Health News Roundup: WHO warns that cholera outbreak could flare up again in Haiti; US surgeons perform first pig-to-human kidney transplant and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Musk's Neuralink shows first brain-chip patient playing online chess

Elon Musk's brain-chip startup Neuralink livestreamed on Wednesday its first patient implanted with a chip using his mind to play online chess. Noland Arbaugh, the 29-year-old patient who was paralyzed below the shoulder after a diving accident, played chess on his laptop and moved the cursor using the Neuralink device. The implant seeks to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using only their thoughts.

US surgeons perform first pig-to-human kidney transplant

A 62-year-man with end-stage renal disease has become the first human to receive a new kidney from a genetically modified pig, doctors from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston announced on Thursday. The four-hour surgery, performed on March 16, “marks a major milestone in the quest to provide more readily available organs to patients,” the hospital said in a statement.

US FDA classifies corrections to instructions for Abiomed's blood pumps as most serious

The U.S. health regulator on Thursday classified corrections made to the instructions for the use of blood pumps manufactured by Johnson & Johnson's Abiomed unit as most serious due to the risk of serious injuries and death with their current use. The labeling updates, which FDA classified as its most serious Class I recall, gave revised instructions for using the device, such as carefully positioning the pump catheter during operative procedures and using imaging when advancing it.

Wegovy to be covered by US Medicare for heart disease patients

Heart patients insured under the U.S. Medicare program would be covered for Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy as long as it is prescribed to reduce their risk of heart attacks and strokes, the agency overseeing the program said on Thursday.

Medicare prescription drug plans administered by private insurers, known as Part D, currently cannot cover obesity drugs. Under the new guidance, however, such drugs would be paid for if they receive U.S. approval for a secondary use that Medicare does cover, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services(CMS) said.

WHO warns that cholera outbreak could flare up again in Haiti

The World Health Organization's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that a cholera outbreak in Haiti, which has been declining since the end of last year, could flare up again if current turmoil in the Caribbean island nation continues. Violence has flared as armed gangs who have been increasing their power in recent years took advantage of the absence earlier this month of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

German health ministry says Ozempic exports not a concern

Large volumes of diabetes drug Ozempic are not being exported from Germany, its health ministry said on Thursday, quashing a suggestion by its drugs regulator that outbound trade in the drug, coveted for its weight-loss effect, may have to be banned. The head of drugs regulator BfArM, which is subordinate to the ministry, in November suggested banning exports of Novo Nordisk's Ozempic if other steps fail, as Europe's health systems grapple with a shortage of the drug.

Novo Nordisk's once-weekly basal insulin icodec recommended for marketing approval in Europe

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk on Thursday said its once-weekly basal insulin icodec for treatment of diabetes in adults had received a recommendation for marketing authorisation from the European Medicines Agency's human medicines committee.

US FDA classifies recall of Vyaire Medical's respiratory devices as most serious

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday classified the recall of privately held Vyaire Medical's respiratory support devices as most serious and said their use could cause major injuries or death. The medical equipment maker recalled certain models of its AirLife Manual Resuscitators, a single patient-use device intended for respiratory support, due to a manufacturing defect.

Dengue outbreak in Argentina on track to break records

A major outbreak in Argentina of dengue, a mosquito-borne illness that can be fatal, is on track to smash previous records, reflecting wider worry around South America where warmer and wetter weather has led to a surge in cases. Over 120,000 cases have been recorded so far in Argentina in the 2023/24 season, with the bulk of those in the last two months. That puts it far ahead of the previous season, already the worst on record.

Merck combination treatment for lung cancer fails late-stage study

Merck said on Thursday a combination of two of its cancer drugs failed to meet the main goals of a late-stage study evaluating it as an initial treatment for a type of lung cancer.

The treatment, which combines Keytruda and AstraZeneca-partnered Lynparza, failed to extend survival in patients and survival without the disease worsening in certain patients with metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

(With inputs from agencies.)