Health Highlights: Mpox, COVID Tests, and Pharma Moves

A roundup of recent health news includes Nestle retaining its Health Science unit, Gabon's first mpox case, U.S. offering free COVID tests, India's Odisha state culling birds after avian flu outbreak, and WHO allowing pre-approval purchases of mpox vaccines. Additional updates cover the FDA's recall of Inari's catheter devices and Wall Street predictions on Medicare drug negotiations.

In a dynamic week for health news, Nestle has chosen to keep its Health Science unit following the ouster of its CEO, as stated by Chairman Paul Bulcke. Concurrently, Gabon has reported its maiden case of the mpox virus, according to the health ministry.

In the U.S., free COVID-19 tests will be available by mail from late September as part of a fall campaign aimed at increasing vaccinations. Meanwhile, India's Odisha state has culled over a thousand chickens following an avian flu outbreak.

WHO has announced that partners can begin purchasing mpox vaccines before official approval to expedite delivery in Africa. Additionally, the FDA has classified a recall of Inari Medical's ClotTriever catheter devices as 'most serious' due to potential severe health risks. Analysts also predict that Novo Nordisk's Ozempic will be among the drugs featured in 2027 Medicare negotiations.

(With inputs from agencies.)