Health News Roundup: Novo Nordisk confident of amycretin obesity drug launch this decade; US FDA delays Lilly Alzheimer's drug decision, calls for advisory panel and more

The FDA's decision came as a surprise to company officials and many Alzheimer's experts, who had expected a full approval for Lilly's drug donanemab this month based on clinical trial data last year that showed the treatment was safe and effective. Novo Nordisk hopes to launch experimental obesity drug this decade Novo Nordisk's head of development on Friday told Reuters he was very comfortable the drugmaker would be able to launch the pill version of its experimental weight loss drug amycretin this decade.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

France's Macron wants to make abortion a right at EU level

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that he wants the European Union to guarantee the right to an abortion in its Charter of Fundamental Rights. Macron was speaking at a ceremony held in Paris, where Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti used a centuries-old press to seal the right to abortion into the French constitution, following an overwhelming vote by lawmakers on Monday.

Plastic lodged in arteries may be linked to higher risk of heart disease and death

Minuscule pieces of plastic lodged in the fatty deposits that line human arteries may be linked with higher risks for heart disease, strokes, and death, Italian researchers reported on Wednesday. Among 304 patients who underwent procedures to clear a major artery in the neck, 58% were found to have microscopic and nanoscopic “jagged-edged” pieces of plastic in the plaque lining the blood vessel, including polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride containing chlorine, Dr. Raffaele Marfella at the University of Campania in Naples and colleagues reported.

Amylyx's approved ALS drug flunks crucial test, shares dive

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals is considering withdrawing its treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from the market after the drug failed to slow disease progression in a late-stage trial, sending its shares crashing 85% on Friday. The company said it would stop promotions of the drug and decide on its future in coming weeks after discussions with regulators. Meanwhile, the drug will be available at this time.

Analysis-UnitedHealth could take months to fully recover from hack

UnitedHealth Group, the largest U.S. health insurer, is likely to need several months to make a full recovery from a cyberattack that has been one of the most disruptive hacks against America's healthcare infrastructure, security experts said. Since its Change Healthcare unit was breached on Feb. 21 by a hacking group called ALPHV, also known as "BlackCat", UnitedHealth has said it is working to restore impacted channels, and that some of its systems are returning to normal. While it has not provided a timeline for full recovery, cybersecurity analysts say that is likely quite far off.

US FDA approves Novo Nordisk drug Wegovy for use in lowering heart attack risks

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy on Friday for lowering the risk of stroke and heart attack in overweight or obese adults who are not diabetic. Novo's widely used diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss drug Wegovy, both chemically known as semaglutide, belong to a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists. Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, they also reduce food cravings and cause the stomach to empty more slowly.

Novo Nordisk tackles harm from Ozempic fakes with global authorities

Novo Nordisk's CEO on Friday said the company was working with authorities in several countries to tackle counterfeit versions of its popular diabetes drug Ozempic, as new reports emerge of patient harm across the world. "This is something we take very seriously," Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, CEO of the Danish drugmaker, told Reuters.

UnitedHealth to restore hacked medical claims and payment services mid-March

UnitedHealth expects to restore disrupted services for medical claims and payments platforms by mid-March, the company said late Thursday, as it grapples with the fallout of a hack that crippled its Change Healthcare tech unit late last month. United's Change Healthcare unit is a vital lynchpin in the complex U.S. system for making and clearing insurance claims. The disruptions also impacted electronic pharmacy refills.

Novo Nordisk confident of amycretin obesity drug launch this decade

Novo Nordisk is very comfortable it will be able to launch the pill version of its experimental weight loss drug amycretin this decade, the drugmaker's head of development told Reuters on Friday, a day after it announced strong early trial data on it. "I never commit to timelines but I would be very comfortable to say at the very least within this decade," Martin Holst Lange said in an interview.

US FDA delays Lilly Alzheimer's drug decision, calls for advisory panel

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has delayed its decision on Eli Lilly's experimental treatment for early Alzheimer's disease and will hold a meeting of outside experts to discuss its safety and efficacy, the company said. The FDA's decision came as a surprise to company officials and many Alzheimer's experts, who had expected a full approval for Lilly's drug donanemab this month based on clinical trial data last year that showed the treatment was safe and effective.

Novo Nordisk hopes to launch experimental obesity drug this decade

Novo Nordisk's head of development on Friday told Reuters he was very comfortable the drugmaker would be able to launch the pill version of its experimental weight loss drug amycretin this decade. Below are the highlights of interviews with Martin Lange, Chief Executive Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen and head of business development David Moore in Bagsværd, Denmark:

(With inputs from agencies.)