Current Health Headlines: J&J's Major Acquisition, Lilly's Drug Success, and Mpox Surge

Johnson & Johnson acquires V-Wave for up to $1.7 billion to enhance its heart disease devices portfolio, while Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug, Zepbound, significantly reduces diabetes risk in overweight individuals. The U.S. FDA approves J&J's chemotherapy-free lung cancer treatment, amid rising mpox cases in Central Africa and prospective vaccinations.

Johnson & Johnson has announced its acquisition of V-Wave, a medical device manufacturer, for up to $1.7 billion. The deal aims to enhance J&J's footprint in the heart disease treatment market, with an upfront payment of $600 million and conditional payments of up to $1.1 billion based on regulatory and commercial milestones.

In a separate development, Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug Zepbound has demonstrated a significant reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes among overweight or obese pre-diabetic adults. The drug's success has bolstered Lilly's stock value by 4.4% during early trading, contributing to a 60% rise this year.

The U.S. FDA has approved a novel chemotherapy-free combination treatment for non-small cell lung cancer by Johnson & Johnson, presenting a competitive challenge to AstraZeneca's Tagrisso. This new treatment combines J&J's drugs Rybrevant and lazertinib for first-line use in patients with a specific gene mutation.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo is at the center of an escalating mpox outbreak, leading the World Health Organization to declare it a global public health emergency. Efforts are underway to initiate vaccinations in affected African countries within days, facilitated by the Africa CDC and international support from the EU, Bavarian Nordic, the U.S., and Japan.

(With inputs from agencies.)