Health News Roundup: Novartis sues US government over Medicare drug price regulation; 'Barbie Botox' goes viral but doctors inject caution and more

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Jersey, is the first since the Biden administration on Tuesday released its list of 10 prescription medicines that will be subject to price negotiations by the Medicare health program, which covers 66 million people. Generic drugmakers start shipping copies of Takeda's ADHD drug Vyvanse Drugmakers have begun shipping copycat versions of Takeda Pharmaceutical's drug Vyvanse, which is expected to offset the ongoing shortage of the ADHD medicine in the United States.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

US senators push drugmakers for details on low-cost insulin programs

Two U.S. senators are demanding that the nation's three largest insulin makers, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi, provide details by Sept. 15 of their programs to help Americans get their insulin for $35 a month or less. Democratic Senators Maggie Hassan and Tina Smith sent a letter asking the drugmakers for information on eligibility criteria for the programs, including whether a patient’s insurance status or income barred them from joining, and the steps insulin users had to take to sign up.

EU authorises use of adapted Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine for COVID-19 variant

The European Commission has authorised an updated COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNtech to be used in EU countries' vaccination campaigns this autumn to target the dominant Omicron XBB.1.5 variant, it said on Friday. The vaccine, called Comirnaty, is the third adapted shot to be used in the bloc. The Commission authorises its use for adults, children and infants above six months.

Costs divide rich, poor countries ahead of WHO pandemic treaty talks

Health officials from around the world, as they gather to discuss a treaty addressing pandemic prevention next week, are struggling to agree on funding for developing countries and measures to thwart jumps by pathogens from animals into humans.

The meeting, starting in Geneva on Monday, is part of ongoing negotiations by the decision-making body of the World Health Organization to tackle pandemic threats in a legally binding accord. Representatives from as many as 194 member countries could take part.

EU regulator recommends pregnant women not use epilepsy drug topiramate

The European Medicines Agency's safety committee, on Friday, recommended pregnant women not use topiramate-containing medicines to prevent migraine or manage their body weight as their newborns could have a higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. Topiramate-containing medicines are currently used in the EU to treat epilepsy and prevent migraines, and in some EU countries, the medicine is also used in combination with phentermine to reduce weight.

Amgen gets US FTC's go-ahead for $27.8 billion Horizon deal

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has allowed Amgen to continue its $27.8 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics, while preventing the drugmaker from using anticompetitive tactics to extend the market dominance of two Horizon drugs. The agreement, announced on Friday, ends months of uncertainty over the deal since the FTC in May filed a lawsuit over concerns that Amgen would leverage its drugs to secure favorable insurance coverage terms for Horizon's thyroid eye disease treatment Tepezza and gout drug Krystexxa.

Novartis sues US government over Medicare drug price regulation

Swiss drugmaker Novartis on Friday said it had sued the U.S. government in an attempt to halt the Medicare drug-price negotiation program, which includes its top-selling heart-failure medicine Entresto. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Jersey, is the first since the Biden administration on Tuesday released its list of 10 prescription medicines that will be subject to price negotiations by the Medicare health program, which covers 66 million people.

Generic drugmakers start shipping copies of Takeda's ADHD drug Vyvanse

Drugmakers have begun shipping copycat versions of Takeda Pharmaceutical's drug Vyvanse, which is expected to offset the ongoing shortage of the ADHD medicine in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had said on Monday it has approved generic versions of Vyvanse from 11 drugmakers after Takeda's exclusivity over the drug expired on Aug. 24. Copycats of the drug come in capsules and chewable tablets, ranging between 10 milligrams to 70 milligram doses.

'Barbie Botox' goes viral but doctors inject caution

The viral trend of "Barbie Botox" that has women as young as in their 20s rush for toxin-based procedures to mimic the looks of the movie's lead actress Margot Robbie may lead to resistance among them and hinder medical use in future, doctors cautioned. The procedure, also known as "Trap Tox", has been widely used by doctors to inject a class of drugs known as botulinum toxins, such as Botox, into the trapezius muscles of the upper back to treat migraines and shoulder pain.

Drugmaker Novo Nordisk overtakes LVMH as Europe's most valuable company

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk unseated LVMH as Europe's most valuable listed company on Friday, ending the French luxury group's 2-1/2 year-long reign at the top. LVMH, the world's biggest luxury retailer, has been hurt by growing concerns about the outlook for the Chinese economy.

Biden seeks minimum staff levels at US nursing homes

President Joe Biden's administration on Friday proposed setting federal minimum staffing levels for nursing homes, a move aimed at addressing longtime complaints about abuse and neglect in the industry that were highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. THE TAKE: Biden, a Democrat, pledged last year to protect American seniors' lives and life savings by cracking down on nursing homes that commit fraud or endanger patients' safety and address the chronic understaffing at long-term care facilities that was exposed during the pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies.)