FDA Says Recalled Philips Machines Linked To 561 Deaths Since 2021

Reuters: US FDA Says 561 Deaths Related To Philips Machines Since 2021 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday there have been 561 deaths reported since 2021 related to the use of Philips' recalled ventilators and machines for treating obstructive sleep apnea. The health regulator added that in 2023, between July and September, it received more than 7,000 medical device reports, including 111 reports of deaths related to the use of these machines. (1/31)

In other pharmaceutical industry news —

Modern Healthcare: CVS To Shutter 25 MinuteClinic Sites In Los Angeles
CVS Health will close 25 MinuteClinic sites in the Los Angeles area by Feb. 25, the pharmacy chain giant said Wednesday. A CVS spokesperson did not share the exact locations of the closures or how many employees would be affected. Some will be moved to other roles at the company, and others will be eligible for severance benefits, the spokesperson said. (Hudson, 1/31)

Reuters: GSK Settles Another Zantac Lawsuit In California
GSK said on Thursday it had agreed to settle another lawsuit in California that alleged its discontinued heartburn drug Zantac caused cancer, the latest in a series of settlements to end costly litigation. The case was set to go to trial on Feb. 20 and instead, will now be dismissed, the British drugmaker said in a statement. (2/1)

The Washington Post: FDA Warns Public Against Using South Moon, Rebright, FivFivGo Eye Drops 
The Food and Drug Administration urged the public to avoid using South Moon, Rebright and FivFivGo eye drops, warning in a news release Wednesday that the products are unapproved drugs that put users at risk of eye infection. The three brands should not be sold in the United States, the FDA said. It added that the “copycat eye drop products” can be easily mistaken for the Lumify drops made by Bausch + Lomb, an FDA-approved, over-the-counter product used for redness relief. (Jeong, 2/1)

KFF Health News and WPLN: Surge In Syphilis Cases Leads Some Providers To Ration Penicillin 
When Stephen Miller left his primary care practice to work in public health a little under two years ago, he said, he was shocked by how many cases of syphilis the clinic was treating. For decades, rates of the sexually transmitted infection were low. But the Hamilton County Health Department in Chattanooga — a midsize city surrounded by national forests and nestled into the Appalachian foothills of Tennessee — was seeing several syphilis patients a day, Miller said. A nurse who had worked at the clinic for decades told Miller the wave of patients was a radical change from the norm. (Sweeney, 2/1)

Axios: Ozempic Maker Now Worth More Than $500 Billion
Surging demand for blockbuster anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy lifted Novo Nordisk's market value past $500 billion on Wednesday, cementing the Danish drugmaker's status as Europe's biggest company by market cap. (Reed, 1/31)

Bloomberg: Abbott Targets Ozempic Users With Protality Low-Calorie Protein Shake
Ozempic-users fear not: Abbott Laboratories is launching a new line of protein-packed drinks to help you maintain muscle while still shedding fat. The company, which makes baby formula as well as adult nutrition products, is targeting the ever-growing number of people on popular GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy who want to lose weight, but not the muscle critical for metabolism and overall health. Abbott’s Protality will cost $13.69 for a four-pack of milk chocolate or vanilla flavored shakes, a spokesperson for Abbott said in an email. (Muller, 1/31)

Bloomberg: Zyn, Lucy, Nicotine Pouches Gain Traction With Office Workers
Whenever Mark Moran, chief executive officer of the investor relations firm Equity Animal, is about to perform a boring task, he has a ritual. He pops a Zyn nicotine pouch into his mouth. Then his concentration sharpens, at least for a while. “Am I addicted to it? Absolutely,” he said. “But it’s something I very much enjoy.” (Anand, 1/31)