Health News Roundup: WHO warns of falsified cough syrup ingredients seized in Pakistan; Novavax investor Shah Capital pushes for board shakeup and more

BrandShield, which shared this information exclusively with Reuters, said that out of the 279 pharmacy websites the company closed last year for selling drugs intended to treat metabolic conditions, more than 90% were related to GLP-1 medicines, according to Keren.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

WHO warns of falsified cough syrup ingredients seized in Pakistan

The World Health Organization issued an alert on Monday warning drugmakers of five contaminated batches of propylene glycol, an ingredient used in medicinal syrups, that appear to have been falsely labelled as manufactured by Dow Chemical units in Asia and Europe. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) issued three alerts between January and March over high levels of ethylene glycol (EG), an industrial solvent known to be toxic, found in drums purportedly made by subsidiaries of Dow Chemical in Thailand, Germany and Singapore.

US employers must accommodate abortions, birth control, agency says

U.S. employers' obligation to accommodate workers' pregnancies also extends to abortions and the use of contraception, the U.S. agency that enforces workplace discrimination laws said on Monday. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) unveiled a rule to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a law that Congress passed with bipartisan support and the backing of major business groups in 2022.

Abortions in first 12 weeks should be fully legalised in Germany, commission says

Germany should lift all restrictions on abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy but keep its ban on the procedure after foetal viability, around 22 weeks, a government-appointed commission said on Monday. Women in Germany now typically require counselling to obtain a legal abortion within the first 12 weeks, with exceptions including for victims of violent crime. There are no time restrictions for abortions if the mother's life is in danger.

Novavax investor Shah Capital pushes for board shakeup

A top shareholder of COVID-19 vaccine maker Novavax on Monday said the company has been badly mismanaged and nominated two candidates to serve on Novavax's board. Shah Capital, which owns a 6.7% stake in Novavax, said it had tried to engage with Novavax's board for more than a year, but the company has not been receptive to its suggestions, spurring the decision to nominate the board candidates.

UnitedHealth hack looms over first-quarter earnings report

UnitedHealth is expected to record higher medical costs in its first earnings report since a cyberattack disrupted its technology systems including those that manage prescription and medical claims, analysts said. The attack, disclosed on Feb. 21, affected hospitals, clinicians, and pharmacies nationwide. Some providers are still unable to access medical claims and payments processing, a recent survey by the American Medical Association showed.

Factbox-Abortion laws in Europe

Here is an overview of abortion laws across Europe, where the general trend has been towards liberalisation but some countries are imposing restrictions on women seeking to terminate a pregnancy, and deep divisions over abortion rights remain: FRANCE - Became the world's first country to make women's free choice to request an abortion a constitutional right in March 2024.

High risk of animal-to-human diseases developing in some China fur farms, animal protection group says

An investigation of five fur farms in China housing foxes, raccoon dogs and mink found a high risk of diseases developing that could jump from animals to humans, said animal protection group Humane Society International who conducted the study at the end of 2023. The farms in China's northern Hebei and Liaoning provinces each held between 2,000 and 4,000 animals in intensive conditions, including in close proximity to poultry, HSI said.

Spanish drug maker Grifols will bring in independent directors, chairman tells newspaper

Spanish drug maker Grifols, battling a plunge in its share price this year, plans to add independent directors to its audit and compensation committees to improve its governance, its chairman said in a newspaper interview published on Sunday. Grifols' market value has shed billions of euros since short-sheller Gotham City Research released three reports in early January accusing the company of overstating earnings and understating debt. Grifols has repeatedly denied the claims.

Tanzania, Rwanda, Zimbabwe join African recall of J&J cough syrup

Drug regulators in Tanzania, Rwanda and Zimbabwe have recalled a batch of Johnson & Johnson children's cough syrup as a precautionary measure after their Nigerian counterpart said laboratory tests found high levels of toxicity. The countries join Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa in recalling the same batch of the syrup, which is used to treat coughs, hay fever and other allergic reactions in children. South Africa has also recalled an additional batch.

More than 250 websites selling fake weight-loss drugs reported by anti-counterfeit firm

The cybersecurity firm BrandShield has taken down more than 250 websites selling fake versions of popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs in the GLP-1 class, the company’s CEO Yoav Keren told Reuters. BrandShield, which shared this information exclusively with Reuters, said that out of the 279 pharmacy websites the company closed last year for selling drugs intended to treat metabolic conditions, more than 90% were related to GLP-1 medicines, according to Keren.

(With inputs from agencies.)