By Jennifer Rigby LONDON (Reuters) – A growing number of health emergencies around the world, from COVID-19 to cholera, have left the World Health Organization’s response “overstretched”, a senior advisor said on Tuesday. Speaking at the U.N. agency’s annual meeting, Professor Walid Ammar, chair of a committee reviewing the WHO’s emergency response, said funding and…
By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) – Abbott Laboratories persuaded a federal judge to dismiss some claims in nationwide litigation over recalled baby formula. In a decision on Monday, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly in Chicago dismissed claims by parents pursuing only “economic loss” claims related to Similac and other formula that they said had a “substantial…
By Svea Herbst-Bayliss NEW YORK (Reuters) – One of Diversified Healthcare Trust’s (DHC) largest shareholders is opposing the real estate investment trust’s merger with Office Properties Income Trust (OPI), saying the deal undervalues the REIT by 90% and there are better alternatives to an all-share deal. Flat Footed LLC, which holds a 7.4% stake, said…
CHICAGO (Reuters) – The judge who will decide if Amgen can go forward with its $27.8 billion purchase of Horizon Therapeutics on Tuesday said he was considering an evidentiary hearing on the matter in September. Judge John Kness said he would likely take about four weeks after the hearing ends to make a ruling. The…
By Blake Brittain (Reuters) -Johnson & Johnson has settled its lawsuit over Amgen Inc’s proposed biosimilar version of J&J’s top-selling treatment Stelara for psoriasis and other autoimmune conditions, according to a filing in Delaware federal court. Amgen said in a statement on Tuesday that the settlement terms are confidential, but it will allow the company…
By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) – The head of the World Health Organization urged countries on Monday to carry out reforms needed to prepare for the next pandemic, hailing their “historic” decision to accept a major budget hike at the U.N. agency’s annual assembly. Speaking at the assembly weeks after ending the global emergency status…
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India will make tests mandatory for cough syrups before they are exported, a government notice showed on Tuesday, after Indian-made cough syrups were linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia and Uzbekistan. Any cough syrup must have a certificate of analysis issued by a government laboratory before it is…
By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) – Negotiations on new rules for dealing with pandemics are underway at the World Health Organization (WHO), with a target date of May 2024 for a legally binding agreement to be adopted by the U.N. health agency’s 194 member countries. A new pact is a priority for WHO chief Tedros…
By Jennifer Rigby DUBLIN (Reuters) – Weight loss drug Wegovy has transformed the obesity market and pharmaceutical companies with existing treatments are hoping the resulting demand will boost demand for their older, less effective but cheaper, drugs. A weekly injection of Wegovy, which was launched in the U.S. in June 2021, leads to an average…
By Dietrich Knauth (Reuters) – A federal judge has ordered 3M Co CEO Michael Roman to attend mediation aimed at resolving nearly 260,000 lawsuits alleging that 3M military earplugs caused hearing loss, saying the negotiations have reached a “critical juncture.” U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers, in whose Florida court the lawsuits have been consolidated, on…
