Health 17 January 2026 - 19 February 2026

Herbalife stock price today: HLF slips premarket after 18% surge on earnings, Ronaldo Pro2col stake
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Herbalife stock price today: HLF slips premarket after 18% surge on earnings, Ronaldo Pro2col stake

Herbalife shares fell 0.6% to $19.46 premarket Friday after surging 18.3% to a 52-week high in the prior session. The company forecast 2026 net sales growth of 1%–6% and adjusted EBITDA of $670–$710 million. Cristiano Ronaldo invested $7.5 million for a 10% stake in Pro2col Software. China and North America sales declined in the fourth quarter.
February 20, 2026
Merck (MRK) stock swings, ends flat after FDA clears Keytruda regimen in ovarian cancer
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Merck (MRK) stock swings, ends flat after FDA clears Keytruda regimen in ovarian cancer

Merck shares closed down 0.03% at $119.28 after the FDA approved a Keytruda-based regimen for certain platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients. The stock had reached $121.62 earlier in the session. Merck also announced new bladder and kidney cancer data to be presented at ASCO GU later this month. Chief Marketing Officer Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares at an average price of $121.46.
February 12, 2026
Namibia wants $94 million to keep foot-and-mouth disease out as China hands over satellite data station
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Namibia wants $94 million to keep foot-and-mouth disease out as China hands over satellite data station

Namibia’s agriculture minister said the country needs N$1.5 billion ($94 million) more to guard its livestock industry against foot-and-mouth disease as outbreaks in South Africa and Botswana move closer. Cabinet has approved N$57.5 million, but officials warn exports could halt if the virus crosses the border. Namibia also received its first China-backed satellite data station for agriculture and related sectors.
February 12, 2026
Viking Therapeutics stock (VKTX) slips premarket as Phase 3 obesity pill timeline comes into focus
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Viking Therapeutics stock (VKTX) slips premarket as Phase 3 obesity pill timeline comes into focus

Viking Therapeutics shares fell 0.7% to $28.55 in premarket trading Thursday after outlining plans to advance its oral obesity drug VK2735 into Phase 3 trials in the third quarter of 2026. The company completed enrollment for a Phase 3 injectable VK2735 study and reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $157.7 million, ending 2025 with $706 million in cash and equivalents.
February 12, 2026
Novo Nordisk’s CagriSema tops Wegovy in new diabetes trial — 14.2% weight loss at top dose
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Novo Nordisk’s CagriSema tops Wegovy in new diabetes trial — 14.2% weight loss at top dose

Novo Nordisk said its experimental CagriSema injection led to 14.2% weight loss over 68 weeks in adults with type 2 diabetes, outperforming Wegovy’s 10.2%. HbA1c fell by 1.91 percentage points with CagriSema, compared to 1.76 with semaglutide alone. The company plans to seek regulatory approval for CagriSema in type 2 diabetes. Most side effects were gastrointestinal and mild to moderate.
February 2, 2026
New blood test markers may spot pancreatic cancer earlier — and beat CA19-9 alone
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New blood test markers may spot pancreatic cancer earlier — and beat CA19-9 alone

A four-protein blood test detected 91.9% of pancreatic cancers and 87.5% of early-stage cases in stored samples, with a 5% false-positive rate, NIH researchers reported Friday. The panel combined two newly identified proteins with CA19-9 and THBS2. Researchers said larger, prospective studies are needed before clinical use. Routine screening for pancreatic cancer remains unrecommended for average-risk adults.
January 30, 2026
US threatens to hold back Gavi cash unless it drops mercury preservative thimerosal
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US threatens to hold back Gavi cash unless it drops mercury preservative thimerosal

The U.S. is withholding a $300 million pledge to Gavi unless the group starts phasing out thimerosal-containing vaccines, officials said. Gavi confirmed the request but said changes require board approval and must align with scientific consensus. Experts warn a rapid shift from multi-dose vials could raise costs and disrupt immunization efforts in low-income countries.
January 29, 2026
FDA hits pause on Regenxbio gene therapies after child’s brain tumor; stock slumps
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FDA hits pause on Regenxbio gene therapies after child’s brain tumor; stock slumps

The FDA placed clinical holds on Regenxbio’s RGX-111 and RGX-121 gene therapy trials after a brain tumor was found in a child who received RGX-111. Regenxbio shares dropped about 20% in morning trading. The company is investigating whether the tumor is linked to the treatment and has not yet received the FDA’s full clinical hold letter. No tumors have been reported in other trial participants.
January 28, 2026
Apple Watch blood pressure alerts go live in Australia after TGA green light
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Apple Watch blood pressure alerts go live in Australia after TGA green light

Apple has launched hypertension notifications for Apple Watch users in Australia, following approval by the national medical device regulator in December. The feature, available on Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches, analyzes heart sensor data and alerts users to possible high blood pressure. It does not provide a diagnosis or blood pressure readings. Doctors caution alerts should be confirmed with medical professionals.
January 28, 2026
Roche’s CT-388 weight-loss shot hits 22.5% in Phase 2, sets up pivotal trials
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Roche’s CT-388 weight-loss shot hits 22.5% in Phase 2, sets up pivotal trials

Roche said its experimental obesity drug CT-388 produced a 22.5% placebo-adjusted weight loss after 48 weeks in a Phase 2 trial. The company plans to start Phase 3 trials this quarter. Shares rose about 0.5% as investors weighed competition from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Most side effects were gastrointestinal, with no new safety issues reported.
January 27, 2026
RFK Jr revives cellphone radiation debate with new HHS study after FDA pulls safety pages
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RFK Jr revives cellphone radiation debate with new HHS study after FDA pulls safety pages

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has ordered a study into cellphone radiation risks after the FDA removed claims of safety from its website. The move comes as agencies push wireless expansion and industry groups cite no proven health threat. The National Toxicology Program found some cancer links in rats exposed to older signals, but human studies show no consistent evidence of harm.
January 22, 2026
ISS-grown bacteria-killing viruses return to Earth and hit E. coli harder, study finds
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ISS-grown bacteria-killing viruses return to Earth and hit E. coli harder, study finds

Bacteriophages evolved aboard the International Space Station became more effective at killing certain UTI-causing E. coli strains once returned to Earth, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison reported. Microgravity delayed early infections and led to unique mutations in both the viruses and bacteria. Scientists say scaling up such space-based experiments remains difficult.
January 20, 2026
RFK Jr. reopens cellphone radiation debate as HHS orders new federal study
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RFK Jr. reopens cellphone radiation debate as HHS orders new federal study

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will launch a new study on cellphone radiation after pressure from Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an agency spokesman said. The FDA has removed older webpages stating phones are not dangerous as the department reviews health research on electromagnetic radiation. Federal health agencies still say there is no proven link between cellphone use and cancer.
January 17, 2026
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