Health News Roundup: US FDA says commercial milk safe despite bird flu virus presence; US Supreme Court faces fight over emergency abortions after toppling Roe and more

It expects its 2024 net sales to grow by a high-single to low double-digit percentage with adjusted operating income growing by a low double-digit to mid-teens percentage, Novartis said in a statement. New Biden rule protects privacy for women who get abortions U.S. President Joe Biden's administration issued a final rule on Monday aimed at strengthening privacy protections for women seeking abortions that bans the disclosure of protected health information related to reproductive health.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Alzheimer's drug adoption in US slowed by doctors' skepticism

Nine months into the U.S. launch of the first drug proven to slow the advance of Alzheimer's, Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi is facing an unexpected hurdle to widespread use: an entrenched belief among some doctors that treating the memory-robbing disease is futile. Alzheimer's experts had anticipated bottlenecks due to Leqembi's requirements, which include additional diagnostic tests, twice-monthly infusions, and regular brain scans to guard against potentially lethal side effects.

US Supreme Court faces fight over emergency abortions after toppling Roe

The idea of a doctor in the United States having to consider the risk of imprisonment before performing an emergency abortion might have been difficult to imagine just two years ago. But after the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022 overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that had legalized abortion nationwide, such dilemmas are a reality in several states that have since adopted Republican-backed near-total bans that include the threat of criminal penalties and loss of medical licensure.

US FDA approves ImmunityBio's bladder cancer therapy

The U.S. health regulator approved on Monday ImmunityBio's combination therapy to treat a type of bladder cancer, marking an end to the company's efforts to bring its therapy to the market. The agency's green light is a shot in the arm for ImmunityBio, which had reiterated doubts in a regulatory filing last month about its ability to remain in business.

US CDC warns of harmful reactions to fake Botox injections

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday alerted clinicians about the risks of counterfeit versions of AbbVie's Botox that were given to consumers for cosmetic purposes in multiple states. A total of 22 people from 11 U.S. states reported adverse effects after receiving Botox injections from unlicensed or untrained individuals, or in non-healthcare settings such as homes and spas, as of April 18, according to the CDC.

US FDA says commercial milk safe despite bird flu virus presence

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that it had found bird flu virus particles in some samples of pasteurized milk, but said commercial milk supply remains safe. The FDA said that because the milk is pasteurized, it remains safe for human consumption as the process kills harmful bacteria and viruses by heating milk to a specific temperature.

Italy passes contested plan to 'support motherhood' in abortion clinics

Italy's Senate gave final approval on Tuesday to a contested government plan to allow groups who "support motherhood" into abortion clinics to try to deter women from terminating pregnancies. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party attached the proposal in an amendment to a bill on Rome's post-COVID-19 recovery plan, which includes a chapter dedicated to the health sector.

India tells spice makers to verify quality after Hong Kong allegations

India's spice exports regulator has asked MDH and Everest to provide details of quality checks after sales of some of their products were halted in Hong Kong for allegedly containing high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide. The companies' products are hugely popular in India and are exported to countries in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Pfizer vs Moderna battle over COVID vaccine patents begins in UK

Pfizer and BioNTech asked a London court to revoke rival Moderna's patents over technology key to the development of vaccines for COVID-19, as the latest leg of a global legal battle began on Tuesday. Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech sued Moderna at London's High Court in September 2022, seeking to revoke patents held by Moderna, which hit back days later alleging its patents had been infringed.

Novartis raises guidance after beating Q1 expectations

Swiss drugmaker Novartis raised its full-year guidance on wider use of psoriasis and arthritis drug Cosentyx on Tuesday and said it had tapped the former boss of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) to become its chairman next year. It expects its 2024 net sales to grow by a high-single to low double-digit percentage with adjusted operating income growing by a low double-digit to mid-teens percentage, Novartis said in a statement.

New Biden rule protects privacy for women who get abortions

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration issued a final rule on Monday aimed at strengthening privacy protections for women seeking abortions that bans the disclosure of protected health information related to reproductive health. The new rule, issued through the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, strengthens existing provisions under the Health Insurance Portability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) privacy rule.

(With inputs from agencies.)