Health News Roundup: British lawmakers say new health agency had weak financial controls; AstraZeneca shares drop as lung cancer trial update lags expectations and more

The latest deals will see the biotech division of the Samsung Group produce biosimilar products ranging from oncology and inflammation to immunotherapy in the period to 2029 at its new Plant 4 in South Korea. Coherus BioSciences launches biosimilar version of AbbVie's blockbuster Humira Coherus BioSciences said on Monday it has launched a copycat version of AbbVie's Humira in the United States at a discount of more than 85% to the blockbuster arthritis drug.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

British lawmakers say new health agency had weak financial controls

The UK Health Security Agency was set up with financial controls that were so weak parliament cannot establish whether it used funds in the way intended, a critical report by lawmakers said on Wednesday. The UKHSA, which was established in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic to take over responsibility for public health and health protection, responded to the criticism by saying it had now improved its governance.

AstraZeneca shares drop as lung cancer trial update lags expectations

AstraZeneca said on Monday an experimental precision drug slowed progression of lung cancer in a late-stage trial, but the company's shares fell as much as 6% as analysts said the benefits may not be as pronounced as hoped. The drug, datopotamab deruxtecan, which is being jointly developed with Japan's Daiichi Sankyo, was shown to prolong progression-free survival compared with standard chemotherapy in patients whose non-small cell lung cancer had returned after one or two prior treatment attempts, AstraZeneca said.

US judges halt healthcare bans for transgender youth

In state after state, conservative lawmakers this year have banned medical procedures for transgender youth. Now, a growing number of federal judges are blocking those laws from taking effect. U.S. district court judges have halted such laws in six states - Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee - finding that they infringe on the constitutional guarantee to equal protection under the 14th Amendment.

Britain celebrates 75 years of its National Health Service

Britain on Wednesday celebrates 75 years of its National Health Service (NHS), with royals, politicians, staff and patients expressing pride in its past and determination that it will endure in the future despite current challenges. Launched on July 5, 1948, by a Labour government following the Second World War, its mission was to ensure "everybody, irrespective of means, age, sex or occupation shall have equal opportunity to benefit from the best and most up-to-date medical and allied services available."

Fresenius launches biosimilar version of AbbVie's Humira at 5% discount

The generic drug unit of Germany's Fresenius said on Monday the price for Idacio, its copycat version of Abbvie's top-selling rheumatoid arthritis drug, will be at a 5% discount to Humira's list price. Fresenius joins drugmakers Boehringer Ingelheim, Sandoz and Organon, which launched Humira biosimilars, or copies of biologic drugs, this week.

North Korea appears to lift COVID mask mandate, reports say

North Korea appeared to have eased a strict COVID-19 mask mandate, media reports said this week, after state news agencies showed many people maskless. The isolated country has maintained border lockdowns and other anti-COVID measures long after most other nations ditched such restrictions.

US FDA declines to approve Amneal's Parkinson's drug over safety concerns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declined to approve Amneal Pharmaceuticals' drug designed to help control symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients for a longer duration, citing inadequate safety data. Shares of the company tumbled 14.8% to $2.6 in choppy after-market trading on Monday.

Samsung Biologics unveils $920 million manufacturing deals for Pfizer

South Korea's Samsung Biologics announced on Tuesday two deals with Pfizer worth around a combined 1.2 trillion won ($921.38 million) to manufacture products for the U.S. pharmaceutical giant. The latest deals will see the biotech division of the Samsung Group produce biosimilar products ranging from oncology and inflammation to immunotherapy in the period to 2029 at its new Plant 4 in South Korea.

Coherus BioSciences launches biosimilar version of AbbVie's blockbuster Humira

Coherus BioSciences said on Monday it has launched a copycat version of AbbVie's Humira in the United States at a discount of more than 85% to the blockbuster arthritis drug. Coherus is the latest to launch a biosimilar to Humira in the U.S. market this month after Boehringer Ingelheim, Sandoz and Organon.

U.S. maternal mortality more than doubled since 1999, most deaths among Black women - study

The number of U.S. women who died within a year after pregnancy more than doubled between 1999 and 2019, with the highest deaths among Black women, researchers said on Monday. There were an estimated 1,210 maternal deaths in 2019, compared with 505 in 1999, according to a study published in the medical journal JAMA.