Health News Roundup: WHO classifies JN.1 coronavirus strain as 'variant of interest'; Planned Parenthood drops challenge to Kentucky abortion ban and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Activist Icahn prepares a second board challenge at Illumina -letter

Activist investor Carl Icahn said on Monday that he plans to oust directors at Illumina, laying the groundwork for a second board challenge at the gene-sequencing company months after shareholders elected one of his director candidates. Icahn disclosed his plans without offering details in a letter to other shareholders less than 24 hours after Illumina said it will divest blood test maker Grail.

Planned Parenthood drops challenge to Kentucky abortion ban

Lawyers at Planned Parenthood and other groups said Monday that they had dropped a class action lawsuit challenging Kentucky's near-total abortion ban, after the named plaintiff lost standing to bring the case because she was no longer pregnant. Lawyers at Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said they had filed a notice in Kentucky state court on Sunday ending the case. They had announced last week that their client, Jane Doe, learned her embryo did not have cardiac activity days after the lawsuit was filed.

WHO classifies JN.1 coronavirus strain as 'variant of interest'

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a "variant of interest", but said it did not pose much threat to public health. "Based on the available evidence, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low," WHO said.

South Korea reports eight outbreaks of H5N6 bird flu on farms

South Korea has reported eight cases of H5N6 bird flu on farms, prompting the culling of more than 500,000 poultry, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) reported on Tuesday.

The outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, were detected between Dec. 5 and Dec. 11, in villages in the western part of the country, the WOAH said in a report posted on its website citing information from South Korean authorities.

Exclusive-IndiaMART is working with Novo Nordisk to halt illegal Wegovy sales -source

Indian online marketplace IndiaMART has been removing unauthorized listings of Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy after holding talks with the Danish drugmaker in early October, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The drugmaker's India legal team held discussions with IndiaMART's top executives to develop a "framework" for regularly alerting the online marketplace about listings by counterfeiters in an effort to curtail illegal sales, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Juul seeks US authorization for its new age-restricted menthol pods

Juul Labs said on Tuesday it was seeking U.S. authorization for its new menthol-flavored pods, which require user age verification, to be used with its e-cigarette device that is under review by regulators. Juul's e-cigarettes were briefly banned in the U.S. in June 2022 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded the company had failed to show that the sale of its products would be appropriate for public health. Following an appeal, the health regulator put the ban on hold and agreed to an additional review of Juul's marketing application.

Europe revokes marketing authorization for generic versions of Biogen's MS drug

Biogen Inc said on Tuesday the European Commission has revoked the marketing authorization for generic versions of its multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera held by the firms Accord, Neuraxpharm, Polpharma and Teva. While the patent for Biogen's drug has expired in the United States, it had scored a win in Europe in March after the EU's Court of Justice blocked generic versions of Tecfidera in the region.

Factbox-E-cigarettes around the world

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged governments to treat e-cigarettes, also known as vapes, similarly to tobacco and ban all flavours.That could spell trouble for some big tobacco companies, which have staked their futures on a shift to cigarette alternatives. British American Tobacco, for example, wants 50% of its revenues to come from “non-combustible” products by 2035. Vapes were banned in 34 countries as of July of this year, according to the WHO, including Brazil, India, Iran and Thailand. But many countries struggle to enforce e-cigarette rules, meaning they are often available on the black market. 74 countries, mostly in Africa but including Pakistan, Colombia and Mongolia, did not regulate e-cigarettes at all as of July, according to the WHO. In other nations, including key markets like the U.S. and China, governments allow vapes but regulate their use. Here’s how they measure up: AUSTRALIA

Aldeyra Therapeutics' skin disease drug succeeds in mid-stage study

Aldeyra Therapeutics said on Tuesday its experimental drug to treat a type of chronic skin disease was safe and well tolerated in a mid-stage study. The drug, ADX-629, also helped reduce the severity of eczema symptoms in adult patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis, the Lexington, Massachusetts-based company said.

BioNTech aims to start mRNA vaccine output in Rwanda in 2025

COVID-19 vaccine maker BioNTech aims to start production at its mRNA vaccine factory site in Rwanda in 2025, company officials said on Monday, the first foreign company mRNA vaccine manufacturing site on the continent. The German company's first modular factory elements, based on shipping containers, were delivered to the Kigali construction site in March and were then assembled into so-called BioNTainers.

(With inputs from agencies.)