Health News Roundup: US Supreme Court split over Idaho's strict abortion ban in medical emergencies; Congo Republic declares mpox epidemic and more

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday said all laboratories and state veterinarians in the country must report positive tests, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would pay for increased testing. Boston Scientific raises full-year profit forecast on heart devices unit strength Boston Scientific raised its annual profit forecast and beat Wall Street expectations for first-quarter results on the back of resilient demand for the company's heart devices, sending the medical device maker's shares up nearly 7%.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

US Supreme Court split over Idaho's strict abortion ban in medical emergencies

U.S. Supreme Court justices, wading back into the battle over abortion access, appeared divided on Wednesday in a case pitting Idaho's strict Republican-backed abortion ban against a federal law that ensures that patients can receive emergency care. The justices heard arguments in an appeal by Idaho officials of a lower court's ruling that found that the 1986 U.S. law at issue, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), supersedes the state's near-total ban in the relatively rare circumstances when the two conflict.

Arizona House lawmakers vote to repeal 1864 abortion ban

Lawmakers in Arizona's House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to repeal an 1864 ban on abortion that may go into effect next month. In a 32-28 vote, lawmakers decided that the old abortion ban should be repealed. The Arizona state Senate must now also vote to repeal the bill before the 160-year-old ban is knocked down.

EU investigates fair access to China's medical device market

The European Commission launched a probe into China's public procurement of medical devices on Wednesday, the latest in a series of moves that ratchet up trade tensions ahead of President Xi Jinping's visit to Europe next month. The investigation - which Beijing swiftly criticised - aims to determine if European suppliers of devices ranging from needles and orthopaedic appliances to complex scanners have been given fair access in China.

Congo Republic declares mpox epidemic

Republic of the Congo has declared an epidemic of mpox after 19 cases were confirmed across five departments, including the capital Brazzaville. No deaths have yet been recorded, Health Minister Gilbert Mokoki said in a statement on Tuesday.

US Senate committee investigates pricing of Novo's Ozempic and Wegovy

A U.S. Senate committee said on Wednesday it had launched an investigation into the prices of Novo Nordisk's diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy in the United States. Senator Bernie Sanders, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, sent a letter to Novo's CEO seeking more information on U.S. prices for the two drugs, which are higher than the prices in other countries.

Insurer Humana pulls 2025 profit forecast on disappointing Medicare rates

Humana withdrew its already downscaled 2025 profit forecast on Wednesday, citing disappointing government Medicare reimbursement rates, sending the health insurer's shares down over 5% in morning trade. The company, which heavily depends on government-backed insurance such as Medicare Advantage (MA), has been facing multiple challenges.

About 3.6 million Medicare beneficiaries could be eligible for Wegovy coverage, study shows

About 3.6 million overweight or obese patients with heart conditions insured under the U.S. Medicare program could be eligible for coverage of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy, a study published by Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) showed on Wednesday. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Biogen cost cuts drive profit beat, as Alzheimer's drug off to slow start

Biogen reported a quarterly profit that topped Wall Street estimates, helped by cost cutting, as the launch of its new Alzheimer's disease drug remained sluggish. Sales of Alzheimer's drug Leqembi, recorded by Japanese partner Eisai, were just $19 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' tempered expectations of between $13 million and $30 million.

US requires bird flu tests for dairy cattle moving between states

The U.S. government will require dairy cattle moving between states to be tested for bird flu starting on Monday as federal officials ramp up their response to an outbreak that has bled over into the U.S. milk supply. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday said all laboratories and state veterinarians in the country must report positive tests, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would pay for increased testing.

Boston Scientific raises full-year profit forecast on heart devices unit strength

Boston Scientific raised its annual profit forecast and beat Wall Street expectations for first-quarter results on the back of resilient demand for the company's heart devices, sending the medical device maker's shares up nearly 7%. Investor expectations around the performance of medical device makers have been heightened since last November after a resurgence in demand, as people, especially older adults, opted for medical procedures deferred during the pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies.)