Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Indian drugmaker Mankind posts strong quarterly profit on demand for chronic therapies

India's Mankind Pharma reported a 30% rise in fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday, driven by demand for chronic therapies and consumer healthcare products. The drugmaker's consolidated net profit from continued operations climbed to 5.54 billion rupees ($57.39 million) for the quarter ended March 31, from 4.25 billion rupees a ​year earlier.

Britain gets experimental drug from Japan to bolster hantavirus response

Britain has received supplies of the antiviral drug favipiravir from Japan as part of its response to a deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to the Hondius cruise liner, the UK Health Security Agency said ​on Monday. UKHSA said it accepted delivery of the drug, which remains experimental for use to treat hantavirus, over the weekend and that the supplies would bolster treatment stocks, even though ‌the risk of wider transmission ​in the UK remained very low.

Trump says TrumpRx will now carry 600 generic drugs

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that TrumpRx.gov, a government-backed website offering discounted prescription drugs under his administration's pricing deal, will now carry generic drugs. "I'm thrilled to announce that we're increasing the number of drugs available on TrumpRx by nearly seven times, adding over 600 affordable generics to the website," Trump said at a White House event.

Nestle and Danone face fresh scrutiny over infant formula recalls

Nestle and Danone are facing fresh scrutiny over the handling of infant formula contamination after reports published on Tuesday by French, Belgian and Swiss public media questioned the speed of recalls of potentially harmful products. The investigation by Radio France, RTBF and RTS said Nestle had delayed alerting European authorities about the presence of cereulide, a toxin that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea and poses particular risks for ‌infants.

CDC says one American tested positive for Ebola in DRC

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that one American tested positive for Ebola as part of its work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where there is an outbreak of a rare strain of the virus, but advised that the immediate risk in the U.S. was low. The CDC did not name the individual, but the Serge Christian mission organization said one of its medical missionaries, Dr. Peter Stafford, was exposed while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital in the DRC.

Test shortages slow fight against Ebola in Congo, WHO official says

Six tons of medical supplies to fight Ebola are set to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, but limited testing capacity was slowing the response to the outbreak, a World Health Organization official said. There have been at least 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths from Ebola, which has also spread to neighbouring Uganda, according to the WHO.

US drugs site TrumpRx to list 600 generics as Trump targets lower prices

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that TrumpRx.gov, a government-backed website that lists discounted prescription drugs, will begin featuring generic medicines, including widely used drugs such as cholesterol treatment ‌atorvastatin and diabetes drug metformin. More than 600 generics will be available through the website, Trump said, part of an effort by the administration to expand access to lower-cost medicines.

Healthcare AI firm Commure valued at $7 billion, raises $70 million

Commure, an AI platform for healthcare, said on Tuesday it secured a $7 billion post-money valuation, raising $70 million in a financing round led by General Catalyst. The California-based company, whose agentic AI automates administrative work across healthcare systems, also drew participation from Sequoia Capital, Morgan Stanley and Kirkland & Ellis.

Bird flu found in polar bear in Europe for first time, on Svalbard

Bird flu ‌has been detected in a dead polar bear in the Arctic Svalbard archipelago, the first time the virus has been found in the species in Europe, a Norwegian government agency said on Tuesday. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute said in a statement it had also detected bird flu in a dead walrus on Svalbard, which is roughly halfway between the North Pole and mainland Europe.

Sweden's Hansa strikes $134 million deal with SERB for kidney drug

Hansa Biopharma said on Tuesday it had agreed to license its kidney transplant drug Idefirix to privately held SERB Pharmaceuticals in Europe and some other markets for up to 115 million euros ($134 million), bolstering the Swedish biotech firm's balance sheet as it prepares for a potential U.S. launch of the drug later this year. The deal provides Hansa a cash runway to profitability and allows it to continue investing in its pipeline of other drugs.

WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Congo, Uganda an emergency of international concern

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization, after 80 deaths were attributed to the disease. The WHO said the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, did not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency but there was a high risk the disease could spread further to countries sharing land borders with the DRC.

Health experts meet in search of Ebola Bundibugyo vaccine options

A panel of experts led by the World Health Organization meets on Tuesday ⁠to discuss whether there are ​any vaccine options to help tackle an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The virtual meeting follows more than 130 suspected deaths and 500 cases linked to ⁠the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, according to the WHO, which, along with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has declared it a public health emergency.

Relay's treatment shown to shrink vascular malformations in mid-stage trial

Relay Therapeutics said on Tuesday a mid-stage trial showed its experimental treatment can shrink vascular malformations and improve symptoms in patients with rare vascular disorders, sending its shares more than 13% higher in premarket trading. Relay's zovegalisib reduced lesion size by at least 20% in about 60% of patients at 12 weeks.

Flawed tests and funerals allowed Ebola to spread undetected, sources say

By the time health officials confirmed new Ebola infections in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last week, the total number of ⁠suspected cases meant the outbreak was already one of the largest on record. A series of challenges and missteps delayed detection, two Congolese officials familiar with the response told Reuters, allowing the disease to spread undetected into rebel-held territory in the east and across the border to the capital of Uganda.

US health department withdraws vaccine advisory panel charter

The U.S. health department has withdrawn an April charter renewal for a key vaccine advisory panel that laid out new membership rules and direction, citing an administrative error, according to a Federal Register notice issued on Monday. The Department of Health and Human Services said the withdrawal was the result of not having met the timing requirements for ​such changes under federal law.

WHO chief concerned at speed and scale of Ebola outbreak

The head of the World Health Organization expressed deep concern on Tuesday at the speed and scale of the Ebola outbreak, as the number of cases rises. There have been at least 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths from Ebola since the new outbreak began, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Explainer-What do we know about the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus?

A rare strain of Ebola has prompted the World Health Organization to declare ⁠a public health emergency of international concern. Most of the cases have occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 100 suspected deaths and nearly 400 suspected infections as of Monday. Here is what we know about this strain of the Ebola virus, known as Bundibugyo.

Bayer agrees to pay $133 million for PCB cleanup in two states

Bayer's Monsanto unit on Monday said it would pay at least $133 million to settle Michigan and Rhode Island's claims that the company contaminated the states' natural resources with toxic chemicals that are known to have dangerous health effects.

Bayer is paying Michigan at least $108 million and Rhode Island at least $25 million to address the costs of cleaning up chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls, the latest in a series of settlements with other ⁠U.S. states. ​Bayer has now reached settlements with a dozen U.S. states over legacy PCB contamination, recently settling with Illinois and West Virginia in December.

US missionary who contracted Ebola is in transit to Germany, CDC says

A U.S. citizen who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an outbreak of a rare strain of the virus has killed over 130 people, is currently in transit to Germany for treatment, the U.S. CDC said on Tuesday. Germany earlier on Tuesday said it was preparing to treat the individual in the largest university hospital in Berlin.

Roche, Medicines Patent Pool sign deal to expand access to influenza drug

Roche and the Medicines Patent Pool have signed a licensing agreement to expand access to the Swiss drugmaker's flu drug, Xofluza, in low- and middle-income countries, the organizations said on Monday, aiming to boost supply during seasonal outbreaks and potential pandemics. The deal will allow generic drugmakers to develop, manufacture and supply the antiviral pill across 129 such countries, creating additional supply channels in regions where access to flu medicines remains limited.

China bans import of pigs, wild boar from the Philippines due to swine fever

China has banned the import of pigs, wild boars and related products from ⁠the Philippines due to swine fever, a statement released by the General Administration of Customs showed.

Adult dies of hantavirus in Colorado, state health officials say

An adult in Colorado has died after a confirmed case of hantavirus that is not linked to a recent outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment officials said in a statement on Monday. The strain of hantavirus that caused the Colorado death occurs regularly in Colorado at this time of year, the statement said, and officials are investigating the ⁠source of exposure.

Sanofi says rare lung disease drug outperforms standard care in trial

French drugmaker Sanofi said on Monday a trial showed its rare disease therapy was better than ⁠standard care in raising levels of a key protein in patients with a genetic form of lung disease. The data in the head-to-head study offers a potential boost to Sanofi's $2.2 billion bet on efdoralprin alfa, the experimental therapy it acquired through its 2024 Inhibrx deal in the wake of a run of pipeline setbacks last year.

Ebola deaths in eastern Congo rise to 131, WHO voices deep concern

Twenty-six more suspected Ebola deaths were recorded in 24 hours in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said on Tuesday, and the head of the World Health Organization expressed deep concern about the outbreak's spread. The new deaths brought to 131 the fatalities associated with the outbreak in eastern DRC. There have been 543 suspected cases and 33 confirmed cases in DRC, according to Congolese health authorities, and two confirmed cases in neighbouring Uganda.

Health workers race to contain Congo's fast-spreading Ebola outbreak

Medical personnel ‌were rushing on Monday to the frontlines of a new Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of ‌Congo, where an American missionary was among those who tested positive for the often fatal viral disease. While Congo has experience tackling Ebola, the late detection and quick spread of this outbreak have alarmed health experts. The World Health Organization has declared it a public health emergency of international concern because of ​the high risk the disease could spread further beyond DRC's borders after two cases were confirmed in Kampala, the capital of neighbouring Uganda.

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