Current Health News Briefs: Breakthroughs, Legal Battles and Market Trends

GSK wins a trial over Zantac cancer claims, while Lilly and Novo Nordisk vie for dominance in the weight-loss drug market. Illumina anticipates a decline in sales due to a biotech funding crunch. China plans tighter fentanyl regulations. Novartis and Viatris face legal action over 'HeLa' cells. Baxter raises profit forecast amid high demand for medical devices. BioNTech shifts to cancer drugs following substantial losses. Roche considers divesting its cancer data startup. The US FDA approves new treatments from Novo Nordisk and Servier.

In a recent development, GSK emerged victorious in the latest trial over claims that Zantac, a discontinued heartburn drug, caused cancer. A jury found that the drug was not responsible for an Illinois woman's illness, said a company spokesperson.

As Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug Zepbound gains traction against Novo Nordisk's Wegovy in the U.S., some doctors prioritize which drug is more accessible in pharmacies. Lilly has captured a 40% market share since December.

Gene sequencing company Illumina has forecasted a decline in 2024 sales from its core segment, attributing it to a biotech funding crunch and subdued demand from markets like China.

The White House announced that China intends to tighten regulations on three chemicals used in illicit fentanyl production, marking the third major regulatory step since U.S.-China counter-narcotics cooperation resumed.

Novartis and Viatris are facing a federal lawsuit from the estate of Henrietta Lacks over the alleged unauthorized use of 'HeLa' cells for medical research and profit.

Baxter International has raised its annual profit expectations due to strong demand for medical devices, driven by an uptick in non-urgent surgeries among older adults.

BioNTech reported a fourfold increase in second-quarter losses, as the company pivots towards developing new cancer treatments amid declining COVID-19 vaccine sales.

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche is considering divesting its $1.9 billion cancer data startup, Flatiron Health, as reported by the Financial Times.

The U.S. FDA has announced the availability of two more doses of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy and has also approved Servier's new brain tumor treatment, Voranigo, the first drug of its kind to gain U.S. approval.

(With inputs from agencies.)