Health News Roundup: Abortions in first 12 weeks should be fully legalised in Germany, commission says; Novavax investor Shah Capital calls for two independent directors and more

BrandShield, which shared this information exclusively with Reuters, said that out of the 279 pharmacy websites the company closed last year for selling drugs intended to treat metabolic conditions, more than 90% were related to GLP-1 medicines, according to Keren.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Neumora's early-stage schizophrenia drug study put on hold

Neumora Therapeutics said on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had placed a clinical hold on early-stage study of its experimental schizophrenia drug, sending its shares down more than 23% in premarket trading. The FDA decided to place the study on hold after recently available pre-clinical data showed uncontrollable muscle contractions or convulsions in rabbits. The company has now paused the early-stage study.

Organovo's fatty liver disease drug meets main goal in mid-stage study

Organovo Holdings said on Monday its experimental drug to treat a type of fatty liver disease met the main goal in a mid-stage study, sending its shares up nearly 27% in premarket trade. The non-steroidal drug, FXR314, helped significantly reduce liver fat in patients with metabolic function-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), previously known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Abortions in first 12 weeks should be fully legalised in Germany, commission says

Germany should lift all restrictions on abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy but keep its ban on the procedure after foetal viability, around 22 weeks, a government-appointed commission said on Monday. Women in Germany now typically require counselling to obtain a legal abortion within the first 12 weeks, with exceptions including for victims of violent crime. There are no time restrictions for abortions if the mother's life is in danger.

Novavax investor Shah Capital calls for two independent directors

U.S.-based hedge fund Shah Capital on Monday recommended the appointment of two new independent directors to the Novavax board, saying the move could help turn around the vaccine maker's lagging share price. The Raleigh, North Carolina-based hedge fund, which owns about 6.7% of Novavax stock, said the nominated directors had the experience to tackle the company's underperformance.

UnitedHealth hack looms over first-quarter earnings report

UnitedHealth is expected to record higher medical costs in its first earnings report since a cyberattack disrupted its technology systems including those that manage prescription and medical claims, analysts said. The attack, disclosed on Feb. 21, affected hospitals, clinicians, and pharmacies nationwide. Some providers are still unable to access medical claims and payments processing, a recent survey by the American Medical Association showed.

Factbox-Abortion laws in Europe

Here is an overview of abortion laws across Europe, where the general trend has been towards liberalisation but some countries are imposing restrictions on women seeking to terminate a pregnancy, and deep divisions over abortion rights remain: FRANCE - Became the world's first country to make women's free choice to request an abortion a constitutional right in March 2024.

High risk of animal-to-human diseases developing in some China fur farms, animal protection group says

An investigation of five fur farms in China housing foxes, raccoon dogs and mink found a high risk of diseases developing that could jump from animals to humans, said animal protection group Humane Society International who conducted the study at the end of 2023. The farms in China's northern Hebei and Liaoning provinces each held between 2,000 and 4,000 animals in intensive conditions, including in close proximity to poultry, HSI said.

Spanish drug maker Grifols will bring in independent directors, chairman tells newspaper

Spanish drug maker Grifols, battling a plunge in its share price this year, plans to add independent directors to its audit and compensation committees to improve its governance, its chairman said in a newspaper interview published on Sunday. Grifols' market value has shed billions of euros since short-sheller Gotham City Research released three reports in early January accusing the company of overstating earnings and understating debt. Grifols has repeatedly denied the claims.

Rwanda joins other African countries in recalling J&J children's cough syrup

Rwanda's drug regulator has recalled a batch of Johnson & Johnson children's cough syrup as a precautionary measure after its Nigerian counterpart said laboratory tests found high levels of toxicity. Rwanda joins Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa in recalling the same batch of the syrup, which is used to treat coughs, hay fever and other allergic reactions in children. South Africa has also recalled an additional batch.

More than 250 websites selling fake weight-loss drugs reported by anti-counterfeit firm

The cybersecurity firm BrandShield has taken down more than 250 websites selling fake versions of popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs in the GLP-1 class, the company’s CEO Yoav Keren told Reuters. BrandShield, which shared this information exclusively with Reuters, said that out of the 279 pharmacy websites the company closed last year for selling drugs intended to treat metabolic conditions, more than 90% were related to GLP-1 medicines, according to Keren.

(With inputs from agencies.)