Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Regeneron's weight-loss drug helps patients on Wegovy preserve muscle

Regeneron said on Monday its experimental drug helped patients preserve up to 51% of lean mass and lose more fat when used in combination with Novo Nordisk's popular obesity drug Wegovy in a mid-stage trial. In the 599-patient study, those on Wegovy alone lost about 7.9 pounds of muscle, while those on a combination of Regeneron's trevogrumab and Wegovy lost up to 4.2 pounds.

Sanofi to buy US biopharma group Blueprint for up to $9.5 billion

France's Sanofi has agreed to buy U.S.-based Blueprint Medicines Corporation for up to $9.5 billion to boost its position in rare immunology diseases, in the biggest deal struck by a European healthcare company so far this year, according to LSEG data. Blueprint is a specialist in treatments for systemic mastocytosis, a rare blood disorder.

Blood test-guided treatment with AstraZeneca pill cuts breast cancer progression risk

Treating breast cancer patients with AstraZeneca's experimental pill camizestrant at the first sign of resistance to standard therapies cut the risk of disease progression or death by half, a finding that could be practice changing, experts said on Sunday. The results, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago, mark the first use of a blood test called a liquid biopsy to indicate the need for a change in treatment in women with a common form of breast cancer, even before tumor growth can be detected on imaging.

Gerresheimer cuts 2025 outlook on weak demand, shares fall

German packaging and medical equipment maker Gerresheimer on Monday cut its revenue and profit margin guidance for this year, citing weakness in cosmetics and liquid medications markets and sending its shares plunging. Shares in the company, which said in February it was in early stage talks with private equity investors about a possible sale, dropped as much as 20.8%. It did not mention the sale talks in its statement.

Musk's Neuralink raises $650 million in latest funding as clinical trials begin

Elon Musk's Neuralink said on Monday that it had raised $650 million in its latest funding round as its brain implant device enters clinical trials. "This funding helps us bring our technology to more people — restoring independence for those with unmet medical needs and pushing the boundaries of what's possible with brain interfaces," Neuralink said.

New UnitedHealth CEO vows to restore shareholder trust

UnitedHealth Group's new CEO Steve Hemsley on Monday told shareholders he was determined to earn back their trust after its surprising earnings shortfall earlier this year, saying the company was evaluating trends in medical costs and how that will affect its future performance. Hemsley replaced Andrew Witty as chief executive in May after the company's first earnings miss since 2008. UnitedHealth also suspended its earnings outlook as it reckons with higher-than-expected costs for its Medicare Advantage unit for adults 65 and older and people with disabilities.

Bristol Myers agrees up to $11.1 billion deal with BioNTech to shake up cancer immunotherapy

Bristol Myers Squibb has agreed to pay up to $11.1 billion to partner with Germany's BioNTech and develop the latter's next-generation cancer immunotherapy, which could take on rival Merck & Co's best-selling drug Keytruda. The deal, which includes $3.5 billion in unconditional payments, underpins BioNTech's ambition to continue a costly long-term focus on experimental cancer treatments and show that its success as Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine partner was not a one-off achievement.

Drugmaker Indivior drops London listing to cut costs

Pharma firm Indivior said on Monday it would cancel its secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange, effective July 25, maintaining its primary listing on the Nasdaq to reduce costs and better align with its U.S.-centric business. The company, known for its opioid addiction treatment, joins a growing number of firms delisting from London, as lower valuations and weak investor appetite continue to drive firms toward U.S. markets.

Gilead's Trodelvy, with Keytruda, cuts breast cancer risk by 35% in trial

Gilead Sciences' Trodelvy in combination with Merck's blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda lowered the risk of an aggressive type of breast cancer worsening by 35% when used as an initial treatment, according to results of a large trial presented on Saturday. The data is likely to change how patients are treated following a diagnosis for advanced triple-negative breast cancer, one expert said.

Explainer-How flesh-eating screwworms in cattle could raise US beef prices

New World Screwworm, a devastating parasite that eats cattle and other wild animals alive, is traveling north from Central America to Mexico and has crept past biological barriers that kept the pest contained for decades, experts said. Washington halted cattle imports from Mexico in May, citing the insect's spread further into Mexico, about 700 miles from the Texas border. With the U.S. cattle herd already at a multi-decade low, the closure could further elevate record-high beef prices by keeping more calves out of the U.S. cattle supply.

Latvia reports bird flu in backyard poultry

Latvia has reported a first outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza among poultry, the World Organisation for Animal Health said on Monday. The outbreak occurred in a flock of 190 backyard poultry birds in the district of Birzgales, Paris-based WOAH said in a notice, citing Latvian authorities.

Vera shares skyrocket as kidney disease drug succeeds in late-stage trial

Shares of Vera Therapeutics surged 60% on Monday after its experimental drug helped significantly reduce harmful levels of proteins in the urine of kidney disease patients in a late-stage study. The drug developer is seeking to bring a self-administered injectable drug for patients with IgA nephropathy, also known as Berger's disease, which causes abnormal protein buildup in the kidneys and could eventually lead to the organ's failure.

23andMe founder aims to restart auction with major corporate backing

The founder of 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki, has asked a U.S. judge to reopen an auction for the genetic testing company, saying she has the support of a Fortune 500 company with a current market capitalization of more than $400 billion. Wojcicki did not name the Fortune 500 company in court filings.

Brazil rules out bird flu case on a commercial farm in Rio Grande do Sul state

Test results for a suspected bird flu outbreak on a commercial farm in the town of Anta Gorda in Rio Grande do Sul state came back negative, according to an analysis of samples released by the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry on Monday. That was the only potential case currently under investigation on a commercial farm in Brazil, the world's largest chicken meat exporter.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)