Kimberly-Clark to Buy Tylenol Maker Kenvue in Landmark $40bn Merger + More
Source: Children’s Health Defense
Kimberly-Clark to Buy Tylenol Maker Kenvue in Landmark $40bn Merger
Kleenex and Huggies maker Kimberly-Clark unveiled plans to buy Kenvue, the embattled consumer health conglomerate behind Tylenol, in a landmark deal for more than $40bn. The blockbuster takeover comes weeks after Donald Trump claimed Tylenol heightens the risk of autism in children when it is used by pregnant women, an assertion hotly contested by scientists and contradicted by studies. The high-profile claims compounded months of struggles for Kenvue, which ousted its CEO in July and endured sharp stock market declines.
Kenvue, which also makes Listerine mouthwash, Neutrogena skincare products and Johnson’s baby oil, was spun out of Johnson & Johnson two years ago. Its shares jumped 17% on Monday morning, while Kimberly-Clark dropped 12% in New York.
“We are excited to bring together two iconic companies to create a global health and wellness leader,” Mike Hsu, Kimberly-Clark chairman and CEO, said in a statement. Larry Merlo, Kenvue’s chairman, claimed the deal would create a “uniquely positioned global leader in consumer health with a broader range of new growth opportunities ahead”.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., acknowledged that there was no evidence proving Tylenol causes autism, but repeated his view that signs of a link between the two were “very suggestive”. Apart from certain looming litigations against Tylenol, Kenvue is also facing lawsuits over claims that its baby powder products caused cancer, dampening investor sentiment.
Study Finds Birth Control Contraceptives Linked to Higher Breast Cancer Risk
Females who use hormonal contraceptives such as birth control pills have a higher risk profile for developing breast cancer, according to an Oct. 30 peer-reviewed study published in JAMA Oncology. The study examined data from 2,095,130 females in Sweden between the ages of 13 and 49 from 2006, who were followed up until the end of 2019. Individuals with prior cancers of the breast, ovaries, uterus, and cervix, as well as those who received infertility treatment or ovary removal surgeries, were excluded from the study.
Researchers looked at all kinds of hormonal contraceptives, including birth control pills, implants, injections, and intrauterine systems. Emergency contraceptive pills were not included. Between 2006 and 2019, researchers identified a total of 16,385 breast cancer incidents. Among study participants, 1.28 million females used hormonal contraceptives, contributing to 8,485 breast cancer cases. Among those who never used such contraceptives, there were 7,900 cancer cases.
The use of any type of hormonal contraceptive was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer, translating into one extra case per 7,752 users per year. Hormonal contraceptives can either be progestin-only formulations or combined estrogen-progestin ones. Progestin is a synthetic form of the reproductive hormone progesterone found in the human body.
The study discovered there was a “statistically significant greater risk” of breast cancer from progestin-only contraceptives compared to combined formulations. “This translated to 1 additional breast cancer case per 8572 users of progestin-only contraceptives compared to 14,417 for combined products,” it said.
FDA’s Top Drug Regulator Exits Amid Probe
The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) drug center abruptly resigned Sunday after federal officials began reviewing “serious concerns about his personal conduct,” according to a government spokesperson. George Tidmarsh, MD, Ph.D., who was named to the FDA post in July, was placed on leave Friday after officials in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of General Counsel were notified of the issues, HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard said in an email. Tidmarsh then resigned Sunday morning.
“Secretary Kennedy expects the highest ethical standards from all individuals serving under his leadership and remains committed to full transparency,” Hilliard said.
The departure came the same day that a drugmaker connected to one of Tidmarsh’s former business associates filed a lawsuit alleging that he made “false and defamatory statements,” during his time at the FDA.
The lawsuit, brought by Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, alleges that Tidmarsh used his FDA position to pursue a “longstanding personal vendetta” against the chair of the company’s board of directors, Kevin Tang. Tang previously served as a board member of several drugmakers where Tidmarsh was an executive, including La Jolla Pharmaceutical, and was involved in his ouster from those leadership positions, according to the lawsuit.
Support for Measles Vaccination Drops Amid Growing Confusion About the Disease, US Poll Shows
Support among U.S. adults for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine has dropped from 90% to 82% in just a few months, while confusion reigns over whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — the top U.S. official spearheading prevention efforts — recommends that children be vaccinated against measles, according to the latest poll from the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
The poll also found that most Americans correctly believe that the MMR vaccine does not cause autism, though that number has slipped, while half of those surveyed weren’t sure whether a mercury-based preservative in some vaccines increases the risk of autism, despite studies showing no link.
The results come as U.S. measles cases surpass 1,600 and outbreaks across the country grow. The poll was conducted Aug. 5 through Aug. 18 among 1,699 adults, 28 of whom took the survey in Spanish. It has a margin of error for the entire sample of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Unvaccinated Pets a Rising Risk Around Maine, Experts Say
Joyce Mathews adopted a German shepherd from a breeder in Peru this summer to act as a guide dog for her son, John, who is going blind. They brought the puppy, who they named Cheyenne, back to their home to Monroe. Two weeks later, however, on the day he was scheduled to get vaccinated, Cheyenne began acting lethargic and having diarrhea.
He had parvovirus, a highly contagious, often deadly virus. Mathews said the treatment, which would give Cheyenne only a slim chance of survival, was going to cost $10,000 she didn’t have. Parvovirus outbreaks in several counties in Maine have devastated pet owners over the last few months, with dog parks shuttering and local police departments and Maine officials warning residents to vaccinate their pets.
Some Maine veterinarians say unvaccinated pets are a significant problem in the state. While pet vaccination rates remain high across the country, cost, access and even vaccine skepticism are stopping enough owners from getting shots for their pets that it is a health risk for everybody else’s.
Pfizer Files Brutal $7.3B Lawsuit Against Big Pharma Rivals
A high-stakes legal battle is erupting in the weight-loss medication industry as pharmaceutical giant Pfizer takes aggressive action to protect what could be a game-changing $7.3 billion acquisition. The company has filed a second lawsuit in Delaware federal court, accusing competitors of using underhanded tactics to prevent it from entering the lucrative obesity treatment market.
The legal drama centers around Metsera, a promising biotechnology company developing experimental weight-loss therapies that industry analysts believe could generate $5 billion in annual sales. Pfizer had successfully negotiated an acquisition deal with Metsera, viewing the purchase as essential for competing in the rapidly expanding obesity medication sector. However, Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk surprised the industry by making an unsolicited counter-bid for Metsera, potentially disrupting Pfizer’s carefully planned entry into the weight-loss drug market. This unexpected move has triggered an intense corporate battle that could significantly impact the future availability and pricing of obesity treatments.
The pharmaceutical industry’s interest in weight-loss medications reflects the enormous scope of America’s obesity crisis and the potential profits from addressing it. The global obesity treatment market is valued at approximately $150 billion, representing one of the largest opportunities in modern healthcare.
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