April Recap: 15 Top Health Press Releases

A roundup of the most newsworthy healthcare press releases from PR Newswire, including Eli Lilly's GLP-1 medication study results and business updates from Crunch Fitness and Regulus Therapeutics.

NEW YORK, May 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each month, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help healthcare journalists and consumers stay on top of the month's most popular releases and newsworthy trends, here's a recap of some of the past month's most read- and engaged-with stories.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

1. Lilly's oral GLP-1, orforglipron, demonstrated statistically significant efficacy results and a safety profile consistent with injectable GLP-1 medicines in successful Phase 3 trial
   "As a convenient once-daily pill, orforglipron may provide a new option and, if approved, could be readily manufactured and launched at scale for use by people around the world," said David A. Ricks, Lilly chair and CEO.
2. The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation Issues Emergency Grant Cycle to Address Forthcoming Gap Funding
   Providing financial resources to organizations in need, the initiative will be aimed at ensuring that critical, wrap-around health services for HIV treatment & prevention and programs focused on Transgender communities can continue to operate into the near future.
3. Crunch Fitness Announces Strategic Investment from Leonard Green & Partners
   Under the terms of the agreement, LGP will acquire a majority interest in Crunch Fitness from TPG Growth, the middle market and growth equity platform of global alternative asset management firm TPG, and Crunch's minority shareholders.
4. Novo Nordisk warns consumers about counterfeit Ozempic^® (semaglutide) injection 1 mg in the US
   Novo Nordisk has become aware of several hundred units of Ozempic^® (semaglutide) injection 1 mg distributed outside the Novo Nordisk authorized supply chain in the US. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also updated its website with information about these counterfeit versions of Ozempic.
5. IMDELLTRA^® Demonstrated Superior Overall Survival in Small Cell Lung Cancer
   IMDELLTRA demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival (OS) compared to local standard-of-care (SOC) chemotherapy. Jay Bradner, M.D., executive vice president, Research and Development, at Amgen, commented on the "overwhelming clinical benefit" stating the results "affirm IMDELLTRA as standard of care."
6. Infant Immunization Week: Protecting Our Youngest Against Measles and More
   As National Infant Immunization Week arrives, Fidelis Care, along with other health experts and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), urge parents to ensure their children receive timely vaccinations, including the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, to safeguard their health and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
7. Johnson & Johnson MedTech Announces Completion of First Cases with OTTAVA™ Robotic Surgical System
   OTTAVA is designed as a multi-specialty soft-tissue surgery robot, supporting a broad range of procedures across patient anatomy and surgical specialties, including the most complex surgeries that require a multi-quadrant approach.
8. H.I.G. Capital Completes Acquisition of GetixHealth
   GetixHealth provides leading revenue cycle management (RCM) solutions to healthcare providers, featuring a comprehensive suite of services that includes patient responsibility management, eligibility and enrollment, third-party claims resolution, patient access, and insurance billing.
9. SHIELD-Utah Study Shows Novavax's COVID-19 Vaccine Induces Lower Reactogenicity Symptoms Compared to mRNA
   Preliminary data showed Novavax's non-mRNA JN.1 COVID-19 vaccine induced lower frequency and severity of short-term side effects and impact on daily life compared with Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine.
10. Breakthrough Prize Announces 2025 Laureates in Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics, and Mathematics
    "This year's Breakthrough Prize laureates have made amazing strides – including treatments for major diseases affecting millions of people worldwide – showing once again the transformative power of curiosity-driven basic science," said Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg.
11. Ginkgo Bioworks Teams Up with Partners on ARPA-H Project to Stabilize Pharmaceutical Supply Chains - Using Amber Waves of Grain
    Ginkgo Bioworks and partners were awarded a $29 million contract by ARPA-H to develop distributed manufacturing of essential medicines using wheat germ cell-free expression systems.
12. Kaiser Permanente Debuts Largest Hospital-based Renewable Microgrid in U.S.
    With 2MW of solar generation and 9MWh of battery storage, the system supports California's clean energy transition, reduces emissions, and saves money while boosting backup generation with renewable power.
13. The Revival of the Ice Bucket Challenge Supports and Highlights the Critical Need for Mental Health Awareness and Discussions: The new viral sensation Takes Over Instagram Quickly Raising Thousands to Benefit the Work of Active Minds
    More than a decade after the original Ice Bucket Challenge captured global attention in support of the fight against ALS, The University of South Carolina's MIND club (Mental Illness Needs Discussion) has launched a bold, reimagined Ice Bucket Challenge focused on mental health. As part of their campaign, participants are encouraged to donate to Active Minds, the nation's leading nonprofit organization mobilizing youth and young adults to transform mental health norms.
14. Meet vívoactive 6, the latest health and fitness smartwatch from Garmin
    vívoactive 6 includes Garmin's suite of popular fitness, wellness and smart features, plus an even brighter AMOLED display and up to 11 days of battery life.
15. Regulus Therapeutics Enters into Agreement to be Acquired by Novartis AG
    Novartis will acquire Regulus for $7.00 per share in cash, with the potential to receive an additional $7.00 per share in cash through a contingent value right, for a total equity value of up to approximately $1.7 billion

For more news like this, check out all of the latest health-related releases from PR Newswire.

Trending Topics 

Among the health news that was distributed in April, the PR Newswire team was able to spot several larger stories that highlight the trends shaping the industry.

• GLP-1 Accessibility: GLP-1 medications maintained their position as healthcare's dominant topic, with April announcements focusing on expanding legitimate access while combating counterfeit products. Novo Nordisk secured two significant victories: successfully blocking unauthorized compounded versions of Wegovy^® and Ozempic^® while simultaneously expanding patient access through strategic telehealth partnerships. Manufacturing capacity grew with SHL Medical's new $220 million U.S. facility for autoinjectors, while innovation accelerated with Galmed's sublingual semaglutide formulation and Lilly's successful Phase 3 trial results for its oral GLP-1 medication. Consumer-focused initiatives included Ro's partnership with Charles Barkley as a GLP-1 celebrity ambassador and sPiLLRx's launch of an anonymous community platform for medication users, highlighting how companies are anticipating diverse consumer needs while working to maintain medication accessibility.
• National Autism Awareness Month: April brought significant attention to autism awareness and acceptance, with a notable focus on research findings and innovative support services. New CDC data, shared by The Autism Community in Action, revealed an increase in autism rates, now affecting 1 in 31 U.S. children. Organizations responded with expanded services, such as Goldfish Swim School's new adaptive lesson program and Myrtle Beach's enhanced sensory-friendly initiatives. Healthcare innovations were also prominent, with Acclaim Autism implementing Appian AI technology to reduce patient intake time by 83%, allowing children to receive care months sooner while maintaining HIPAA compliance.
• National Infant Immunization Week: As measles outbreaks continued to concern health officials, National Infant Immunization Week (April 21-28) generated substantial attention for the importance of childhood vaccinations. HealthTrackRx emerged as a key player, identifying over 10% of nationwide measles cases in their first week of testing. The company also partnered with the CDC to launch a rapid PCR test for H5N1, demonstrating the growing integration between private diagnostic companies and public health infrastructure to address multiple concurrent health threats. Health insurers joined the conversation with Fidelis Care urging parents to maintain vaccination schedules, emphasizing prevention as a cornerstone of pediatric health. Advocacy also expanded globally through Education Cannot Wait's campaign highlighting vaccination as an essential component of international education standards for children in crisis regions.

Looking ahead: PR Newswire anticipates significant wire activity in May around Mental Health Awareness Month, National Nurses Week (May 6-12) and Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Early May announcements are expected to recognize National Women's Health Month, likely with maternal health innovations around Mother's Day. Aging and caregiving themes will also likely dominate coverage as organizations prepare for Older Americans Month with activities and resources.

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