Health News Roundup: Bird flu reaches mainland Antarctica for first time, scientists say; DEA issues letter to e-commerce companies over illegal pill-making machines and more

The drug candidate, VK2735, helped obese or overweight patients lose 14.6 kg, on average, after 13 weeks, according to data from the study. Florida lawmakers pause 'unborn child' bill in wake of Alabama ruling -report Florida lawmakers have paused efforts to pass a bill that would have provided protections to an "unborn child" but possibly hurt the state's in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics, as happened this month in Alabama, the Washington Post reported on Monday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

New Zealand set to scrap world-first tobacco ban

New Zealand will repeal on Tuesday a world-first law banning tobacco sales for future generations, the government said, even while researchers and campaigners warned of the risk that people could die as a result. Set to take effect from July, the toughest anti-tobacco rules in the world would have banned sales to those born after Jan. 1, 2009, cut nicotine content in smoked tobacco products and reduced the number of tobacco retailers by more than 90%.

Japan's Takeda partners with India's Biological E. to boost dengue vaccine production

Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical will scale up production of its dengue vaccine Qdenga through a partnership with Indian vaccines maker Biological E., the companies said on Tuesday. These doses will be available for governments in endemic countries by 2030 as part of their national immunization programmes.

UK's Smith+Nephew sees improved margin amid strong demand

British medical equipment maker Smith+Nephew forecast on Tuesday an improvement in profit margin this year after broadly matching market expectations for 2023 earnings, driven by strong growth at its orthopaedics and sports medicine segment. The company, which makes orthopaedic implants and prosthetics, wound dressings, and other surgical materials, said its trading profit margin for 2024 was expected to be at least 18%, higher than the 17.5% achieved last year.

Bird flu reaches mainland Antarctica for first time, scientists say

A deadly type of bird flu has been confirmed on the mainland of Antarctica for the first time, scientists said, a potential risk for the southern region's huge penguin colonies. "This discovery demonstrates for the first time that the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus has reached Antarctica despite the distance and natural barriers that separate it from other continents," Spain's Higher Council for Scientific Investigation (CSIC) said on Sunday.

DEA issues letter to e-commerce companies over illegal pill-making machines

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a letter on Monday to e-commerce companies regarding the pill presses that are being used to make fentanyl pills. The DEA has found pill presses, punches and other substances that can be used to make fake pills containing fentanyl are being offered for sale on various platforms.

South Korea's Yoon says won't back down over medical reforms as doctors strike

President Yoon Sun Yeol vowed on Tuesday to go ahead with a plan to increase the number of students admitted into medical schools to improve healthcare in South Korea, and said there was no justification for the protests this reform had triggered. More than 9,000 young doctors, or about two-thirds of the total number of physician trainees in South Korea, walked off the job last week because of the plan, saying the healthcare sector was not short of doctors, and the government should address pay and working conditions first.

What Alabama ruling means for patients with frozen embryos: one woman's story

Three of Kristia Rumbley's embryos created at a clinic became her 7-year-old twins and 2-year-old son, while three have sat in freezers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for eight years in case she and her husband decide to have another kid. After Alabama's supreme court ruled on Feb. 16 that embryos were children, leaving it unclear how to legally store, transport and use them, Rumbley, 44, is seeking legal and medical advice on sending her last two embryos out of state as soon as possible.

Viking Therapeutics' weight-loss drug succeeds in mid-stage study

Viking Therapeutics said on Tuesday its experimental drug to treat obesity helped achieve "significant" weight loss in a mid-stage study, sending the drugmaker's shares up more than 40% before the bell. The drug candidate, VK2735, helped obese or overweight patients lose 14.6 kg, on average, after 13 weeks, according to data from the study.

Florida lawmakers pause 'unborn child' bill in wake of Alabama ruling -report

Florida lawmakers have paused efforts to pass a bill that would have provided protections to an "unborn child" but possibly hurt the state's in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics, as happened this month in Alabama, the Washington Post reported on Monday. Florida state Senator Erin Grall told the Post that "Although I have worked diligently to respond to questions and concerns, I understand there is still work that needs to be done" on her bill. It's unclear if the bill will be revived in this legislative session, which ends in two weeks.

Bristol Myers CEO says India to have largest R&D presence outside US by 2025

U.S. drugmaker Bristol Myers Squibb aims to expand its research and development presence in India and expects its newly inaugurated Hyderabad facility to become its largest unit outside the U.S. by 2025, CEO Christopher Boerner said on Tuesday. The $100-million facility, inaugurated by Boerner on Monday, is expected to employ over 1,500 employees and will be used to enhance its drug development through the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, he said in his keynote speech at the BioAsia conference.