Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

US tests show pasteurized milk safe as bird flu spreads to Colorado

Additional tests of milk showed that pasteurization killed the bird flu virus, federal health officials said on Friday, as Colorado became the ninth U.S. state to report an infected dairy herd. Federal lawmakers urged the Biden administration to further contain the virus' spread as tests showed one in five U.S. commercial milk samples contained remnants of the virus, suggesting the outbreak is more widespread than previously thought.

Centene's concerns over Medicare market dull Q1 profit beat

Centene said on Friday its Medicare insurance business would face several challenges next year, taking the sheen off a strong first-quarter earnings report from the health insurer.

The U.S. government's lower-than-expected final rates for 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) reimbursements and elevated medicals costs due to strong demand for healthcare among older adults are expected to hit insurers offering MA plans intended for people aged 65 and older.

Cigna to offer Humira rivals with $0 copay at specialty pharmacy

Cigna plans to make close copies of AbbVie's blockbuster arthritis drug Humira available with no out-of-pocket payment to eligible patients in the U.S. using its specialty pharmacy beginning in June, the health insurer said on Thursday. Cigna said it will stock high- and low-concentration biosimilar versions of Humira from drugmakers including Boehringer Ingelheim, Teva and Alvotech at its Accredo pharmacy.

US FDA approves Pfizer's gene therapy for rare bleeding disorder

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer's gene therapy for hemophilia B on Friday, the second such therapy for the rare bleeding disorder that typically requires regular infusions of a blood-clotting protein. People with hemophilia have a fault in a gene that regulates production of proteins called clotting factors, which can cause spontaneous as well as severe bleeding following injuries or surgery. It predominately affects males.

WHO says bird flu risk currently low, asks countries to remain vigilant

The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission. The UN-agency said countries should implement infection control measures and procedures to reduce human exposure to birds and mammals potentially infected with bird flu or other animal influenza viruses.

Biden administration delays plan to ban menthol cigarettes

The Biden administration on Friday delayed its plan to ban menthol cigarettes, a move that reflected the potential for a political backlash from Black voters in an election year. For decades, menthol cigarettes have been in the crosshairs of anti-smoking groups who argue that they contribute to disproportionate health burdens on Black communities and play a role in luring young people into smoking.

HCA's unchanged annual forecast clouds better-than-expected quarter

HCA Healthcare on Friday beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit and revenue but left its annual forecast unchanged, sending shares of the largest for-profit US hospital operator down nearly 5%. Analysts said the maintained outlook may disappoint investors, but called it "conservative" after a jump in demand for medical services late last year, partly due to a COVID-induced backlog.

Ex-McKinsey partner sues firm, claims he was made opioids 'scapegoat'

A former McKinsey & Co partner sued the global consulting firm on Friday and accused it of defaming him and making him a "scapegoat" to distract attention from its work advising OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and other manufacturers of opioid pain medications. Arnab Ghatak, who was fired in 2021, filed the lawsuit in New York state court just two days after Reuters and others reported that the U.S. Department of Justice was conducting a criminal investigation of McKinsey's role in the U.S. opioid epidemic.

Drugmaker AbbVie expects Humira volume erosion to worsen

AbbVie expects a drop in sales volumes of its blockbuster arthritis drug Humira to deepen after recent changes by U.S. pharmacy benefit managers and as patients shift to other drugs. Its shares were down nearly 5% in afternoon trade on Friday, after the company forecast U.S. Humira sales would fall 32% in the second quarter.

Bayer CEO wins first AGM shareholder vote

Bayer CEO Bill Anderson on Friday won a vote of confidence at his first annual general meeting (AGM) at the helm of the embattled healthcare and agriculture group, defying a challenge from one German fund managing house. The group said investors with 91.69% of the equity capital represented at the AGM voted in favour of him and his top management team.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)