brooke Rollins.

10/04 Exclusive: US NIH scientists barred from attending conferences on their own time and dime

Researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health have been told they cannot attend scientific conferences and meetings without official permission, even if they pay their own way and go during time off, three current and former NIH scientists told Reuters.

10/04 Trump's trade war: Prescription drugs become a target

U.S. President Donald Trump late on Tuesday reiterated he would impose tariffs on imports of pharmaceutical products that have long been spared from past trade disputes due to the potential for harm to patients.

09/04 USDA to lose bird flu response employees, source says

Several U.S. Department of Agriculture employees who worked on the agency's bird flu response will leave at the end of April, straining the federal capacity to monitor the spread of the virus, according to a source familiar with the situation.

09/04 US measles battle hindered by confusion over health secretary response

U.S. pediatricians and infectious disease experts say the fight against rising measles cases nationwide is being hampered by a lack of forceful advocacy for vaccination from government health officials and statements on unproven treatments that are confusing parents.

09/04 Six weeks since Israel imposed total Gaza blockade, last food is running out

The bombs still haven't killed Rehab Akhras and her family. But if the checkpoints that Israel has sealed off since the start of March are not opened soon, she says hunger surely will.

09/04 Breakingviews - Big Pharma has partial immunity from Trump tariffs

The $1.7 trillion revenue prescription drug industry has a relatively robust immunity to tariffs. Last Wednesday, when U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a raft of duties on countries and industries he held back on hitting pharmaceuticals. He followed up on Tuesday by saying he would soon announce a “major” tariff on pharmaceutical imports. But the industry’s complex supply chains and the risk o

09/04 European, Indian pharma stocks decline after Trump again threatens tariffs

Drugmakers' stocks in Europe and India slipped on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated plans for a "major" tariff on all pharmaceutical imports and as "reciprocal" tariffs kicking in led to a further carnage in global markets.

09/04 South Sudan cholera patients died walking to clinic after US cut aid, charity says

Eight people infected by cholera in South Sudan including five children died on a three-hour walk to seek medical treatment after U.S. aid cuts forced local health services to close, the UK-based charity Save the Children said on Wednesday.

09/04 What to know about US measles cases on the rise

A second child in Texas has died from measles, one of the world's most contagious illnesses which was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000, several decades after the introduction of a highly effective vaccine.

09/04 Largest US egg producer cooperating in Justice Department price probe

The largest U.S. egg producer, Cal-Maine Foods , is cooperating with a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into high egg prices and whether producers have conspired to raise them, the company said on Tuesday.

08/04 Mexico reports first human death from H5N1 bird flu

Mexico on Tuesday logged its first human death from H5N1 avian influenza, a three-year-old girl in the northern state of Coahuila, according to the state's health minister.

08/04 Measles cases in Texas rise to 505, state health department says

The Texas health department reported 505 cases of measles in the state on Tuesday, an increase of 24 cases from its previous count on April 4, as the United States battles an outbreak of the childhood disease that has spread across 22 states.

08/04 Boeing deliveries in March jump by 41% compared to a year earlier 

Boeing delivered 41 jets in March, up from 29 during the same month a year ago, the company announced Tuesday, though the figure was slightly lower than the 45 handed over in January and 44 in February.

08/04 Study strengthens link between maternal diabetes and autism

A large new study adds to evidence that diabetes during pregnancy is linked with an increased risk of brain and nervous system problems in children, including autism, researchers say.

07/04 US health insurers jump as 2026 Medicare payment rates exceed expectations

The U.S. announced a 5.06% average increase in the government's final reimbursement rates for 2026 Medicare Advantage health plans run by private insurers, more than double the increase it proposed in January.

07/04 US House Republicans face divide as they look to move ahead on Trump tax cuts

Top Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to move forward this week on President Donald Trump's tax cuts, but their caucus is divided with some members concerned that there are insufficient spending cuts in the budget blueprint passed by the Senate.

07/04 European stocks' stellar start to 2025 snuffed out as tariffs cloud Q1 earnings

European equities' impressive start to 2025 has been obliterated in three sessions of heavy selling, while executives tot up the potential impact of U.S. tariffs on supply chains, possibly forcing them to ditch previous financial predictions.

07/04 China's Duality Biotherapeutics tests market appetite with up to $200 million Hong Kong IPO

Chinese biotech firm Duality Biotherapeutics launched an initial public offering (IPO) of up to HK$1.56 billion ($200.7 million) on Monday in Hong Kong, testing investor appetite amid a global stock market rout.

07/04 Aid cuts could leave more women dying in pregnancy and birth, UN says

Cuts to aid budgets are threatening to undermine years of progress in reducing the number of women dying during pregnancy and childbirth, and could lead to a rise in deaths, the United Nations has warned.

06/04 EU seeks unity in first strike back at Trump tariffs

The European Commission, which coordinates EU trade policy, will propose to members late on Monday a list of U.S. products to hit with extra duties in response to Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs rather than the broader reciprocal levies.

06/04 Texas records second measles-related death, local media report

A second child with measles has died in Texas where hundreds of cases of the disease have been recorded in recent weeks, prompting U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to plan a trip to the state, local media reported early on Sunday.

05/04 Mexico reports first human case of H5N1 bird flu

Mexico has detected its first human case of H5N1 avian influenza, also known as bird flu, the health ministry said on Friday.

04/04 Texas measles cases jump nearly 14% to 481 in three days

The Texas Department of State Health Services on Friday reported 59 new measles cases in three days, bringing the total to 481 in the state, while New Mexico's health department reported 54 infections, adding six, as the disease spreads across the country.

04/04 FDA suspends program to improve bird flu testing due to staff cuts

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is suspending efforts to improve its bird flu testing of milk, cheese and pet food due to massive staff cuts at the agency, according to an email seen by Reuters and a source familiar with the situation.

04/04 Trump layoffs begin to erode FDA drug review system

The Trump administration's mass firings at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have removed employees critical to reviewing new medicines, setting back years of effort to bring promising treatments to patients more quickly, former and current FDA sources told Reuters.

04/04 US judge blocks $11 billion Trump administration health funding cut for now

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from cutting more than $11 billion in public health grants allocated to U.S. states during the COVID-19 pandemic.

03/04 US health department says it may ask fired staff to keep working

Thousands of employees fired this week from the Department of Health and Human Services and the public health agencies it oversees may be asked to temporarily continue working for two months, the department said on Thursday.

03/04 High just got higher: Trump tariffs to raise prices for US cannabis users

Contemplating smoking your way out of the tariff gloom? Think again.

03/04 Small-town Ireland nervous as Trump seeks to lure pharma investment to US

As U.S. President Donald Trump takes aim at the mostly American-owned pharmaceutical factories that dot the Irish countryside, the people of Carrigtwohill are getting nervous.

03/04 Breakingviews - Life sciences undergo painful genetic modification

Medical researchers helped tame a worldwide pandemic, but they may be powerless against the financial disease rapidly spreading from Washington. The Trump administration’s sweeping budget cuts are hitting agencies that fund research and approve new drugs, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services now led by vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The immediate implications pale next

03/04 Researchers, ACLU sue over Trump's 'ideological purge' of NIH grants

Scientific researchers on Wednesday sued to secure reinstatement of National Institutes of Health grants that funded research on topics like LGBTQ health, COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy canceled by Republican President Donald Trump's administration as part of an "ideological purge."

02/04 Top cases before the US Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court's current term includes cases involving guns, gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, online pornography, religious rights, TikTok, preventive healthcare, Planned Parenthood funding, job discrimination, federal regulatory powers on nuclear waste storage and vape products, voting rights and more.

02/04 FDA misses deadline for decision on Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine, source says

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has missed the deadline for making a decision on Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

02/04 US Supreme Court receptive to South Carolina's bid to defund Planned Parenthood

Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared sympathetic on Wednesday to South Carolina's bid to strip Planned Parenthood of funding under the Medicaid program in a case that could bolster efforts by Republican-led states to deprive the reproductive healthcare and abortion provider of public money.

02/04 UK baby killer Letby's lawyer to present new evidence in bid to clear her name

A lawyer for nurse Lucy Letby said he would present new evidence on Thursday to the commission which considers miscarriages of justice, saying it undermined the case against the British nurse convicted of murdering seven babies in her care.

02/04 Coffers swelling on Wegovy sales, Novo Holdings doubles income and returns in 2024

Novo Holdings, the controlling shareholder of obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk , nearly doubled annual income and investment returns to a record 8 billion euros ($8.66 billion) in 2024, it said on Wednesday.

02/04 Water and medicine in short supply after Myanmar earthquake, says UN

Shelter, clean water and medicine are in short supply following the earthquake in Myanmar that has caused significant structural damage and had a devastating human toll, the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday.

02/04 US FDA insider Steele replaces Marks as top vaccine official, for now

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it had named Scott Steele as acting director of its Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), following the exit of top vaccine scientist Peter Marks.

01/04 US House Democrats open investigation into Kennedy bird flu response

Democrats on the U.S. House of Representatives oversight committee opened an investigation on Tuesday into health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s handling of the federal response to bird flu, according to a letter sent to Kennedy and released by the committee.

01/04 Exclusive: Trump health layoffs include staff overseeing bird flu response, source says

The Trump administration has fired staff who were working on the Food and Drug Administration's bird flu response as part of its mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a source familiar with the situation.

01/04 Democratic-led states sue to block Trump from $11 billion health funding cut

A group of Democratic-led states on Tuesday sued Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to challenge its cancellation of $11 billion in federal grants the states were allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

01/04 Exclusive: Trump administration begins mass layoffs at health agencies, sources say

The Trump administration fired staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and at the Food and Drug Administration, as it embarked on its plan to cut 10,000 jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to two sources familiar with the situation.

01/04 US judge rejects J&J's $10 billion baby powder settlement

A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Monday rejected Johnson & Johnson's $10 billion proposal to end tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging that its baby powder and other talc products cause ovarian cancer, marking the third time the company's bankruptcy strategy has failed in court.

01/04 Exclusive: Pharma industry lobbies Trump for phased tariffs, sources say

Drugmakers are lobbying U.S. President Donald Trump to phase in tariffs on imported pharmaceutical products in hopes of reducing the sting from the charges and to allow time to shift manufacturing, according to four sources familiar with the discussions.

01/04 Analysts at Cantor, formerly headed by Lutnick, call for Kennedy's dismissal

Analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald, formerly headed by the Trump administration's Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, called for the dismissal of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

01/04 Lassa fever kills 118 in Nigeria over last three months

Lassa fever killed 118 people in Nigeria in the first three months of this year, the West African country's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said.

01/04 Trump administration to freeze family-planning funds for Planned Parenthood

Reproductive health provider Planned Parenthood said on Monday the Trump administration would cut federal family planning funding as of Tuesday, affecting birth control, cancer screenings and other services for low-income people.

31/03 FTC concerned about privacy protections in 23andMe bankruptcy

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is concerned about the potential sale or transfer of Americans' personal information by 23andMe ancestry testing company which recently filed for bankruptcy, the agency's chairman said on Monday.

31/03 Corcept's ovarian cancer drug cuts disease progression in study, shares jump

Corcept Therapeutics said on Monday its experimental drug in combination with chemotherapy helped delay progression of a type of ovarian cancer in a late-stage trial.

31/03 Google-backed AI drug discovery startup raises $600 million

Isomorphic Labs, which uses artificial intelligence technologies for drug discovery, has raised $600 million in its first ever external funding round led by Thrive Capital, the startup said on Monday.

31/03 Big Tobacco targets Trump in hope - and fear - of change

Big tobacco companies like British American Tobacco are lobbying U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to crack down on illegal vapes, including via import bans on Chinese devices, documents show and industry consultants said.

31/03 Pharma stocks sink after ouster of top FDA vaccine regulator

Shares of U.S. drugmakers fell before the bell on Monday after reports that the Food and Drug Administration's top vaccine official had been forced to resign, the most high-profile exit at the regulator amid an overhaul of federal agencies.

30/03 Experimental Lilly drug cuts genetic heart disease risk factor by 94% in trial

The highest dose of an experimental drug developed by Eli Lilly significantly reduced levels of a genetically inherited risk factor for heart disease in a midstage trial, according to data presented at a major medical meeting on Sunday.

29/03 Thai woman gives birth to baby girl amid chaos of earthquake

In the chaos of Friday's earthquake, a Thai woman gave birth to a baby girl on a rolling bed in a hospital as it was being evacuated.

29/03 WHO proposing to cut jobs and slash budget by a fifth, memo shows

The World Health Organization (WHO) is proposing to reduce staff numbers and the scale of its work as it slashes its budget by just over one fifth due to the impact of U.S. funding cuts, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.

28/03 Measles outbreak worsens as Texas, New Mexico cases rise 20% in 3 days

Texas and New Mexico health departments said on Friday that the number of measles cases in their states rose 20% since their last reports three days ago, as experts warn they expect the outbreak to further spread in coming weeks.

28/03 US authorizes first home test for three common sexually transmitted infections

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted authorization to market the first test that can be performed entirely at home for detecting three sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

28/03 US FDA declines to approve Milestone's heart rhythm nasal spray; shares halve

Milestone Pharmaceuticals said on Friday the U.S. health regulator had declined to approve its nasal spray to treat a type of heart condition and had called for an inspection of the facility that performs the testing of the drug.

28/03 Johnson & Johnson unit ordered to pay $1.64 billion in HIV drug marketing case

A federal judge ordered a Johnson & Johnson unit on Friday to pay the U.S. government $1.64 billion after a jury found it liable in a whistleblower lawsuit for illegally promoting the HIV drugs Prezista and Intelence.

28/03 Novo Nordisk to license obesity drug from Lexicon in up to $1 billion deal

Novo Nordisk is licensing Lexicon Pharmaceuticals' experimental obesity drug in a deal worth up to $1 billion, the Danish drugmaker's second deal this week, as it looks to strengthen the pipeline of its weight-loss treatments.

28/03 EU regulator rejects Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug

The European Union's drugs regulator on Friday rejected Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug, saying the treatment's small impact on slowing cognitive decline was not large enough to outweigh the risk of serious brain swelling in patients.

28/03 China's Xi urges global CEOs to protect trade as Trump tariffs loom

China's President Xi Jinping urged a gathering of global CEOs on Friday to protect industrial and supply chains, as Beijing seeks to assuage foreign firms' concerns over the Chinese economy's health while Trump threatens further tariffs.

27/03 Walgreen to pay more than $2.85 million to settle US overbilling charges

Walgreen will pay more than $2.85 million to settle whistleblower allegations that the pharmacy overbilled Medicaid programs in Georgia and Massachusetts for generic medications, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday.

27/03 Record 28 million people face acute hunger in conflict-ravaged Congo

Twenty-eight million people face acute hunger in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a record for the country, driven by an escalating conflict between the government and Rwandan-backed rebels in the east, the United Nations said on Thursday.

27/03 Novo shares on track for biggest monthly fall since 2002, investor worries grow

Novo Nordisk shares have fallen 25% so far in March and are on track for their biggest monthly drop since July 2002, as investor worries intensify that the obesity drug market pioneer has lost its edge over U.S. rival Eli Lilly .

27/03 ‘Pro-growth’ M&A policing is a misnomer: podcast

The transatlantic trustbusting consensus forged by Lina Khan and Margrethe Vestager is already fraying. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists discuss if it will lead to mergers involving national champions such as GSK and BP, and in turn remedy some economic ills.

27/03 US health department cutting 10,000 workers under Kennedy

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will cut about 10,000 full-time jobs and close half of its regional offices, it said on Thursday, a major overhaul of the department under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

27/03 Trump healthcare price transparency order may not bring intended relief to patients

A Trump administration executive order intended to provide patients with the prices from hospitals and insurers they need to shop around may prove ineffective because of the huge amount of unorganized data it will generate, experts say.

27/03 Exclusive: FDA staff struggle to meet product review deadlines after DOGE layoffs

Some U.S. health regulators who review medical devices and tobacco products for safety and efficacy are struggling to meet deadlines mandated by Congress due to Trump administration layoffs, three scientists working on the projects told Reuters.

27/03 UK's Starmer heads for test of health strategy as Reform gains ground

In the nuclear medicine department of London's University College Hospital, patients pass through polished corridors to airy rooms decorated with green-leaf stencils, where they are scanned and treated, particularly for cancer, with cutting-edge technology that uses radioactive tracers.

27/03 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh fear aid cuts will deepen crisis

Majuna Khatun sat cradling her six-month-old baby at a rehabilitation centre for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, worried her child would be without critical healthcare due to funding cuts from the United States and some European countries.

27/03 US FDA approves first treatment for rare genetic disorder Prader-Willi syndrome

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Soleno Therapeutics' drug to treat a rare genetic disorder, making it the first treatment available for patients who experience feelings of intense and persistent hunger.

27/03 US pulls back $12 billion in funding to state health departments

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services canceled around $12 billion in federal grants to states that were allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal department and state officials said on Wednesday.

25/03 How companies are responding to Trump's tariffs

Corporate America is scrambling to implement countermeasures as U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariffs on Chinese imports went into effect last week, while some levies on Canada and Mexico have been suspended.

25/03 Novo Nordisk expands discounted Wegovy to all cash-paying US customers

Novo Nordisk said on Monday all eligible cash-paying customers in the United States can buy its weight-loss drug Wegovy at a discounted price of $499 per month at their local pharmacy.

24/03 Risk of 2,000 new HIV infections a day after US aid freeze, UN says

There could be 2,000 new HIV infections a day across the world and a ten-fold increase in related deaths if funding frozen by the United States is not restored or replaced, the United Nations AIDS agency said on Monday.

24/03 DNA testing firm 23andMe files for bankruptcy to sell itself; CEO leaves after failed bids

Genetic testing firm 23andMe said on Sunday it filed for filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. to help the $50 million company sell itself and that co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki had resigned after multiple failed takeover bids.

23/03 Chinese premier warns of 'rising instability' at key business forum

Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged countries to open their markets to combat "rising instability and uncertainty" at a business forum in Beijing on Sunday, as China braces for further U.S. tariffs.

23/03 Pope Francis leaves hospital after first public appearance in five weeks

Pope Francis left Rome's Gemelli hospital on Sunday following a five-week stay to be treated for pneumonia, making his first public appearance since February 14 by waving to well-wishers from a balcony moments before he was discharged.

22/03 Bayer hit with $2 billion Roundup verdict in US state of Georgia cancer case

Bayer was ordered by a jury in the U.S. state of Georgia to pay about $2.1 billion to a plaintiff who claimed the company's Roundup weed killer caused his cancer, the plaintiff's law firms said late on Friday.

22/03 Pope Francis must relearn to speak after oxygen therapy, cardinal says

He is slowly regaining his strength, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez said.

21/03 J&J boosts US investments by 25% over 4 years amid looming tariff threats

Johnson & Johnson has laid out plans to raise U.S. investments by 25% to more than $55 billion over the next four years, as a threat of drug import duties by the Trump administration compels companies to expand their manufacturing operations domestically.

21/03 Gene therapy loses luster as investors eye quicker returns from weight-loss drugs

Gene therapy, with its offer of a possible cure for rare diseases like sickle cell, is losing early investors to higher-reward sectors like obesity and cancer, as sales for some of the new treatments fall short.

21/03 White House considering Burgess to lead CDC, sources say

Former Republican Representative Michael Burgess is a Texas physician who retired from Congress in January.

20/03 US Senate Democrats call on Trump Medicare nominee Dr. Oz to pay $400,000 in avoided taxes

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the celebrity physician nominated by President Donald Trump to oversee the government's Medicare and Medicaid health plans, should commit to paying over $400,000 in taxes he avoided, two Democratic U.S. Senators said on Thursday.

20/03 VA shake-up hits mental health services for US veterans

Layoffs and return-to-office mandates have affected some mental health services.

10/03 Pope Francis responding well to treatment, prognosis no longer guarded, Vatican says

Pope Francis is responding well to treatment in hospital and his doctors have decided his prognosis is no longer guarded, the Vatican said on Monday, in a sign of progress as the 88-year-old pontiff battles double pneumonia.

10/03 Data on new Novo Nordisk obesity drug disappoints in trial, shares drop

Novo Nordisk on Monday revealed weaker-than-expected data from a second late-stage trial of its obesity drug candidate CagriSema, knocking shares and stoking worries that rival Eli Lilly may be gaining an edge over the company in the weight-loss drugs market.

09/03 Nigeria to receive leprosy drugs after a year-long delay

The World Health Organization says it will send leprosy drugs to Nigeria this weekend after resolving testing hold-ups that led to a year-long delay in thousands of patients, including children, getting the medicine they need to prevent disability.

09/03 Canada reports increase in measles cases, urges vaccination

Canada is seeing a noticeable increase in measles cases this year, with more reported in the first two months of 2025 than all of last year, the country's health agency said on Thursday and urged citizens to get vaccinated.

09/03 Pope Francis, starting fourth week in hospital, showing improvement, Vatican says

Pope Francis is showing a "good response" to his treatment in hospital for double pneumonia and his overall condition is gradually improving, the Vatican said on Saturday.

08/03 Greenland candidate campaigns for better healthcare after beating cancer in Denmark

As Greenland's general election approaches, a candidate campaigns for access to better healthcare on the vast island, recounting his personal journey of beating cancer after having to travel to Denmark from a remote town to undergo treatment.

08/03 Doctors push back as parents embrace Kennedy and vitamin A in Texas measles outbreak

Dr. Ana Montanez is working overtime in Lubbock to contact vaccine-hesitant parents, explaining the grave risks posed by a disease that most American families have never seen, and one that can be prevented through immunization.

08/03 COVID-19 shut us down five years ago. Here's how its economic impact continues

Five years after the World Health Organization first described the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic, its effects are still being felt on the global economy.

08/03 Gene Hackman died of heart disease days after wife succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman was in an advanced state of Alzheimer's and died of heart disease and other factors likely days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died of a rare virus spread by mice, according to autopsy results released on Friday in New Mexico.

08/03 Trump's shipbuilding plan could upend ocean cargo industry, companies warn

The levies could hit virtually every ship calling at U.S. ports, foist up to $30 billion of annual costs on American consumers and double the cost of shipping U.S. exports,

07/03 Texas, New Mexico report increase in measles cases

Texas and New Mexico on Friday reported an additional 59 cases of measles, bringing the total in those two states to 228 as the outbreak spread further after causing the first U.S. measles deaths in a decade.

07/03 Measles death in Texas puts Kennedy's vaccine views to the test

A growing measles outbreak in Texas, where one unvaccinated child died and nearly 20 others have been hospitalized with serious complications, marks the first major test for U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a longtime vaccine skeptic.

07/03 Autism rates: Why are they on the rise

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental condition marked by disruptions in brain-signaling that cause people to behave, communicate, interact, and learn in atypical ways.

07/03 Pope Francis, in stable condition, sends first audio message from hospital

A brief, two-line message recorded by Francis from Rome's Gemelli hospital was played during a nightly prayer service for the pope in St Peter's Square at the Vatican.

07/03 Latin American activists warn of pushback on reproductive rights

Latin American rights activists on Thursday warned of growing political threats to reproductive rights across the region, as the United States rolls back access to abortion.

07/03 What is behind South Korea medical student quota dispute

The South Korean government said on Friday it was prepared to freeze the number of new medical students in a bid to resolve a 13-month long dispute involving a walkout by more than 13,000 trainee doctors and medical students boycotting classes.

07/03 US FTC sues to block private equity buy of medical company

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission sued on Thursday to block medical device coatings maker Surmodics' acquisition by private equity firm GTCR, saying the deal would contribute to high healthcare costs.

06/03 US judge bars copies of Lilly weight-loss drug

A U.S. federal judge has refused to allow compounding pharmacies to keep making copies of Eli Lilly's popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro in the United States.

06/03 Deceased New Mexico resident tests positive for measles, health department says

A deceased resident of Lea County in New Mexico tested positive for measles, the state health department said on Thursday, even though the cause of death was still being investigated.

06/03 Walgreens to be taken private by Sycamore in $10 billion deal

Walgreens Boots Alliance will be taken private by Sycamore Partners for $10 billion, the buyout firm said on Thursday, closing out nearly a century of trading on public markets for the U.S. pharmacy giant.

06/03 Dettol maker Reckitt misses fourth-quarter sales expectations

Reckitt , the maker of Dettol cleaning products and Strepsils throat lozenges, on Thursday missed expectations for fourth-quarter like-for-like net sales as a late flu and cold season dented demand for its over-the-counter medicines.

06/03 Novartis not panicking over potential US pharmaceutical tariffs, chairman says

Novartis is not panicking about higher tariffs on pharmaceutical imports that U.S. President Donald Trump could impose, the drug maker's Chairman Joerg Reinhardt said in an interview published on Thursday.

06/03 USAID cuts put tuberculosis response in peril, WHO says

The Trump administration's decision to pause U.S. foreign aid would undo progress made in containing tuberculosis (TB) infections across low- and middle-income countries, putting the lives of millions at risk, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

06/03 US judge bars Trump administration from cutting NIH research funding

A U.S. judge on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump's administration from carrying out steep cuts to federal grant funding for research that universities and Democratic-led states warn would lead to layoffs, lab closures and a curtailment of scientific and medical studies.

05/03 Germany's election in graphics

Germany's election delivered a win to the conservative opposition as well as a historic surge in support for the far-right AfD party.

04/03 China bans imports of Illumina's gene sequencers right after Trump tariff action

China announced a ban on Tuesday on imports of genetic sequencers from U.S. medical equipment maker Illumina , just minutes after U.S. President Donald Trump's additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods took effect.

19/02 Trump says he will introduce 25% tariffs on autos, pharmaceuticals and chips

Trump has long railed against what he calls the unfair treatment of U.S. automotive exports in foreign markets.

26/01 WHO chief urges end to attacks on Sudan healthcare after 70 killed in drone strike

The head of the World Health Organization called on Saturday for an end to attacks on healthcare workers and facilities in Sudan after a drone attack on a hospital in Sudan's North Darfur region killed more than 70 people and wounded dozens.

25/01 Trump says he may consider rejoining World Health Organization

President Donald Trump said on Saturday he may consider rejoining the World Health Organization, days after ordering a U.S. exit from the global health agency over what he described as a mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.

25/01 King Charles wears kilt in tartan named after him in new photo

Buckingham Palace published a new photograph of King Charles wearing a kilt made of a tartan named in his honour to mark the birthday of Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns on Saturday.

25/01 UnitedHealth says hack at tech unit impacted 190 million people

The cyberattack at UnitedHealth Group's tech unit last year affected the personal information of 190 million people, the health conglomerate said on Friday, making it the largest healthcare data breach in the United States.

25/01 US rejoining international anti-abortion pact

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday the United States was rejoining an international accord that critics say aims to limit abortion access for millions of women and girls around the world.

25/01 Trump's Justice Department limits cases over blocked access to abortion clinics

The U.S. Justice Department's new leadership under President Donald Trump ordered cutbacks on Friday on federal prosecutions of people accused of blocking access to reproductive health centers and abortion clinics, calling such cases a "weaponization" of law enforcement.

24/01 European executives join Trump’s call for action on deregulation

Business leaders in Davos joined calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for the European Union to speed up efforts to reduce regulation and increase competition to prevent the bloc from falling further behind other developed markets.

24/01 Opponents of Kennedy's bid for top health post urge senators to reject him

More than 80 organizations planned to voice opposition on Friday to Robert F. Kennedy Jr's nomination to lead the top U.S. health agency before his Senate confirmation hearing next week, where his skepticism about vaccines will be scrutinized.

24/01 Novo Nordisk reports 22% weight loss in early subcutaneous amycretin trial

Novo Nordisk on Friday announced early-stage trial results for its amycretin obesity drug for subcutaneous injection, saying people with obesity or overweight treated with the drug achieved a 22% weight loss after 36 weeks.

24/01 WHO chief to cut costs, reset priorities after US exit, document shows

The World Health Organization will cut costs and review which health programmes to prioritise after President Donald Trumpannounced he was withdrawing the U.S. from the agency, the WHO's chief told staff in an internal memo seen by Reuters.

24/01 European earnings may keep the mood sweet as tariff fears grow

European companies are set to deliver a third straight quarter of profit growth, which may help to maintain newfound investor enthusiasm for the region despite political and economic turmoil and concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs threat.

24/01 US health agencies cancel external meetings, travel after Trump admin directives

U.S. health agencies including the CDC this week canceled meetings with external groups, paused some public health publications and told employees to freeze travel after directives from the Department of Health and Human Services, two sources familiar with the situation said.

23/01 Abbott banks on glucose monitors, new launches to ride out China, currency hit

Abbott Laboratories on Wednesday forecast 2025 profit that came in line with Wall Street estimates as it expects new device launches and growing demand for its glucose monitors to offset a hit from weakness in China and a stronger dollar.

23/01 Purdue Pharma, Sacklers reach $7.4 billion national opioid settlement

Purdue Pharma and its Sackler family owners have reached a new $7.4 billion settlement to resolve thousands of lawsuits alleging that the pain medication OxyContin caused a widespread opioid addiction crisis in the U.S., several state attorneys general said Thursday.

22/01 J&J beats quarterly sales and profit estimates on cancer drug sales

Johnson & Johnson , fresh off a $14.6 billion deal to buy neurological drugmaker Intra-Cellular , reported fourth-quarter sales and profit above Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, driven by strong sales of its cancer treatments.

22/01 Exclusive: Global health funds push for more private money, fearing government retreat

One of the world's biggest global health funders will ask the private sector for a steep increase in donations as concern of a shortfall in government contributions grows following a U.S. decision to exit the World Health Organization.

21/01 What does Trump's move to quit WHO mean for U.N. agency and global health? 

President Donald Trump is pulling the U.S. out of the World Health Organization, raising concerns about the U.N. agency's ability to fight diseases and respond to emergencies around the globe without its biggest funder.

21/01 Trump orders US exit from the World Health Organization

The United States will exit the World Health Organization, President Donald Trump said on Monday, saying the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.

21/01 Biden FTC chair Khan to resign from commission in coming weeks

Lina Khan, who headed the U.S. Federal Trade Commission under former President Joe Biden until Monday, will resign from the commission in the coming weeks, she told staff in a memo.

20/01 Indian police volunteer gets life sentence for rape, murder of Kolkata junior doctor

An Indian court awarded the life sentence on Monday to a police volunteer convicted of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the hospital where she worked in the eastern city of Kolkata.

20/01 China's ageing villages face yawning healthcare gap in fragile economy

David Wei had to carry his nephew on his back for 3 km (1.9 miles) after the younger man suffered a heart attack, staggering down a road being repaired in rural China, while an ambulance took 90 minutes to drive out from the city and save him.

18/01 Zijin halts work at Colombia gold mine after homemade bomb attack

Zijin Mining has paused production at its Buritica gold mine in Colombia after assailants armed with homemade bombs damaged a key power source, the company said on Saturday.

18/01 Exclusive: Kennedy played key role in Gardasil vaccine case against Merck

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who awaits confirmation as Donald Trump's Health and Human Services secretary, helped organize mass litigation over the HPV vaccine, which the CDC recommends as a routine immunization to prevent cervical and other cancers.

18/01 WHO makes last-ditch effort to keep America from leaving as Trump takes over

The World Health Organization is drawing up a list of reasons why the U.S. should remain in the WHO for its own good, two sources familiar with the process told Reuters, as part of an attempt by its supporters to lobby incoming President Donald Trump.

17/01 US turkey producers should ramp up bird flu testing, USDA says

U.S. poultry producers should ramp up testing and monitoring of turkeys for bird flu before they are slaughtered to ensure the virus stays out of the food supply, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday.

17/01 Flooding Gaza with aid might lessen security challenge, says UNRWA chief

Attacks on aid convoys in the Gaza Strip by looters and armed gangs could decline as humanitarian relief floods the area after the truce takes effect between Israel and Palestinian militants, the head of the U.N. Palestinian relief agency UNRWA said on Friday.

17/01 Top cases now before the US Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court's current term includes cases involving TikTok, guns, gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, online pornography, religious rights, preventive healthcare, Planned Parenthood funding, job discrimination, federal regulatory powers on nuclear waste storage and vape products, voting rights and more.

17/01 Explainer: What Wegovy's inclusion in Medicare price negotiation means for patients, company

The U.S. government on Friday announced a list of 15 prescription medicines targeted for Medicare price negotiations for 2027, which includes Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy. Here's what Wall Street analysts say about the inclusion:

17/01 US FDA approves AstraZeneca's drug for breast cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved AstraZeneca and partner Daiichi Sankyo's precision drug to treat a type of breast cancer, the health regulator said on Friday.

17/01 Breakingviews - Mega-merger boom threatens a shareholder bloodbath

When a chief executive unveils a big merger, the fretting begins. Concerns about a repeat of disasters like AOL-Time Warner or Bayer-Monsanto immediately spring to mind. It’s a particular concern for 2025 as steadier interest rates and laxer antitrust enforcement augur a resurgence of chunky M&A. When acquisitions reach $10 billion or more, however, the worst fears of shareholders are often confir

17/01 Websites selling compounded weight-loss drugs fail to inform patients of risks, research shows

Websites selling compounded versions of popular weight-loss drugs from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to U.S. consumers often do not inform patients of the risks associated with these medicines, according to a research letter published on Friday.

17/01 Novo Nordisk says its high-dose semaglutide trial shows 20.7% weight loss

Novo Nordisk said on Friday a late-stage trial with a high-dose version of its weight loss drug semaglutide helped overweight patients lower their weight by 20.7%.

17/01 US targets Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy for Medicare price talks

Novo Nordisk's blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss treatment Wegovy are among the 15 drugs targeted for Medicare price negotiations for 2027, the U.S. government said on Friday.

17/01 Breakingviews - Mega-merger boom threatens a shareholder bloodbath

When a chief executive unveils a big merger, the fretting begins. Concerns about a repeat of disasters like AOL-Time Warner or Bayer-Monsanto immediately spring to mind. It’s a particular concern for 2025 as steadier interest rates and laxer antitrust enforcement augur a resurgence of chunky M&A. When acquisitions reach $10 billion or more, however, the worst fears of shareholders are often confir

16/01 US bans use of Red No.3 dye in food, drugs over potential cancer links

The U.S. on Wednesday banned the use of a synthetic food dye that gives some candies, cakes and certain oral medications a cherry-red color, following evidence that the dye causes cancer in laboratory rats.

16/01 Outgoing FDA chief flags online weight loss drug dangers

Current laws and regulations are not enough to protect Americans from the risks of compounded versions of popular weight loss drugs, especially those bought online, outgoing U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf said on Thursday.

16/01 WHO appeals for $1.5 billion for emergencies with US funding in question

The World Health Organization launched its annual appeal for funding to respond to health emergencies on Thursday, days before the inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States - the agency's biggest donor - puts a question mark over its long-term finances.

16/01 US CDC recommends faster testing for bird flu in hospitalized patients

People hospitalized for flu should be tested for bird flu within 24 hours, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday, in an expansion of the agency's efforts to tackle increasing infections in humans.

16/01 World Bank warns that US tariffs could reduce global growth outlook

The World Bank on Thursday warned that U.S. across-the-board tariffs of 10% could reduce already lackluster global economic growth of 2.7% in 2025 by 0.3 percentage point if America's trading partners retaliate with tariffs of their own.

16/01 Tanzania says no sign of Marburg outbreak in the country

Tanzania's government said no-one in the country had tested positive for the Marburg virus after the World Health Organization (WHO) said at least eight people in the northwest were believed to have died from it.

16/01 Adopted wild boar can stay with her owner, French court rules

A wild boar adopted by a French horse breeder can remain with her owner, a court ruled on Thursday, after threats by authorities to remove and even euthanise her triggered a storm of protest.

16/01 UnitedHealth hit by stubbornly high medical costs, shares fall

UnitedHealth's high medical costs and lower-than-expected revenue in the fourth quarter underscored persistent challenges at its insurance unit, sending the healthcare conglomerate's shares down about 4% before the bell on Thursday.

16/01 At least two killed in Slovak school attack, emergency services say

At least two people were killed at a school in northern Slovakia after a student attacked people with a knife, emergency services said on Thursday.

16/01 Pharma digs in on changes it wants from Trump administration

The pharmaceutical industry, grappling with new government limits on drug prices, is focusing its requests for president-elect Donald Trump and Congress on "fixing" a Biden-era law allowing the Medicare health plan to negotiate prices for its costliest medicines along with insurance changes.

16/01 Denmark's prime minister summons business leaders following Trump's Greenland threat

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has called the country's business leaders to a meeting on Thursday after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump last week threatened military or economic action such as tariffs to take control of Greenland.

16/01 London’s withering AIM market set to lose more members this year

An exodus of companies from London's Alternative Investment (AIM) market is set to accelerate into 2025, even as Britain's policymakers try to revive the country's capital markets, bankers and financial advisers to AIM companies told Reuters.

16/01 India's Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan stabbed at Mumbai home, media say

India's Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan, 54, is being treated for six stabbing injuries following a scuffle early on Thursday with an intruder at his home in the financial capital of Mumbai, media said.

15/01 Breakingviews - UnitedHealth lacks antidote for chronic anger

UnitedHealth Chief Executive Andrew Witty stated the obvious when he wrote last month that no one would design a healthcare system like the one in the United States. He neglected to detail how the medical goliath he runs helped create the “patchwork” structure and takes full advantage of it. With dissatisfaction among patients and politicians crystallizing following the murder of a senior UnitedHe

14/01 Some LGBTQ people race to claim rights, fearing rollbacks under Trump

In the week after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election, Isla Lima submitted paperwork to change her gender from male to female in official documents, as some LGBTQ people worry their rights could be cut back.

14/01 US FTC finds major pharmacy benefit managers inflated drug prices for $7.3 billion gain

The nation's three largest pharmacy benefit managers have significantly marked up the prices of certain medicines, including for heart disease, cancer and HIV, at their affiliated pharmacies, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday.

14/01 Crest, Colgate lawsuits target fluoride in kids' toothpaste, mouth rinse

Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive are among the defendants in six new lawsuits targeting the sale of toothpaste and mouth rinse for young children because the products contain fluoride, which can be harmful if swallowed.

14/01 Lilly forecasts weak fourth-quarter sales of weight-loss drug, shares slump

Eli Lilly forecast sales of popular weight-loss drug Zepbound and related diabetes treatment Mounjaro to miss Wall Street estimates in the fourth quarter, sending the drugmaker's shares down more than 8% on Tuesday.

14/01 UK's Princess Kate visits hospital to thank staff after cancer treatment

Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, visited the London hospital where she received treatment for cancer on Tuesday to personally thank medics for their care and support, her office said.

14/01 Bayer pharma chief sees no big acquisitions in near future

Bayer will focus on paying down debt and not make any major acquisitions in the next two or three years, the head of the German company's pharmaceuticals division said in an interview published on Tuesday.

13/01 Pfizer going 'all in' on obesity drug development, CEO Bourla says

U.S. drugmaker Pfizer is going "all in" to develop its experimental obesity drug and has been recruiting more experts in that area, Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference on Monday.

13/01 J&J doubles down on neurological drugs with $14.6 bln Intra-Cellular deal

Johnson & Johnson said on Monday it will buy neurological drugmaker Intra-Cellular Therapies for $14.6 billion, its biggest deal in at least two years, boosting its presence in the market for brain disease treatments.

10/01 Wild chimpanzees adapt genetically to different habitats

Wild chimpanzees inhabit various environments in Africa, from dense tropical rainforests to more open woodland and savannah areas. And these close cousins of our species, according to new research, have developed intriguing genetic adaptations tailored to their habitats - including to pathogens like malaria.

09/01 Musk acknowledges $2 trillion spending cut goal a long shot

Elon Musk, who U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has tapped to oversee a government cost-cutting effort, acknowledged that his declared goal of cutting $2 trillion in spending from the $6.8 trillion federal budget would be a long shot.

09/01 Shanghai kicks off plan to allow foreign-owned hospitals

Shanghai has kicked off a plan to allow the establishment in China of wholly foreign-owned hospitals in key economic zones, biopharmaceutical areas and downtown districts that are home to many expatriate residents.

09/01 Breakingviews - Altered states will rule in 2025: podcast

Follow on Apple or Spotify. Listen on the Reuters app. Read the episode transcript.

09/01 Shareholders urge UnitedHealth to analyze impact of healthcare denials

UnitedHealth Group shareholders on Wednesday said they requested the company prepare a report on the costs and public health impact related to its "practices that limit or delay access to healthcare."

08/01 US to build new stockpile of bird flu vaccine for poultry

The U.S. will rebuild a stockpile of bird flu vaccines for poultry that match the strain of the virus circulating in commercial flocks and wild birds, the Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday, in a sign of the widespread and devastating nature of the nation's persistent outbreak.

08/01 J&J pauses rollout of heart device in the US to investigate stroke risk

Johnson & Johnson said on Wednesday it has temporarily paused the rollout of its Varipulse heart device in the United States, citing an abundance of caution as the company investigates four reported stroke events.

08/01 World animal health body urges tighter bird flu controls after US death

More should be done to control the spread of bird flu among animals to avoid more cases in humans, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Wednesday, following the first death of a patient from the virus in the United States.

08/01 Industry groups sue over Biden ban on medical debt from credit reports

Two groups representing the credit reporting and credit union industries have filed a lawsuit challenging a new rule adopted by U.S. President Joe Biden's outgoing administration banning the inclusion of medical debt in American consumers' credit reports.

08/01 Winter surge in respiratory illness in China and elsewhere not unusual, WHO says

Rising cases of common respiratory illnesses in China and elsewhere around the Northern Hemisphere are within the range expected for winter, with no unusual outbreaks reported, the World Health Organization said.

08/01 Study identifies risk potential for thousands of mutations of a cancer gene

Scientists have characterized the role of thousands of mutations in the BRCA2 cancer gene, findings that may help reassure worried patients about their cancer risk or guide doctors toward better, more targeted treatments, according to a study published on Wednesday.

07/01 Bird flu risk remains low after first US death, WHO says

The risk to the general population from H5N1 bird flu remains low, a World Health Organization spokesperson said on Tuesday, following the first death of a patient from the virus in the United States.

06/01 FDA seeks to boost accuracy of blood-oxygen monitors across skin tones

The U.S. health regulator on Monday proposed new guidelines for widely-used blood oxygen monitoring devices to improve their performance across skin tones amid growing evidence that the current ones are not reliable for patients with darker skin.

06/01 Louisiana reports first bird flu-related death in US, state agency says

The Louisiana Department of Health said on Monday that a U.S. patient hospitalized with H5N1 bird flu had died, the country's first death from an outbreak of the virus that has sickened dozens of people and millions of poultry and cattle.

06/01 Three Israelis killed in northern West Bank shooting, army pursuing suspects

Israeli Army Radio said the military had imposed a cordon around all villages in the area.

06/01 China rolls out plan to tackle growing issue of dementia

China has launched a national plan to address the rapidly growing prevalence of dementia, which authorities say is becoming "a widespread societal concern" and poses "significant challenges" to the well being of the elderly and their families.

06/01 ‘Shogun’ and ‘Hacks’ win top TV honors at Golden Globes

"Shogun," also won best female and male acting awards for first-time winners Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada.

06/01 South Korea extends shutdown of Muan airport due to crash probe

South Korea's government said on Monday it will extend the shutdown of Muan International Airport by a week to Jan. 14, citing the ongoing investigation into the crash of a Jeju Air jet that killed 179 passengers on board.

03/01 Explainer: How alcohol consumption impacts cancer risk

The U.S. Surgeon General on Friday said all alcoholic drinks, whether beer, wine or spirits, should carry a label warning that consumption increases the risk of cancer.

02/01 Record number of activist investors joined shareholder rebellion in 2024

A record number of activist shareholders mounted campaigns at global companies in 2024, a Barclays report showed on Thursday, as their pressure tactics produced strong returns, and further growth is likely this year.

02/01 As Musk gains influence, questions hover over US probes into his empire

Last month, in the waning days of the Biden administration, the SEC set a tight deadline of several days for demanding that Elon Musk pay a settlement or face civil charges relating to alleged securities violations during his $44 billion takeover of Twitter in 2022.

02/01 China Health Commission to narrow gaps in mental health services

China's National Health Commission said that it would address gaps in its mental health services from 2025 to 2027 as authorities try to deal with an increasing number of mental health issues, particularly amongst children and adolescents.

01/01 Billionaire Li Ka-shing’s Hutchmed in $608 mln health unit stake sales

Hutchmed (China), controlled by tycoon Li Ka-shing, is selling stakes in its health subsidiary for around $608 million as the billionaire and his flagship conglomerate look to ramp up capital and pivot towards core operations at the drugmaker.

31/12 Merck wins UK approval for lung disease drug acquired in $11 bln deal

UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said on Tuesday it had approved Merck's therapy to treat a rare lung condition, marking another win for the drugmaker's potential blockbuster.

31/12 Drugmakers to raise US prices on over 250 medicines starting Jan. 1

Drugmakers plan to raise U.S. prices on at least 250 branded medications including Pfizer COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, Bristol Myers Squibb's cancer cell therapies and vaccines from France's Sanofi at the start of 2025, according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors.