Health News Roundup: Key Updates on Diabetes Drugs, Cancer Tests, and Legal Battles

This summary provides key updates in health news, including Denmark's regulation on Ozempic prescriptions, Teva's launch of a generic diabetes drug, Grail's launch of its cancer-detection test, and legal issues involving Rite Aid. Also covered are Novo Nordisk's investment in U.S. manufacturing, the U.S. Supreme Court's take on transgender issues, and more.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Doctors must keep Ozempic prescriptions in check, Danish regulator says

Doctors in Denmark should limit how many packs of Novo Nordisk's Ozempic diabetes drug patients can pick up at one time, the Danish Patient Safety Authority said on Monday, amid worries that some may acquire a larger supply than needed. Neighbouring Norway meanwhile said it would tighten restrictions on the use of Ozempic, requiring doctors to seek cost reimbursements on behalf of each individual patient rather than an automatic coverage for all users.

Teva launches generic version of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Victoza

Teva Pharmaceuticals said on Monday it had launched a generic version of Novo Nordisk's Victoza to treat patients with type 2 diabetes, making it the first generic GLP-1 drug in the United States where the drug class has seen overwhelming demand.

GLP-1 drugs, originally approved to treat diabetes, are also prescribed for obesity.

Grail bets big on flagship cancer test after spin-off from Illumina

U.S. cancer diagnostic test maker Grail, which will list its shares on the Nasdaq on Tuesday after being spun out of Illumina, is betting that commercial partnerships with health systems, employers and life insurance companies of its flagship cancer-detection test will power its near-term growth as an independent company. The blood test, called Galleri, can detect multiple types of cancer early and looks for 80% of the cancers that are currently not screened for, Grail CEO Bob Ragusa said in a telephone interview on Monday.

Rite Aid defeats MedImpact in $200 million Elixir sale dispute

MedImpact's attempt to recoup about $200 million related to its purchase of Rite Aid's pharmacy benefit unit failed after a judge ruled on Monday that it took on Elixir's debts when it bought the company. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan at a hearing in Trenton, New Jersey said that MedImpact was well aware that Elixir had been operating with a negative cash balance of about $200 million for about two years, due to reimbursement payments it owed to pharmacies including CVS Health and Walgreens Boots Alliance

Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk to spend $4.1 billion to boost US manufacturing

Obesity drug-maker Novo Nordisk will spend $4.1 billion to build a U.S. facility to fill injection pens for its hugely popular weight-loss treatment Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic, it said on Monday. Construction of the plant at Novo's existing main U.S. manufacturing site in Clayton, North Carolina, will be completed between 2027 and 2029, and will add 1,000 workers to the 2,500 already employed there, the Danish company said. Novo opened the site 31 years ago.

US Supreme Court to hear challenge to ban on transgender care for minors

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to decide the legality of a Republican-backed ban in Tennessee on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, as the justices waded into another contentious issue implicating LGBT rights. They took up an appeal by Democratic President Joe Biden's administration of a lower court's decision upholding Tennessee's ban on medical treatments including hormones and surgeries for minors experiencing gender dysphoria. The court will hear the case in its next term, which begins in October.

Alnylam's drug cuts risk of death, heart issues in key study, shares jump

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals said its drug vutrisiran reduced deaths and cardiovascular events by a third in a study involving patients with a rare heart disease, sending the drugmaker's shares surging 38% on Monday. Vutrisiran helped reduce the number of deaths and heart issue-related hospitalizations by 33% in the study, which enrolled 655 patients who either received the drug or a placebo.

Abortion rights interests plow money into US election races after Supreme Court reversal

In the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned women's constitutional right to abortion, political contributions aimed at protecting abortion rights have far outstripped those to support anti-abortion causes. In the 2023-2024 election cycle leading up to the Nov. 5 vote, pro-abortion rights interests have given $3.37 million to federal candidates, political parties, political action committees (PACs) and outside groups, compared to about $273,000 from anti-abortion interests, according to data from OpenSecrets, which tracks money in politics.

Australia waters down planned world first vape ban after opposition from Greens

Australia will water down a planned world first ban on vaping after opposition from the Greens party led the government on Monday to agree to amend a bill that would have restricted vapes to those with a doctor's prescription. The agreement between the ruling centre-left Labor party and the Greens will see legislation pass later this week that restricts the sale of vapes to pharmacies and removes them from retail shelves, where they have fuelled a boom in youth vaping.

China OKs Novo Nordisk's Type-2 diabetes treatment to enter its market

China's National Medical Products Administration has granted green lights for Novo Nordisk's insulin icodec injection used for the treatment of Type-2 diabetes among adults to enter the Chinese market, it said on Monday.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)