Health News Roundup: US FDA approves Vertex/CRISPR gene therapy for an inherited blood disorder; Minority children in US get poorer healthcare, analysis finds and more

While the rest of Toronto was wrapped in winter coats and thick scarves, this group of about 20 women took the plunge in -24 degrees Celsius (11.2 Fahrenheit), made cooler by the icy wind. Exclusive-ECB sounds out lenders on exposure to Spanish drugmaker Grifols - sources The European Central Bank has asked some lenders to detail their exposure to Spain's Grifols and its related entities, after the drugmaker was last week accused of manipulating its financial accounts by a short-seller, sources said.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Exclusive-Netsmart's owners explore a sale valuing it at $5 billion -sources

The private equity owners of Netsmart Technologies are exploring a sale of the U.S. healthcare software firm that they hope will value it at more than $5 billion, including debt, according to people familiar with the matter. The Overland Park, Kansas-based company, which is owned by GI Partners and TA Associates, is working with investment banks Goldman Sachs Group and William Blair to launch a sale process in the coming weeks, the sources said.

GSK raises $1.24 billion from latest Haleon stake sale

GSK has raised 978 million pounds ($1.24 billion) from a discounted sale of a stake in its spun-off consumer healthcare business Haleon, the British drugmaker said on Wednesday. GSK sold around 300 million shares in Haleon at 326 pence per share, cutting its shareholding in the world's largest standalone consumer healthcare company to 4.2%.

In frigid Toronto, women dive into an ice-cold lake for energy boost

Clad in their swimsuits, a toque and warm wool mittens, a group of giddy Canadian women dunked into an ice-cold Lake Ontario on Wednesday for a sunrise swim, cheering each other while enjoying the orange hues of the winter sun and the chill wind. While the rest of Toronto was wrapped in winter coats and thick scarves, this group of about 20 women took the plunge in -24 degrees Celsius (11.2 Fahrenheit), made cooler by the icy wind.

Exclusive-ECB sounds out lenders on exposure to Spanish drugmaker Grifols - sources

The European Central Bank has asked some lenders to detail their exposure to Spain's Grifols and its related entities, after the drugmaker was last week accused of manipulating its financial accounts by a short-seller, sources said. Grifols denies the accusations by Gotham City Research that it has manipulated its debt and earnings through transactions with a related entity, to the effect that its leverage ratio is nearly double what Grifols has reported.

Global tobacco use tumbles despite industry lobbying: WHO

Global tobacco use has tumbled in a generation with one in five people smoking versus one in three in 2000, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. The drop comes despite what the U.N. global health agency said were ongoing efforts by Big Tobacco to seek to influence global health policies to its own advantage.

US govt sets rule meant to speed up insurance approvals

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday finalized a rule requiring health insurers to set time targets for the prior authorization process for patients seeking approval for medical services under government-backed insurance plans. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a division of the Department Of Health And Human Services, said the rule will begin primarily in 2026.

Spain breaks own organ transplant record in 2023

Spain carried out more organ transplants than ever before last year, conducting a total of 5,851 such procedures, a 9% jump from 2022, Health Minister Monica Garcia said on Wednesday. With one in four donors in the European Union and 5% of all donors worldwide, Spain, which has a population of 48 million, has been a global leader in organ transplants for over three decades.

US FDA clears DermaSensor's AI-powered skin cancer-detecting device

Privately-held device maker DermaSensor said on Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had cleared its hand-held device that uses artificial intelligence to detect skin cancer. The Miami-based private company's device - also called DermaSensor - utilizes light and an AI-powered algorithm to help primary care physicians identify the presence of cancer in suspicious moles or lesions.

Minority children in US get poorer healthcare, analysis finds

The quality of healthcare for minority children in the United States is universally worse than it is for white children, even after accounting for insurance coverage, an analysis of dozens of recent studies found. The pattern was similar across all medical specialties, including newborn care, emergency medicine, primary care, surgery, hospital care, endocrinology, mental health care, care for developmental disabilities, and palliative care, researchers said.

US FDA approves Vertex/CRISPR gene therapy for an inherited blood disorder

The U.S. health regulator has approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics' gene therapy to treat a rare blood disorder requiring regular blood transfusions, in patients 12 years and older, Vertex said on Tuesday. The decision earns the therapy, branded as Casgevy, the second U.S. approval after it was greenlighted in December for sickle cell disease, another inherited blood disorder.