Health News Roundup: Pregnancy-related deaths in US surged during pandemic - CDC; Sanofi to cut US price of its most-prescribed insulin by 78% and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Pregnancy-related deaths in US surged during pandemic - CDC Maternal mortality rates rose 40% in 2021 in the United States as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened a health crisis among pregnant women in the country, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Pregnancy-related deaths in US surged during pandemic - CDC

Maternal mortality rates rose 40% in 2021 in the United States as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened a health crisis among pregnant women in the country, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed on Thursday. The United States has one of the highest rates of pregnancy-related deaths among developed countries. It recorded more than 1,200 deaths in pregnant women in 2021, compared with 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019, according to CDC data.

Sanofi to cut US price of its most-prescribed insulin by 78%

Sanofi SA said on Thursday it will cut U.S. list prices for its most-prescribed insulin product, Lantus, by 78% starting next year after similar moves by rivals Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Co. The French drugmaker will also extend its $35 out-of-pocket pricing program to all patients with commercial insurance using Lantus.

North Dakota's top court will not revive state's abortion ban

North Dakota's Supreme Court on Thursday refused to revive a strict abortion ban previously blocked by a lower court, finding that the ban violates a state constitutional right to abortion to preserve the mother's life or health. The ruling means that abortion remains legal in North Dakota for now.

Pfizer to replace migraine drug packaging over child safety concerns

Pfizer Inc said on Thursday it was working on a new child-proof packaging for its migraine drug, Nurtec ODT, after safety concerns led to a recall alert from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Consumers should immediately secure the recalled product out of the sight and reach of children and contact Pfizer for a free child-resistant pouch to store it, the CPSC said.

Novo Nordisk suspended from UK lobby group

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has been suspended from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) for two years over what the ABPI on Thursday described as "serious breaches" of its code of practice. ABPI's statement linked to a website of a self-regulatory body run by the association that pointed to a complaint alleging that Novo Nordisk had sponsored courses on weight management on LinkedIn for health professionals, without making clear the company's involvement.

Alzheimer's Association lobbies for Medicare coverage of Leqembi and other drugs

The Alzheimer's Association has deployed 1,000 people diagnosed with, or caring for someone with the disease, to meet with all 535 members of Congress across the United States and urge them to press Medicare for early access to a new class of drugs, beginning with lecanemab, that promise to slow the disease. The grassroots lobbying campaign, which has not been reported in detail, is being led by state-based chapters, according to interviews with four Association national and local officials.

Judge mulls banning abortion pill in US, questions regulatory approval

A U.S. judge on Wednesday questioned lawyers for President Joe Biden's administration on whether the federal regulatory approval given to the abortion pill mifepristone 22 years ago was proper as he considered a request by anti-abortion groups to ban sales of the drug nationwide. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk during a hearing in Amarillo also pressed the groups, led by the Texas-based Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, to explain how he could reverse approval of a long-established drug.

U.S. FDA advisers vote in favor of full approval for Pfizer's COVID pill Paxlovid

Advisers to the U.S. health regulator on Thursday voted in favor of recommending a full approval for Pfizer's COVID-19 pill Paxlovid in adults at high risk of progression to severe disease. The Food and Drug Administration's panel of external advisers voted 16-to-1 in favor of the drug's benefits outweighing its risk for some adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

FDA advisers back Pfizer's COVID treatment for full approval

Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday overwhelmingly backed full approval of Pfizer's oral antiviral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid for adults at high risk of progression to severe disease. The FDA's panel of outside experts voted 16-to-1 in favor of the drug's benefits outweighing its risk for some adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

Dutch hospitals hold 24-hour strike for better pay, conditions

Health workers went on a 24-hour strike at dozens of hospitals across the Netherlands on Thursday to support trade union demands for a 10% pay increase and better terms. Hospitals continued to operate on scaled-down schedules, meaning that only emergency care was being provided, a trade union statement said.