Health News Roundup: Hong Kong to cull 1,900 pigs after reporting second swine fever case in a month; Recalled WanaBana puree still on Dollar Tree shelves - US FDA and more

The investment will significantly increase production capacity for current medicines including Ozempic and Wegovy as well as other obesity treatments that are being developed, the Danish drugmaker said. Novo to launch Wegovy in Asia with February Japan roll-out Novo Nordisk will launch its hugely popular anti-obesity drug Wegovy in Japan on Feb. 22 next year, its first launch in Asia, the company said on Thursday, even as it struggles to keep up with demand in existing markets.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Polish opposition to reinstate IVF funding in social policy shift

Polish lawmakers started a debate on Wednesday to reinstate public financing for in-vitro fertilisation, marking a shift after eight years of nationalist rule which brought severe restrictions on women's reproductive rights. The Law and Justice government (PiS) lost its parliamentary majority in the Oct. 15 elections, paving the way for opposition parties from the centre-right to the left to form a ruling coalition.

Don't press 'pandemic panic button' scientists caution on China pneumonia report

Leading scientists urged caution over fears of another pandemic on Thursday after the World Health Organization requested more information from China on a rise of respiratory illnesses and pneumonia clusters among children. "We have to be careful," said Marion Koopmans, a Dutch virologist who advised the WHO on COVID-19. "We really need more information, particularly diagnostic information."

Bayer holds call with bond investors after raft of bad news

Bayer held a call with investors on Monday after a raft of bad news led some of them to question whether the German group had been upfront about its prospects ahead of a $5.75 billion bond issuance, three sources familiar with the situation said on Wednesday. The bad news prompted some bond investors to question whether Bayer should sweeten the terms of the deal or outright pull it, one of the sources said.

Hong Kong to cull 1,900 pigs after reporting second swine fever case in a month

Hong Kong has ordered the culling of almost two thousand pigs after confirming a second case of African swine fever (ASF) in a month. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) on Thursday said it planned to cull around 1,900 pigs from one herd on Nov. 25 after the virus was discovered at a local pig farm.

Recalled WanaBana puree still on Dollar Tree shelves - US FDA

The WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Puree, a product potentially contaminated with lead, was still being sold at Dollar Tree stores despite a recall that began last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Wednesday. The agency is working with Dollar Tree to ensure an effective recall, it said, weeks after the regulator first issued a safety alert on the purchase of WanaBana pouches following reports of four children with elevated blood lead levels.

Novo Nordisk invests $2.3 billion in France to boost obesity drug production

Novo Nordisk on Thursday announced a $2.3 billion investment to boost production of its wildly popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs at a site in Chartres, France as it races to meet soaring demand. The investment will significantly increase production capacity for current medicines including Ozempic and Wegovy as well as other obesity treatments that are being developed, the Danish drugmaker said.

Novo to launch Wegovy in Asia with February Japan roll-out

Novo Nordisk will launch its hugely popular anti-obesity drug Wegovy in Japan on Feb. 22 next year, its first launch in Asia, the company said on Thursday, even as it struggles to keep up with demand in existing markets. The Danish company has picked Japan as the sixth country in which to launch Wegovy despite obesity being a much smaller problem in the Asian country relative to Western countries.

Indonesian court papers reveal chain of events that led to cough syrup deaths

Indonesian court documents have revealed for the first time the chain of events that led to toxic ingredients being used in cough syrup that was among the products blamed for the deaths of more than 200 children in the country last year. According to the previously unreported 373-page court ruling in a criminal case of officials at Indonesia drugmaker Afi Farma, the seeds of the tragedy were sown in 2021 during a global shortage of pharmaceutical grade propylene glycol (PG), a key base for syrupy medicines.

US lawmakers ask SEC to scrutinize Musk comments on Neuralink

Four U.S. lawmakers have asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Elon Musk committed securities fraud by allegedly misleading investors about the safety of a brain implant being developed by the billionaire’s firm Neuralink, according to a letter to the regulator. The request for an inquiry came from Democratic House Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, and Barbara Lee and Tony Cardenas of California, according to the letter sent to the SEC on Tuesday and reviewed by Reuters.

Macron to unveil 2.1 billion eur Novo Nordisk pharma investment in France

French President Emmanuel Macron will on Thursday inaugurate a 2.1 billion euro ($2.3 billion) investment by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk in France, his office said, pitching it as a sign of newly restored French industrial competitiveness. The investment, for which no detail was provided by Macron's office, will be based in Chartres, west of Paris, where Novo already employs nearly 2,000 people. Novo is known for its hugely popular anti-obesity drug Wegovy.

(With inputs from agencies.)