Health News Roundup: GSK's cancer drug combination meets primary goal in late-stage trial; Exclusive-IndiaMART is working with Novo Nordisk to halt illegal Wegovy sales -source and more

The drugmaker's India legal team held discussions with IndiaMART's top executives to develop a "framework" for regularly alerting the online marketplace about listings by counterfeiters in an effort to curtail illegal sales, the source said on condition of anonymity. US FDA declines to approve Checkpoint Therapeutics' skin cancer therapy Checkpoint Therapeutics said on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve its experimental therapy to treat a type of advanced skin cancer, citing issues related to a third-party contract manufacturer.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

GSK's cancer drug combination meets primary goal in late-stage trial

GSK said on Monday that a combination of its cancer drugs Zejula and Jemperli, when as used as a maintenance therapy following Jemperli plus chemotherapy, met the main goal of a late-stage trial to treat a certain type of endometrial cancer.

The results from the trial showed that Jemperli plus chemotherapy followed by Jemperli and Zejula improved progression-free survival, compared to chemotherapy alone in both the overall patient population and in a subpopulation of patients with certain types of tumours.

Exclusive-IndiaMART is working with Novo Nordisk to halt illegal Wegovy sales -source

Indian online marketplace IndiaMART has been removing unauthorized listings of Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy after holding talks with the Danish drugmaker in early October, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The drugmaker's India legal team held discussions with IndiaMART's top executives to develop a "framework" for regularly alerting the online marketplace about listings by counterfeiters in an effort to curtail illegal sales, the source said on condition of anonymity.

US FDA declines to approve Checkpoint Therapeutics' skin cancer therapy

Checkpoint Therapeutics said on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve its experimental therapy to treat a type of advanced skin cancer, citing issues related to a third-party contract manufacturer. The company filed the marketing application for the drug, Cosibelimab, its lead therapy in development, earlier this year.

Illumina to divest cancer test maker Grail after antitrust battles

Gene sequencing company Illumina said on Sunday it will divest cancer diagnostic test maker Grail after the companies battled both U.S. and European antitrust enforcers for more than two years and faced fierce opposition from activist investor Carl Icahn. The divestiture will be executed through a third-party sale or capital markets transaction, San Diego-based Illumina said in a statement, adding that it would finalize the terms by second quarter of 2024.

Novo owner commits $265 million of Wegovy windfall to respiratory diseases

The Novo Nordisk Foundation, which controls drug maker Novo Nordisk, said on Monday it would commit up to 1.8 billion Danish crowns ($265 million) to setting up an initiative aimed at improving vaccines for respiratory diseases. A huge windfall from the runaway success of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy has bulged coffers of the foundation, potentially making it a major philanthropist and environmental, social and governance (ESG) investor.

(With inputs from agencies.)