Weekly Roundup: 15 Health Press Releases You Need to See

A roundup of the most newsworthy healthcare announcements from PR Newswire this week, including the FDA's nicotine reduction proposal, a collaboration between Illumina and NVIDIA, and prescription drug education from Kroger Health.

NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 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. FDA Proposes Significant Step Toward Reducing Nicotine to Minimally or Nonaddictive Level in Cigarettes and Certain Other Combusted Tobacco Products
   Based on the FDA's population health model, by the year 2100, this nicotine product standard could prevent approximately 48 million U.S. youth and young adults from starting smoking. The model also projects that more than 12.9 million people who smoke cigarettes would stop doing so one year after the rule becomes effective.
2. CVS Health supporting customers, patients, members and colleagues amid California wildfires
   CVS Pharmacy stores are reopening as it is safe to do so. Stores are also receiving additional supplies of essential and emergency items.
3. Illumina and NVIDIA collaborate to decode biology and propel precision health
   Leveraging Illumina's leading sequencing technology and informatics tools alongside NVIDIA's leading AI technology, the partnership aims to accelerate drug discovery and clinical development, delivering powerful tools to help pharmaceutical companies identify new and better drug targets.
4. Cigna Healthcare Expands Access to Fertility and Family-Building Benefits and Services
   This new and comprehensive benefit will enable employers to offer expanded coverage throughout the entire fertility journey, from pre-conception planning to postpartum care, along with coverage options for family-building services such as surrogacy and adoption.
5. Bio-Techne Expands R&D Systems AI-Engineered Designer Protein Portfolio to Advance Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine
   These innovative recombinant proteins are designed and engineered to address critical needs in cellular therapy workflows and research applications, including improved cell culture performance and optimized cell expansion. 
6. Lilly to acquire Scorpion Therapeutics' mutant-selective PI3Kα inhibitor program
   STX-478 could potentially address 30-40% of people with hormone-positive breast cancer, building on Lilly's advancements against this disease.
7. Kroger Health Expands Prescription Drug Safety Education Program to Reach More Than 470 Schools Across the United States
   This initiative is part of Kroger Health's ongoing commitment to helping people live healthier lives by raising awareness about the safe use, storage and disposal of prescription medications.
8. Imagenet Acquires CODY to Create A Comprehensive Suite of SaaS and Services Solutions for Health Plans
   The acquisition will provide health plans serving the Medicare, Medicaid, and Commercial markets with a comprehensive suite of claims- and compliance-oriented solutions previously unavailable under a single vendor partner. 
9. Ginkgo Bioworks Partners with Universal Cells, an Astellas Company, to Advance Next-Generation iPSC-Derived Cell Therapies for Solid Tumors
   The companies aim to accelerate the development of more potent and durable cell therapies while maintaining manufacturability at scale.
10. The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute Enters Agreement to Accelerate Precision Drug Discovery for Neurodegenerative Disease
    This initiative brings together NYSCF's advanced robotic systems for stem cell research and J&J's expertise in drug discovery and data science to unlock novel disease insights and accelerate the development of more effective and tailored treatments.
11. all^® free clear detergent Becomes the First-Ever Laundry Brand in the US to Introduce NaviLens Technology on its Packaging
    Dedicated to creating more accessible environments, NaviLens is a navigation and scanning app for those with low vision and blindness. Once individuals download the NaviLens app, the device detects NaviLens codes, audibly notifying the user of the product name, type, dosing instructions and precise in-store location.
12. Historic Year for Organ Donation as CORE Reports Record-Breaking Numbers in the Region
    The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) has broken records for the sixth consecutive year, saving and healing more lives through organ, tissue, and cornea donation than ever before.
13. NCCN Joins International Meeting to Improve Cancer Care in the Middle East and North Africa Region
    The two-day symposium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, brings together leading oncology professionals from across the MENA region to review updated treatment recommendations.
14. Sciwind Biosciences Announces Global Licensing and Collaboration Agreement for Metabolic Disease Portfolio
    Sciwind has granted Verdiva the exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize the partnered programs outside of greater China and South Korea.
15. American Greetings Joins the American Cancer Society in Encouraging Loved Ones to Get Cancer Screenings
    "Having conversations with your loved ones about serious topics like cancer can be difficult, but discussions like this can save lives," said Rob Matousek, Executive Director, Direct to Consumer Business at American Greetings.

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

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