Global Health Shakeup: Controversies and Innovations in Modern Medicine

A summary of recent health news includes China's accusations against the U.S. regarding their COVID vaccines, Amazon Pharmacy's expansion to Medicare patients, and the challenges faced by U.S. youth in accessing weight-loss options. Additionally, there are updates on lawsuits, partnerships, and regulatory actions affecting pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

China accuses U.S. of "malign intention" to discredit its COVID vaccines

China's embassy in the Philippines accused the U.S. military of "hypocrisy, malign intention and double standards" in response to a report of secret U.S. campaign to undermine confidence in a Chinese vaccines and other aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. The remarks made by the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Tuesday were in response to a Reuters investigative report that said the U.S. military launched a clandestine programme during the COVID pandemic to discredit China's Sinovac inoculation in the Philippines.

Amazon Pharmacy expands $5 monthly subscription to Medicare patients

Amazon.com's pharmacy unit said on Tuesday it is expanding eligibility for its monthly subscription service, which covers a range of generic drugs, to those enrolled in government-backed Medicare insurance plans. Amazon has worked to lure customers away from more established pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens since launching its pharmacy unit in 2020.

Weight-loss options for US youth are hard to come by

For many U.S. parents seeking help for a child with obesity, the most widely-endorsed treatment is out of reach - and it's not the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy. Leading medical groups recommend intensive behavioral counseling - 26 hours within one year - to teach children and their families practical ways to eat healthier and move more. But these programs are not widely available, and wait lists can run for several months. They are often not covered by health insurance and require a time commitment that is difficult for many families to make, according to interviews with more than a dozen doctors and parents. As a result, fewer than 1% of the nearly 15 million U.S. children with obesity get this type of structured care, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Reuters. Efforts by the CDC and others to expand insurance coverage have stalled, doctors involved in the process told Reuters. "The coverage for these programs was never good, and we're not seeing any movement toward improvement," said Dr. Joseph Skelton, a professor of pediatrics and an obesity medicine specialist at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The prevalence of obesity among U.S. children has steadily increased, from 5% in 1980 to nearly 20% now, according to the CDC. Novo Nordisk's Wegovy was approved for adults in 2021 and for adolescents in late 2022, offering a highly effective way to lose weight for the first time. Novo still cannot meet demand for the drug among adults, with at least 25,000 first-time prescriptions dispensed each week. A much smaller, but growing, number of families are seeking the drug for their adolescents, Reuters found in February. Many doctors and parents are wary of using the medication without data on whether Wegovy can affect a child's development, or pose other long-term risks. CHANGING HABITS Ruth Medina of Holyoke, Massachusetts, wanted to see if a change in family habits, rather than medication, could help her 15-year-old daughter, Jelainie, when she reached 200 pounds this year. The family has a history of type 2 diabetes, she said, a condition exacerbated by excess weight. "I don't want to go down that path. That's when I got scared," Medina said. Jelainie's pediatrician recommended the healthy weight program at Holyoke Health Center where children and their parents come for visits with a dietician and community health worker to set individual goals, plus group sessions about cooking, deciphering nutritional labels and other lifestyle changes. Dr. Vinny Biggs, who oversees the program, said families face a four-month wait to enroll. Medina and her daughter's participation is covered, in part, by the state Medicaid health insurance program, Biggs said. At the family's first session this month, Jelainie cut up cauliflower, carrots and other vegetables to prepare a paella dish alongside her instructors. Mother and daughter said they liked the meal and took home leftovers and the recipe. Jelainie has lost some weight. She started walking more, playing tennis and snacking on fruits and vegetables. Her mother still worries about the appeal of the many fast-food restaurants close to their home. "We walk by so many temptations," Medina said. "I want to do whatever I can to get her to a healthy weight." RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an influential federal panel of experts, says it's better to stick to lifestyle changes for adolescents with obesity until more data on the long-term safety and effectiveness of the drugs are available, according to a draft recommendation published in December. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that youth aged 12 and older should be offered medications for obesity, but only as an "adjunct to health behavior and lifestyle treatment."

Kansas accuses Pfizer of misleading public about COVID vaccine in lawsuit

The U.S. state of Kansas on Monday sued Pfizer, accusing the company of misleading the public about its COVID-19 vaccine by hiding risks while making false claims about its effectiveness. In a lawsuit filed in the District Court of Thomas County, the state said the New York-based drugmaker's alleged false statements violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. It is seeking unspecified money damages.

Roche partners with Ascidian Therapeutics to develop gene therapies

Swiss drugmaker Roche will team up with privately held biotech Ascidian Therapeutics to develop gene therapies targeting difficult to treat neurological diseases, the Boston-based startup said on Tuesday. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

US FDA puts partial clinical hold on Zentalis' cancer drug studies; shares drop

Zentalis Pharmaceuticals said on Tuesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has placed a partial clinical hold on three studies testing its cancer drug, following the death of two trial participants. Shares of the drug developer slumped about 30% to $5.88 in premarket trading.

US FDA approves Merck's pneumococcal vaccine for adults

Merck said on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its next-generation vaccine to protect adults against the pneumococcal disease. The disease can lead to infections in several parts of the body including the lungs, where they can cause pneumonia. There are around 100 different strains of the bacteria that can cause those infections.

South Korea orders doctors to return to work amid prolonged strike

The South Korean government issued a return-to-work order for private practitioners on Tuesday as more doctors including medical professors join the months-long strike to protest increasing medical school admissions. The government will strictly enforce regulations against medical institutions that closed illegally, the health ministry said in a statement.

AstraZeneca's breast cancer drug combination fails in late-stage trial

AstraZeneca said on Tuesday its breast cancer drug, Truqap, in combination with chemotherapy agent, paclitaxel, did not meet its main goals in a late-stage trial to improve overall survival of patients with a type of breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer remains one of the most challenging forms of disease to treat due to the lack of known actionable biomarker targets, and chemotherapy-based regimens continue to be the mainstay of treatment, AstraZeneca said.

US to stop advance payments for Medicare providers hit by Change hack

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said on Monday it plans to close the advance payments program it started to help some Medicare providers and suppliers affected by disruptions at UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare technology unit.

It launched the payments program in March after a hack at Change Healthcare on Feb. 21 by a group called ALPHV, also known as "BlackCat", disrupted medical insurance payments across the United States.

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