Health News Roundup: Breakthroughs, Setbacks, and Public Health Alerts

Stay informed with our latest health news briefing, covering topics such as AstraZeneca's Imfinzi trial results, Peru's new transgender health policy, the first medical cannabis company listing in South Africa, and public health alerts on gun violence and dengue. Discover the latest advancements and setbacks in the health sector.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

AstraZeneca's Imfinzi fails in late-stage trial to treat certain lung cancers

AstraZeneca's blockbuster cancer drug Imfinzi has failed as a follow-up therapy to improve disease-free survival in a late-stage trial in patients with a type of early-stage lung cancer, the group said on Tuesday. Imfinzi is a human monoclonal antibody, which works to block a tumour's ability to evade and dampen the immune system, while also boosting the body's anti-cancer immune response, offering an alternative to chemotherapy.

Peru to stop labeling transgender people as mentally ill

Peru will stop listing individuals who identify as transgender, among others, as suffering from mental disorders, the country's health ministry announced on Tuesday, following a backlash to the move that critics derided as unnecessary and discriminatory. The decision comes after hundreds of protesters took the streets of the capital Lima last month to demand the scrapping of a new law that described those who identify as transgender, along with "cross dressers" and those with "gender identity disorders" as mentally ill and eligible for health services via both public and private providers.

Cilo Cybin becomes first medical cannabis company to list in South Africa

South Africa's Cilo Cybin on Tuesday became the first medical cannabis company to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange's Alternative Exchange, as it hopes to capitalise on growth in the legal marijuana industry. South Africa in 2018 legalised marijuana for personal use and in 2019 legalised the sale of cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound derived from the cannabis plant.

South Africa records third mpox death after 16 confirmed cases

South Africa has recorded its third death from the viral infection mpox in an outbreak that started in May and has seen 16 laboratory-confirmed cases so far, its health ministry said on Tuesday. The third person who died was a 40-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal province who had mpox-like symptoms including a rash all over his body, the ministry said.

Lilly partners with OpenAI to develop medicines for drug-resistant bacteria

Eli Lilly said on Tuesday it will collaborate with OpenAI to leverage its generative AI to develop antimicrobials that can be used to treat drug-resistant bacteria. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Gun violence is a public health crisis, US surgeon general declares

The U.S. surgeon general declared gun violence in the country a public health crisis on Tuesday, calling on Americans to act to prevent rising firearm-related deaths and their cascading effects, particularly on Black Americans, young Americans and other populations. In the first-ever public health advisory on gun violence, the nation's top public health official, Vivek Murthy, outlined what he called devastating and far-reaching consequences to the public's well-being and called for more research funding, better mental health access and other steps such as secure storage to reduce harm.

High risk of famine persists across Gaza, global hunger monitor says

Gaza remains at high risk of famine as war between Israel and Hamas continues and access to aid is restricted, though delivery of supplies had limited the projected spread of extreme hunger in northern areas, a global monitor said on Tuesday. More than 495,000 people across the Gaza Strip are facing the most severe, or "catastrophic", level of food insecurity, according to an update from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

US food safety regulators expand bird flu testing in milk products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has begun testing more dairy products for evidence of the bird flu virus as outbreaks spread among dairy herds across the country. More than 120 dairy herds in 12 states have tested positive for bird flu since March, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Federal officials have warned that further spread among dairy cows could heighten the risk of human infections.

China approves CSPC Pharma mRNA cancer therapy for clinical trials

A cancer cell therapy from CSPC Pharmaceutical Group that uses synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA) technology has received regulatory clearance in China for human clinical trial, the Chinese drugmaker said late on Tuesday. CSPC and several other Chinese drugmakers have researched synthetic mRNA to develop vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic and have since continued testing new uses for the technology, including in cancer treatments.

US CDC alerts healthcare providers of increase in dengue cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an advisory on Tuesday alerting healthcare providers about an increased risk of dengue virus infections in the United States. Cases of the mosquito-borne viral illness have touched a record high in the Americas this year, the agency said, echoing a similar statement from the World Health Organization last month.

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