Health Sector Sees Highs and Lows Amid Rising Costs and Breakthroughs

Recent health news highlights include high costs of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy, Septerna's strong Nasdaq debut, acupuncture benefits for sciatica, Sanofi's vaccine-driven profits, and a McDonald's E. coli outbreak affecting fresh produce safety. Additionally, Centene's investor confidence rises and a major UnitedHealth hack impacts 100 million.

Amid controversies and breakthroughs, the health sector confronts a spectrum of issues. Fresh data reveals that while weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy can reduce waistlines, they inflate healthcare costs considerably, offering little financial relief to patients within two years of usage, according to new findings by Prime Therapeutics shared with Reuters.

Meanwhile, biotech firm Septerna celebrated a successful Nasdaq introduction with shares leaping by 31%, achieving a $970 million valuation. On the frontline of natural remedies, a study underscores acupuncture's potential in alleviating leg pain ascribed to herniated disks, reviving interest in ancient treatments for modern ailments.

The food safety sector takes center stage with the recent McDonald's E. coli outbreak linked to contaminated onions, highlighting persistent challenges in keeping produce uncontaminated. As fast-food chains react, the FDA has ratified Iterum Therapeutics' new UTI antibiotic while grappling with the fallout of a UnitedHealth data breach affecting millions.

(With inputs from agencies.)