Kenya sends its last Ebola patient home and starts a 42-day count to be declared free

The stories

23 on this beat today.

Every story told the same way: what happened, who is involved, why it matters, how it works, the truth and the good news.

1. 01

   Kenya sends its last Ebola patient home and starts a 42-day count to be declared free

   42 days

   in a row with no new case before Kenya is declared free of Ebola

   twice the longest time the virus can hide before symptoms [1]

   135

   close contacts of Kenya's first patient, all found and watched

   8 of them later fell ill, all while in quarantine [1]

   11,042

   Ebola cases in Congo, where Kenya's first patient caught it

   5,387 people have died, nearly half of those infected [7]

   What happened

   • Kenya sent its last Ebola patient home from hospital in Nairobi on 11 November. [1]
   • That started a 42-day count, with day one on 12 November. [1]
   • If no new case appears, Kenya will be declared free of Ebola on 23 December. [1]
   • Kenya had 9 confirmed cases: 7 people recovered and 2 died. [4]
   • He was a businessman, and he died within days of reaching Nairobi, Kenya's capital. [2] His mother died too. [2]
   • Tracing teams found all 135 people who had been in close contact with him, in Kenya and abroad. [1]
   • Those at risk stayed in quarantine, and health workers checked on them every day. [1]
   • 8 more people caught it: 4 of his family and 4 health workers who cared for him. [1]
   • Aden Duale, Kenya's health minister, said: "Every one of them was already in quarantine when they fell ill". [1]
   • The last case was confirmed on 19 October, and none has been found since. [1]
   • 5 patients went home on 3 November, and a sixth on 6 November. [1]
   • The last 11 contacts also went home on 11 November, after their checks ended in good health. [1]
   • For the first time in 37 days, Kenya had no patient in treatment and no contact in quarantine. [1]
   • Saudi Arabia stopped issuing visas to Kenyans on 30 October. [3]
   • The ban hit hundreds of Kenyans going to Gulf jobs, many as maids and hotel workers. [3]
   • Kenya's health ministry said travellers will not be held in Kenya to meet other countries' entry rules. [5]
   • Bloomberg called it an apparent reversal of a plan to house US citizens exposed to Ebola. [5]

   9 casesKenya

   vsvs

   11,042 casesCongo

   Who is involved

   This kind of Ebola, called Bundibugyo, is rare and has no approved vaccine or treatment. [2]

   • Maids bound for Gulf jobs
   • Hotel workers bound for Gulf jobs
   • Aden Duale Kenya's health minister; he announced the last discharge and the 42-day count
   • WHO's Africa office the World Health Organization's regional office for Africa; it praised Kenya's open reporting
   • Jean Kaseya head of Africa CDC, Africa's disease-control agency; he called for watching until the outbreak is declared over
   • Saudi Arabia a Gulf state that employs many Kenyan workers; it stopped issuing visas to Kenyans on 30 October

   How it unfolded

   Kenya's first case was confirmed on 6 October, in a Kenyan who came home from Congo through Uganda. [1]

   He caught it in Congo, where an outbreak that began in May has killed more than 5,000 people. [2]

   In May, a Kenyan court had suspended US plans for an Ebola quarantine centre for Americans. [2]

   Congo's outbreak reached 11,042 cases and 5,387 deaths on 11 November, its public health institute said. [6]

   1. 12 Nov day one of the count
   2. 23 Dec Kenya is declared free, if no new case appears [1]
   3. 3 Nov the first 5 patients go home [1]
   4. 6 Nov a sixth goes home
   5. 11 Nov the last goes home
   6. May a Kenyan court suspends the US plan
   7. 11 Nov Kenya refuses to be a quarantine hub
   8. 13 Nov Nigeria's checks end
   9. 23 Dec Kenya's count ends
   10. 6 Oct Kenya confirms its first Ebola case [1]
   11. 19 Oct Kenya's last case is confirmed [1]
   12. 11 Nov the last patient and the last 11 contacts go home [1]

   Why it matters

   Kenyans coming home from areas with Ebola must spend 21 days in supervised quarantine. [2]

   Africa CDC, Africa's disease-control agency, called the discharge an important achievement for the region. [2]

   Its chief, Jean Kaseya, said: "We must sustain surveillance and vigilance until the outbreak is officially declared over". [2]

   Kenya will keep checking people at borders, airports and clinics until the count ends. [2]

   How it works

   Epidemiologists call this contact tracing: find everyone a sick person was close to, and watch them. [1]

   In Kenya, all 8 later cases fell ill inside quarantine. [1] So the virus never spread to the wider community. [1]

   Seen it before

   When one child at school gets head lice, the school checks every child who sat nearby.

   The truth

   • What is really going on Kenya stopped Ebola at 9 cases because all 8 people who caught it from the first patient were already in quarantine when they fell ill. [1]
   • The claim of no wider spread rests on every case being on the first patient's contact list. [3]
   • Who pays Kenyan maids and hotel workers bound for Saudi Arabia — They cannot take up Gulf jobs while Saudi Arabia issues no visas to Kenyans. [3]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Kenya reaches 23 December with no new case.

     Ebola can hide for up to 21 days, and travellers still arrive from Congo, where cases keep rising. [2][7]

   Good news

   • 7 Kenyans recovered, and 4 of them were health workers. [2]
   • Nigeria has found no second Ebola case from the one patient who brought the virus into the country.

   What comes next

   Nigeria's contact checks are due to end on 13 November. [8] Kenya's count ends on 23 December. [4]

1. 02

   Congo's Ebola cases pass 11,000

   What happened

   • Congo's Ebola outbreak reached 11,042 cases and 5,387 deaths on 11 November, government figures show. [6]
   • Nearly half of the people infected have died, Euronews reported. [7]
   • Most cases are in Ituri and North Kivu, eastern provinces where armed groups clash. [6]
   • Youths set fire to a health centre treating Ebola patients in Lolwa, in Ituri, health officials said. [6]
   • Unpaid wages and strikes have stopped work at many screening points, including river ports and airports. [7]
   • The WHO tracks which health zones had a case in the past 21 days. [9] By 3 November, 51 of 67 affected zones had one. [9]

   How it unfolded

   The worst before it, from 2018 to 2020, had 3,500 cases. [6]

   This outbreak passed 1,000 cases in 40 days. [7] The 2018 one took about 235 days. [7]

   Why it matters

   North Kivu caused 46.1% of new cases in the WHO's latest weekly report, and Ituri 47.2%. [8]

   Checks on contacts, the work that contained Kenya's outbreak, fell to their lowest level in weeks. [8]

   How it works

   Epidemiologists use a seven-day average of new cases to see whether an outbreak is growing. [8]

   Congo's average has stayed at 65 to 67 new cases a day. [8] So the WHO sees no sign of decline. [8]

   Seen it before

   A shop knows trade is flat when this week's daily sales match last week's.

   Why Ebola is only called over after 42 days with no new case

   Field epidemiologists know Ebola can hide in a body for up to 21 days, so an outbreak ends only after twice that time passes with no case.

   The twist

   A hospital with no Ebola patients does not prove the virus is gone. Someone who feels well can still be carrying it, so Kenya must wait out the virus's longest hiding time twice before it is declared free.

   The picture

   123

   0 days21 days42 days

   1. 1shortest hiding time2 days
   2. 2longest hiding time21 days
   3. 3declared free42 days

   Step by step

   1. 1 Ebola can hide in a body for 2 to 21 days before any symptom shows
   2. 2 So a person who feels fine may still be carrying it
   3. 3 Health teams watch every contact for 21 days, the longest hiding time
   4. 4 After the last patient, they wait two full spans: 42 days
   5. 5 If no case appears by then, no hidden chain is left

   The same force, elsewhere today

   Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.

   • Congo's Ebola cases pass 11,000

     The WHO tracks which health zones had any case in the past 21 days, the longest hiding time, and 51 of Congo's 67 affected zones did.

   • The UAE lets Ugandans back in

     Ugandans may enter only once 21 days have passed since they left Uganda, so anyone infected before leaving would already be ill.

   Where you've seen this

   Chickenpox at school

   a child who sat next to a case is watched for about three weeks before the school stops worrying

   Pets crossing borders

   some countries hold arriving animals long enough for a hidden disease like rabies to show

   Rabies after a bite

   here doctors cannot wait for symptoms, because once they show it is too late, so they vaccinate at once

   The catch

   The count only means something if every sick person is found and tested. Where contact checks fall away, as in parts of Congo now, a ward with no patients can hide cases nobody saw.

   And the whole of it

   A nurse in Nairobi, a Kenyan maid waiting for a Saudi visa and a Ugandan student flying to Dubai all depend on the same 21-day span. None of them can see whether someone near them is carrying the virus, and neither can the officials counting the days.

   The truth

   • What is really going on Congo cannot do the same yet: its cases have passed 11,042, and the WHO says checks on contacts there fell to their lowest level in weeks. [6][8]
   • The 11,042 are confirmed cases only. [6] Experts believe infections began weeks or months before May. [6]
   • Who pays Health workers in eastern Congo — Some go unpaid and have gone on strike, and their clinics are attacked in places like Lolwa. [7][6]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How many of Congo's cases have never been counted.

     The 11,042 are confirmed cases, experts believe infections began weeks or months before May, and contact checks have fallen. [6][8]

   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Ervebo, a vaccine made for another type of Ebola, protects against Bundibugyo.

     A full human trial of it in Congo was only announced last month. [6]

1. 03

   The UAE lets Ugandans back in

   What happened

   • The United Arab Emirates lifted its ban on new visas for Ugandans on 11 November. [10]
   • Ugandans can enter if at least 21 days have passed since they left Uganda. [10]
   • New visas stay suspended for people from Congo and South Sudan. [10]
   • Ugandan students enrolled before June 2026 and Ugandan embassy staff may also come in. [10]

   Who is involved

   • Students enrolled before June 2026
   • Embassy staff of Uganda's embassy

   How it unfolded

   The ban began in June, because of Ebola in Uganda. [10]

   Uganda declared its outbreak over on 27 August. [2]

   1. June the UAE stops new visas
   2. 27 Aug Uganda's outbreak declared over
   3. 11 Nov visas allowed again

   Why it matters

   Kenya's health minister has asked countries with travel bans on Kenyans to rethink them. [2]

   How it works

   Doctors call the hidden time before symptoms the incubation period, and for Ebola it lasts 2 to 21 days. [2]

   Anyone infected before leaving Uganda would fall ill within those 21 days. [2] So the UAE waits that long. [10]

   Seen it before

   After a sleepover where a friend had a cold, a parent waits a few days before visiting grandma.

   Ugandans may enter only once 21 days have passed since they left Uganda, so anyone infected before leaving would already be ill.

   The idea, in story 02: Why Ebola is only called over after 42 days with no new case →

   The truth

   • Who gains Ugandan travellers and students — The UAE gives them visas again, as long as they left Uganda at least 21 days before arriving. [10]

   Good news

   • Uganda, among the first countries the outbreak reached, has been clear of it since 27 August, and the UAE now gives Ugandans visas again.
2. 04

   Thousands of gene changes alter how drugs work

   What happened

   • A study of nearly 100,000 Americans found thousands of new gene variants that change how drugs work. [11]
   • Every person carried at least one variant in the 16 drug-related genes checked. [11]
   • 1 in 4 had taken a medicine those variants could affect. [11]
   • The drugs include antidepressants, cholesterol-lowering statins, cancer chemotherapy and the blood thinner Plavix. [11]
   • The paper came out on 11 November in Science Translational Medicine, a research journal. [11]

   Who is involved

   It used All of Us, a US government programme collecting gene data from people of many backgrounds. [11]

   Why it matters

   A person's variants can mean they need a bigger or smaller dose, or get worse side effects. [11]

   All of Us expects $122 million once the US budget is settled, 80% below its 2023 peak. [11]

   How it works

   Scientists call genes that change a drug's effect pharmacogenes. [11]

   Some variants change how the body breaks a drug down. [11] So one dose can be too strong for one person and too weak for another. [11]

   Seen it before

   Two cars with the same tank of fuel go different distances if one engine burns it faster.

   The truth

   • Many people have never had their genes read, and doctors may not know how genes affect the drugs they prescribe. [11]
   • Who pays All of Us volunteers — They can no longer see their own gene results, which the programme stopped offering because of money worries. [11]
3. 05

   A US health panel gets conflict waivers

   What happened

   • US officials granted a waiver to every member of a little-known health panel, STAT reported. [12]
   • A top federal official signed the waivers, according to filings obtained by STAT. [12]
   • Some members have "clear financial stakes" in decisions the panel might make, STAT reported. [12]

   Who is involved

   The panel judges preventive medical services, and STAT calls it influential. [12]

   The US health department is run by Robert Kennedy Jr, who often attacks corporate influence in health care. [12]

   • Robert Kennedy Jr US health secretary

   Why it matters

   The waivers let members take part in decisions where some of them have money at stake. [12]

   How it works

   Ethics officials call this a conflict of interest: a person's own money rides on a choice they help make. [12]

   A waiver is written permission to serve anyway, despite the conflict. [12]

   Seen it before

   A referee whose brother plays for one team needs special leave to take charge of the match.

   The truth

   • Who gains Panel members with money at stake — Their waivers let them keep serving on decisions where they have a financial interest. [12]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Which members of the US preventive-care panel have which financial stakes.

     STAT's summary says some have clear stakes but does not list them. [12]

4. 06

   Vote set on the FDA nominee

   What happened

   • The US Senate health committee will vote on 18 November on Heidi Overton, Trump's pick to run the FDA. [13]
   • One Republican on the committee could sink her, if all its Democrats vote against. [13]
   • The chair, Bill Cassidy, has called her role in Trump's vaccine policies "almost disqualifying". [13]
   • Senator Lisa Murkowski pressed her on limits to getting abortion pills through telehealth. [13]

   Who is involved

   The FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, is one of the US federal health agencies. [13]

   • Heidi Overton Trump's pick to run the FDA

   How it unfolded

   1. 18 Nov committee vote
   2. After full US Senate vote, if she passes

   Why it matters

   Republicans are racing to confirm Trump's nominees before they lose power. [13]

   How it works

   Political scientists call the member whose choice decides a close vote the swing vote.

   With every Democrat against her, a single Republican no would stop Overton in the committee. [13]

   Seen it before

   In a class vote split down the middle, the last pupil still deciding picks the winner.

   The truth

   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether the US Senate committee backs Heidi Overton on 18 November.

     A single Republican could sink her, and the committee's chair has called her vaccine role almost disqualifying. [13]

   What comes next

   If the committee backs her on 18 November, the full US Senate votes next. [13]

5. 07

   A psilocybin drug goes to the FDA

   What happened

   • Compass Pathways said on 9 November it has finished its US approval application for COMP360. [14]
   • It is meant for depression that has not improved with other treatments. [14]
   • In trials, 6 weeks of treatment cut depression scores by 3.8 points on average, on a 60-point scale. [14]
   • A special voucher from the FDA could give it a particularly fast review. [14]

   Who is involved

   COMP360 is a lab-made form of psilocybin, a psychedelic drug. [14]

   How it unfolded

   1. 9 Nov application complete
   2. Next the FDA's review

   Why it matters

   It is part of a wave of research into psychedelic medicines. [14]

   How it works

   Psychiatrists call depression that usual treatments have not lifted treatment-resistant depression.

   COMP360 was built for exactly those patients, where usual medicines have already failed. [14]

   Seen it before

   When the usual key will not turn a lock, a locksmith reaches for a different tool.

   The truth

   • BioPharma Dive gave the 3.8-point drop without saying what it was measured against. [14]
   • Who gains Compass Pathways — A special voucher from the FDA could give its psilocybin drug a particularly fast review. [14]
6. 08

   A skin drug loses to a strong dummy

   What happened

   • Zura Bio's drug tibulizumab failed a trial in 247 people with hidradenitis suppurativa. [15]
   • After 16 weeks, lumps fell by 56% and 58.1% on two doses, against 52.5% on a dummy drug. [15]
   • The gap was too small, so the trial missed its main goal. [15]
   • Zura's shares fell 72% when markets opened on 9 November. [15]
   • That left Zura worth $93 million, less than the $188 million it held in cash. [14]
   • Zura will stop work in this disease but keep testing the drug in two others. [15]

   Who is involved

   It is an immune disease of the skin that causes abscesses and inflamed lumps. [14]

   How it unfolded

   1. Early 2027 systemic sclerosis results
   2. Late 2028 second disease results

   Why it matters

   UCB's Bimzelx, cleared by the FDA for this disease in 2024, gets no new rival from Zura. [15]

   How it works

   Trial scientists call it the placebo response when patients improve on a dummy drug.

   Zura's response rates of 48% and 52.7% matched Bimzelx's. [15] But 45.5% improved on Zura's dummy, against 29% to 32% in Bimzelx's trials. [15]

   Seen it before

   A runner's win looks small when the whole field runs fast that day.

   The truth

   • Who pays Zura Bio's shareholders — Most of what their shares were worth vanished in a day, after the trial missed. [15]

   What comes next

   Zura's next results, in two other diseases, are due in the first half of 2027 and late 2028. [15]

7. 09

   Abeona buys a throat-disease drug

   What happened

   • Abeona Therapeutics bought a drug for eosinophilic esophagitis from Ellodi Pharmaceuticals. [14]
   • The drug, now called ABO-801, is a steroid named fluticasone that dissolves in the mouth. [14]
   • It is ready for its final, phase 3, trial. [14]
   • Abeona paid $20 million in shares. [14] It promised $60 million more if the drug is approved and hits sales goals. [14]
   • Abeona also raised $30 million by selling shares privately. [14]

   Who is involved

   Ellodi is a six-year-old startup set up by TPG Capital. [14]

   • Ellodi a six-year-old startup
   • TPG Capital set it up

   Why it matters

   Most of Ellodi's money depends on the drug passing its last test and selling. [14]

   How it works

   Pharmacologists call putting a drug only where it is needed local delivery.

   ABO-801 dissolves in the mouth and is carried straight to the esophagus, where the disease is. [14]

   Seen it before

   Rubbing cream on a sore knee treats the knee, not the whole body.

   The truth

   • BioPharma Dive's report gives no trial results for the drug so far. [14]
8. 10

   Amgen details its Sjogren's drug

   What happened

   • Amgen shared fuller results from its final-stage trial of dazodalibep in Sjogren's disease, Fierce Biotech reported. [16]
   • After 48 weeks, 70% on monthly doses improved by at least 3 points, against 52.8% on a dummy. [16]
   • Novartis showed two-year results for its rival drug, ianalumab, at the same doctors' meeting this week. [16]
   • After allowing for the dummy groups, Amgen's 48-week drops in disease scores were larger than Novartis's. [16]

   Who is involved

   Sjogren's is scored on a scale that covers the glands, joints, skin and blood. [16]

   How it unfolded

   Amgen got dazodalibep when it bought Horizon Therapeutics. [16]

   Why it matters

   TD Cowen analysts talked up Amgen's chances of reaching their $1.8 billion forecast for its best-year sales. [16]

   How it works

   Rheumatologists measure Sjogren's with ESSDAI, a score of how active the disease is. [16]

   The bigger the drop needed to count, the fewer reach it. [16] On monthly doses, almost 58% improved by 5 points, and 53.3% by 7. [16]

   Seen it before

   More pupils clear a low high-jump bar than a high one.

   The truth

   • Amgen has not yet shared final-stage results in the symptom-led form of the disease. [16]
   • Who gains Amgen — Its fuller Sjogren's results led TD Cowen analysts to talk up its chances of reaching their sales forecast. [16]
9. 11

   AbCellera drops its eczema drug

   What happened

   • AbCellera said on 9 November it will not develop its drug ABCL575 beyond its first trial. [17]
   • Its first trial met every goal: the drug was well tolerated and could be given less often. [17]
   • AbCellera pointed to setbacks for other drugs aimed at the same target, OX40. [17]

   Who is involved

   The drug was meant for atopic dermatitis, an immune skin disease, and similar conditions. [17]

   How it unfolded

   In March, Kyowa Kirin stopped all studies of its OX40 drug over possible cancer links. [17]

   4 months later, Sanofi dropped plans to seek approval for its OX40 eczema drug, amlitelimab. [17]

   Sanofi had bought amlitelimab in its $1.1 billion purchase of Kymab. [17]

   1. March Kyowa Kirin stops its studies
   2. 4 months later Sanofi drops amlitelimab
   3. 9 Nov AbCellera stops ABCL575

   Why it matters

   Sanofi had once talked of amlitelimab as a possible blockbuster before it dropped it. [17]

   How it works

   Drug developers call drugs that act on the same target a drug class. [17]

   One drug's trouble raises doubts about every drug aimed at the same target. [17] AbCellera cited exactly those outside developments. [17]

   Seen it before

   When one scooter brand is recalled for bad brakes, buyers doubt every scooter with those brakes.

   The truth

   • In September, Inhibrx reported good cancer results from a drug that switches OX40 on instead of blocking it. [17]
10. 12

    German drug prices could lift US costs

    What happened

    • A Harvard study says higher German drug prices would raise US costs too. [18]
    • If Germany pays more, that benchmark rises, and US agencies pay more too. [18]
    • A 25% rise in German prices would add about $6.2 billion to German health insurance spending. [18]
    • Medicaid, a US federal health programme, would spend about $300 million more. [18]

    Who is involved

    • Eli Lilly cut planned investment
    • Boehringer Ingelheim cut planned investment

    How it unfolded

    It studied Trump's most-favoured-nation policy, which ties some US government drug prices to prices abroad. [18]

    Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim cut planned investments in Germany as the price fight grew. [18]

    Why it matters

    The insurers said: "The pharmaceutical industry would be the sole beneficiary of these two-way spending increases". [18]

    How it works

    Economists call it reference pricing when one country's price is set by looking at others' prices.

    New drugs reach Germany faster than other places. [18] So its price is often the first the US formula sees. [18]

    Seen it before

    A friend who always pays what you paid will pay more the day you overpay.

    The truth

    • Germany's group of public health insurers started and backed the study. [18] It says Harvard kept full control of the results. [18]
    • Who gains Drugmakers, according to German insurers — Under the US formula, when Germany pays more, US agencies pay more too, so the industry is paid more in both countries. [18]
    • Who pays Medicaid and German health insurers — Each price rise Germany accepts lands on German insurers first, and then on Medicaid through the US formula. [18]
11. 13

    Stopping GLP-1 drugs linked to heart risk

    What happened

    • People with type 2 diabetes who stopped GLP-1 drugs had twice the risk of heart attack, stroke or death. [19]
    • That was about 4 events per 100 people a year, against 2 for those who kept taking them. [19]
    • The study used records of more than 80,000 people from over 300 Italian diabetes clinics. [19]
    • Among those who stopped, people with obesity had 127% higher heart risk, against 61% for others. [19]
    • It was published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe, a medical journal. [19]

    Who is involved

    GLP-1 drugs copy a natural hormone that controls blood sugar and curbs appetite. [19]

    Why it matters

    Many patients stop these drugs, often within the first year, over side effects, cost or doubts that they work. [19]

    How it works

    Epidemiologists call this an observational study: it watches what people did, without giving them a treatment. [19]

    People chose to stop, so those who stopped may already have been in poorer health. [19]

    Seen it before

    Pupils who skip breakfast may do worse at school, but they may also sleep less.

    The truth

    • Weight, sugar and blood pressure changed only slightly after stopping. [19] The authors say these may not fully explain the risk. [19]
    • Nobody knows yet

      Whether stopping GLP-1 drugs causes the extra heart risk.

      The study only watched what people did, and those who stopped may already have been in poorer health. [19]

12. 14

    Cannabis use linked to stroke odds

    What happened

    • Adults who used cannabis on 1 to 5 days a month had 40% higher odds of past stroke. [20]
    • Heavy users, on 16 to 30 days a month, had 25% higher odds. [20]
    • Researchers studied survey answers from 442,906 US adults, collected from 2020 to 2024. [20]
    • It was presented at the American Heart Association's meeting in Chicago, held from 6 to 9 November. [20]
    • The study found no clear link between cannabis and heart attacks. [20]

    Why it matters

    In 2024, 1 in 6 US adults had used cannabis in the past month. [20] In 2020 it was 1 in 10. [20]

    How it works

    Epidemiologists call a study that takes one snapshot of many people a cross-sectional study.

    People were asked once about cannabis and past illness. [20] So nobody can tell which came first. [20]

    Seen it before

    A class photo shows who stands next to whom, not who arrived first.

    The truth

    • The survey did not ask how strong the cannabis was, or how much people used. [20]
    • Nobody knows yet

      Whether cannabis causes strokes.

      People were surveyed once, so the study cannot show whether cannabis use or the stroke came first. [20]

13. 15

    A new obesity test checked in 800,000 people

    What happened

    • A new way to diagnose obesity was tested on the health records of more than 800,000 people. [21]
    • The records came from the UK, the US, China and Spain, and followed people for up to 15 years. [21]
    • The new test adds waist size, and checks on how the organs are working. [21]
    • BMI alone missed obesity in 5% to 9% of adults. [21] It wrongly diagnosed it in up to 3%. [21]
    • Some people with a high BMI were not obese under the new test, and had a lower risk of death. [21]

    Who is involved

    BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in metres, squared. [21]

    Francisco Rubino of King's College London and colleagues reported it in Nature, a science journal. [21]

    Why it matters

    Rubino said the mistakes could "account for tens of millions of people". [21]

    How it works

    Doctors call obesity that is already harming the organs clinical obesity. [21]

    So 3 people with a BMI of 32 can get 3 different answers: healthy, pre-clinical or clinically obese. [21]

    Seen it before

    A rugby player and someone who never exercises can weigh exactly the same.

    Good news

    • 80% to 90% of people with pre-clinical obesity did not develop active disease within 10 years. [21]
14. 16

    A blood test spots early ovarian cancer signs

    What happened

    • A blood test found early warning signs of ovarian cancer in 92.3% of women who had them, a study reports. [22]
    • It correctly cleared 98.2% of healthy women. [22]
    • The test measures Tu-Stroma, an RNA molecule that is raised in women with a precancerous change. [22]
    • The study was published on 10 November in Nature Medicine, a research journal. [22]

    Who is involved

    Rajan Gogna of the Hoag Family Cancer Institute in California led it. [22]

    • Rajan Gogna Hoag Family Cancer Institute, California

    How it unfolded

    Ovarian cancer often begins as tiny changes in the lining of the fallopian tubes. [22]

    Why it matters

    Ovarian cancer is often found only after it has already spread. [22]

    Women at high genetic risk now decide on surgery to remove tubes and ovaries mostly from inherited risk. [22]

    How it works

    Doctors call the share of positive results that are right a test's positive predictive value.

    In women with genetic risk, about 72% of positive results would be right. [22] Negative results would be right nearly every time. [22]

    Seen it before

    A smoke alarm that goes off for burnt toast is right about smoke but not always about fire.

    The truth

    • The 72% figure is for women at genetic risk. [22] The report gives no figure for other women. [22]
    • Nobody knows yet

      How well the Tu-Stroma blood test works for women without a genetic risk.

      The only figure given, 72% of positive results right, is for women at high genetic risk. [22]

15. 17

    UK watchdog targets sunbed health claims

    What happened

    • A UK advertising watchdog told tanning firms they must not claim sunbeds are safe or treat illness. [23]
    • It issued a UK-wide enforcement notice against misleading sunbed adverts. [23]
    • Claims it found include easing eczema, improving brain function and boosting circulation. [23]

    Who is involved

    The Committee for Advertising Practice writes the UK's advertising rules. [23]

    How it unfolded

    Earlier this year, the Advertising Standards Authority banned 5 adverts that claimed sunbeds help osteoporosis and depression. [23]

    Why it matters

    Using a sunbed before age 35 raises the risk of melanoma, a skin cancer, by 59%, the WHO says. [23]

    About 1 in 7 UK people aged 18 to 24 used a sunbed in the past year. [23] The figure comes from a 2025 YouGov survey. [23]

    How it works

    Advertising regulators call a promise that a product improves health a health claim. [23]

    A sunbed advert promising to ease eczema could stop someone getting medical help, the committee said. [23]

    Seen it before

    A sweet shop is not allowed to say its lollies are good for your teeth.

    The truth

    • The Sunbed Association backs action on misleading adverts. [23] It wants firms still free to explain that they operate responsibly. [23]
16. 18

    Dutch regulator probes Biogen over a test

    What happened

    • Dutch competition regulators are investigating whether Biogen abused its strong position in multiple sclerosis drugs. [24]
    • Patients on Biogen's drug Tysabri need regular tests for the risk of PML. [24] PML is a viral infection that can kill or disable. [24]
    • Biogen developed a test for that virus and gives it free, but only to Tysabri patients. [24]
    • The probe asks whether Biogen refuses the test to patients on Tyruko, a near-copy of Tysabri sold by Sandoz. [24]

    Who is involved

    The regulator is the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, known as ACM. [24]

    Why it matters

    Tysabri is Biogen's biggest-selling medicine. [24]

    How it works

    Competition lawyers call it tying when a firm uses one product to keep buyers on another.

    If the test comes only with Tysabri, a patient switching to Tyruko loses it. [24]

    Seen it before

    A games console that charges only its own brand of controller keeps players buying that brand.

    The truth

    • These are allegations under investigation, and the regulator has not ruled that Biogen broke any rule. [24]
    • Who pays Patients on Tyruko — If the allegations hold, they cannot get the free safety test that Biogen gives Tysabri patients. [24]
17. 19

    Two pills shrink endometrial tumours in a third

    What happened

    • Faeth Therapeutics' two-pill combination shrank tumours in 33% of 36 women with endometrial cancer. [25]
    • The pills, called Piktor, were given with the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel to 42 patients. [25]
    • All had been treated before, and all but one had tried immunotherapy. [25]
    • By an early estimate, half the patients had no growth in their cancer for 7.4 months or more. [25]
    • Analysts at TD Cowen had heard from a leading cancer doctor that 30% would be a great result. [25]

    Why it matters

    Most new drugs in this cancer are given by injection, while Piktor is taken by mouth. [25]

    How it works

    Cell biologists call a chain of signals that tells a cell to grow a pathway. [25]

    Piktor blocks the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway at more than one point, a common driver of tumour growth. [25]

    Seen it before

    Closing two taps on one pipe stops more water than closing one.

    The truth

    • Faeth released these early results itself. [25] A trial against a comparison group is still to come. [25]

    What comes next

    Faeth plans a larger trial comparing groups, if the FDA agrees. [25]

18. 20

    MSF asks for wider use of an Ebola vaccine

    What happened

    • Doctors Without Borders, a medical charity, urged wider use of the Ebola vaccine Ervebo in Congo. [26]
    • Congo asked for 500,000 doses of Ervebo, but only 70,000 were released. [26]
    • The WHO says Ervebo should be used against Bundibugyo only in research studies, because its effect is unproven. [26]
    • The charity says fewer infections and deaths among people vaccinated earlier justify wider use. [26]

    Who is involved

    Merck made Ervebo for an earlier strain of Ebola, not the Bundibugyo strain spreading now. [26]

    How it unfolded

    Bundibugyo has no vaccine of its own and has killed more than 5,300 people in Congo. [26]

    Why it matters

    It wants more people at risk, including young children, to be vaccinated. [26]

    How it works

    Vaccine scientists call protection against a strain the vaccine was not made for cross-protection.

    Ervebo trains the body against one Ebola strain. [26] Early signs suggest it may also guard against Bundibugyo, so MSF wants more doses. [26]

    Seen it before

    A key cut for one door sometimes opens the lock next door too.

    The truth

    • The evidence MSF points to is early observations, not a finished trial. [26]

    What comes next

    A bigger release from the global stockpile needs the backing of WHO vaccine advisers, who meet next week. [26]

19. 21

    Senators question betting on drug trials

    What happened

    • Two US senators asked the US health department to limit the risks of betting on drug trials and FDA approvals. [27]
    • Kalshi and Polymarket, the two leading platforms, both offer such bets. [27]
    • The senators asked for every message between the US health department and the betting platforms. [27]
    • The senators wrote that betting on trials "undermines the scientific process". [27]

    Who is involved

    Angela Alsobrooks and Ron Wyden, both Democrats, wrote to US health secretary Robert Kennedy Jr on 11 November. [27]

    Prediction markets let people bet on events, here on whether a trial succeeds or a drug is approved. [27]

    • Angela Alsobrooks Democratic senator
    • Ron Wyden Democratic senator

    Why it matters

    They worry that bets could sway patients deciding whether to join a trial. [27]

    How it works

    Regulators call trading on information others cannot see insider trading. [27]

    A researcher or regulator who saw results early could bet on them and win, the senators fear. [27]

    Seen it before

    A pupil who has seen the answer sheet wins every bet on the test.

    The truth

    • Kalshi says the same worries apply to buying drug company shares, which the letter leaves out. [27]
    • CNBC, which first reported the letter, says it has a commercial relationship with Kalshi. [27]
20. 22

    A blood thinner slows arthritis in monkeys

    What happened

    • A blood-thinning drug, dabigatran, slowed knee osteoarthritis in monkeys and mice, a study found. [29]
    • After 7 months, knee cartilage was about 60% thicker in 4 treated monkeys than in untreated ones. [29]
    • Treated monkeys could also bend their knee about 15% further. [29]

    Who is involved

    Osteoarthritis is wear and tear of the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones. [29] It causes pain and stiffness. [29]

    Chuan-Ju Liu of Yale University led the work, published in Science Translational Medicine. [29]

    Why it matters

    Osteoarthritis affects more than 500 million people, and no approved drug halts or slows it. [29]

    How it works

    Pharmacologists call giving an old drug a new job drug repurposing.

    Dabigatran also blocks 2 inflammation signals, TNF-alpha and IL-1-beta, that wear down cartilage. [29] Earlier drugs blocked one, and the other may have taken over. [29]

    Seen it before

    Closing one road on a two-road route does nothing if drivers take the other road.

    The truth

    • It worked in animals, and a blood thinner raises the risk of bleeding in people. [29]
    • Tonia Vincent of the University of Oxford says some benefit may come from thinning the blood instead. [29]

    What comes next

    The team is now designing drugs that block both signals without thinning the blood, to test in mice first. [29]

21. 23

    Miro's stem-cell plant passes an audit

    What happened

    • Australia's drug regulator, the TGA, finished an audit of the plant making Miro Sciences' stem-cell treatment. [28]
    • About 30% of patients stop responding to standard treatments. [28]
    • The cells, called StemSmart, come from donors' bone marrow and need no matching to the patient. [28]
    • Q-Gen Cell Therapeutics makes them in Brisbane. [28] An earlier phase 2 trial reported a response in 78% of patients. [28]

    Who is involved

    Miro, a biotech in Perth, is testing it for Crohn's disease that no longer responds to usual treatment. [28]

    Crohn's disease is a lifelong inflammation of the gut that affects an estimated 6 to 8 million people. [28]

    How it unfolded

    1. End of 2026 phase 2 trial due to start
    2. After results from Australia and the US

    Why it matters

    Australia's regulator requires such treatments to be made under strict manufacturing rules. [28]

    How it works

    Drug makers call these strict factory rules good manufacturing practice. [28]

    A passed inspection clears one of the steps the regulator needs before human trials. [28]

    Seen it before

    A bakery must pass a hygiene check before it can sell its bread.

    The truth

    • The field still needs controlled trials, like the one Miro plans, to show the cells work, SMH notes. [28]

    What comes next

    Miro plans a phase 2 trial in Australia and the US, starting before the end of 2026. [28]