Health Headlines: New Vaccine Panel, Bird Flu Alert, and Pharma Deals

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has appointed five new members to an advisory panel, set to advise the CDC on key vaccine policies. This comes as the panel prepares to discuss guidance on vaccines for hepatitis B, MMRV, and COVID-19, which could potentially reshape federal vaccine strategies.

Nebraska announced its first bird flu case in a dairy cattle herd, highlighting the ongoing spread of the virus in livestock. Since the outbreak's inception last year, 17 states have confirmed cases, though the pace has slowed, across states like California and Texas, the USDA reports.

In the pharmaceutical industry, Novartis and Monte Rosa Therapeutics have sealed a $5.7 billion licensing deal. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly announced a $5 billion investment in a new Virginia plant to boost domestic drug production, and Novo Nordisk is exploring broader applications for its obesity drugs.

(With inputs from agencies.)