Weekly Roundup: 14 Health Press Releases You Need to See

A roundup of the most newsworthy healthcare press releases from PR Newswire this week, including the end of a Wegovy^® and Ozempic^® shortage, and an update from the longest-living recipient of a pig kidney transplant.

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help healthcare journalists and consumers stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

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. Medtronic earns U.S. FDA approval for the world's first Adaptive deep brain stimulation system for people with Parkinson's
   DBS is similar to a cardiac pacemaker, but for the brain. It uses a surgically implanted neurostimulator via a minimally invasive procedure to transmit electrical signals to specific parts of the brain affected by debilitating neurological disorders.
2. FDA declares Wegovy^® and Ozempic^® shortage is over and that Novo Nordisk is fully meeting or exceeding nationwide demand for all doses
   "We are pleased the FDA has declared that supply of the only real, FDA-approved semaglutide medicines is resolved, affirming that Novo Nordisk is meeting or exceeding current and projected nationwide demand," said Dave Moore, Executive Vice President, U.S. Operations and Global Business Development and President of Novo Nordisk Inc.
3. Pig Kidney Recipient Returns Home After Transplant Breakthrough at NYU Langone Health
   Towana Looney is the longest-living recipient of a pig kidney transplant following a breakthrough surgery in November 2024. The surgery was the latest in a series of similar procedures known as xenotransplantation, the practice of transplanting organs between species, and made Looney the third person in the world to receive a pig kidney.
4. Solventum Announces Sale of its Purification & Filtration Business to Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. for $4.1B
   "We are confident that Thermo Fisher will provide the Purification & Filtration business – which offers filters and membranes for use in the manufacturing of biopharmaceutical and medical technologies, microelectronics and food, beverage products and drinking water – the strategic investment and resources needed for sustaining growth and delivering customer solutions," said Bryan Hanson, Solventum CEO.
5. Lilly launches additional Zepbound vial doses and offers new savings for self-pay patients
   Self-pay patients with obesity now have additional Zepbound vial options, including 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg and 10 mg doses. In addition to expanding the doses available, Lilly has reduced prices of the 2.5 mg and 5 mg vials to $349 per month and $499 per month, respectively.
6. New Aflac Accident policy offers holistic benefits to help policyholders fully recover
   The new Aflac Accident Insurance plan provides policyholders with cash benefits after a covered accident, including health services such as ambulance, ER, urgent care, physical therapy, mental health therapy and more. 
7. FDA Approves MIUDELLA^®, the First Hormone-Free Copper Intrauterine System (IUS) in the U.S. in Over 40 Years, from Sebela Women's Health Inc.
   "This innovative intrauterine device may allow for improvements in discontinuation rates due to pain and bleeding and in expulsion rates. This would be very meaningful for women looking for hormone-free options," said Principal Investigator David K. Turok, MD, MPH, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah.
8. Charlotte's Web Announces DeFloria to enter Phase 2 FDA Clinical Trial for Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatment
   DeFloria's planned Phase 2 clinical trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of its botanical pharmaceutical candidate among adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder. "Progressing to Phase 2 of an IND study with the FDA marks an important milestone in the development of our proprietary hemp genetics as regulated medicine," said Bill Morachnick, Chief Executive Officer of Charlotte's Web.
9. Stork Club Launches the World's First Comprehensive Care for Postpartum Depression to Help Employers Support Working Mothers
   The solution features clinically proven digital diagnostics and therapy, delivering up to 20% immediate PPD symptom relief and 30-40% improvement within six months.
10. Red Cross to provide free A1C testing for blood donors in March as part of community health efforts
    This March, the American Red Cross is helping to bridge access to health care for blood donors by providing free A1C testing, commonly used to screen for diabetes and pre-diabetes, on all successful blood, platelet and plasma donations.
11. Aptitude Receives FDA Authorization for Metrix^® COVID/Flu Multiplex Molecular Test for Point-of-Care and Over-the-Counter Use
    The Metrix^® COVID/Flu test simultaneously detects and differentiates SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A virus, and Influenza B virus in 20 minutes. Authorized for over-the-counter (OTC) use, it can be utilized in any environment, including at home and in CLIA-waived point-of-care (POC) settings.
12. It's Not Just Hot Flashes: Flo Study Reveals Early Psychological Impact of Perimenopause
    Flo tackles the critical gap in perimenopause research by revealing symptom patterns across 4,400 U.S. women aged 30 and older. "Our study found that mood symptoms are most prominent in early perimenopause, which has not been demonstrated before," said study coauthor Dr. Jennifer Payne.
13. HIMSS25 Global Health Conference & Exhibition Set to Shape Healthcare's Digital Future 
    Taking place March 3-6 at the Venetian Convention Center and Caesars Forum, HIMSS25 will bring together healthcare's brightest minds to chart the course for technology-enabled healthcare transformation. This year's conference features an unprecedented convergence of clinical innovation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and interoperability solutions.
14. St. Joseph's Children's Hospital First in Southeast United States to Implant First-of-Its-Kind Cardiac Stent for Infants
    The Renata Minima stent is the first and only stent small enough to be used in newborns with the capacity to be enlarged as a child grows to adulthood, reducing the need for multiple open-heart surgeries.

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

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