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New data suggests that many patients maintain weight loss after stopping GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which runs counter to previous findings cautioning that many patients will regain lost weight if treatment is interrupted. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Weight rebound after stopping Ozempic, Wegovy? Not necessarily, new data says

New research suggests that many people who stop using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic maintain their weight loss, countering previous studies.

Science

A mother’s mind appears restored: might ultrasound be a cure for Alzheimer’s?

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Science

Asthma has no cure. For some, the risk is in this gene, Chinese team finds

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Wellness

He had cancer, she had a rare disorder. How two 85-year-olds came out on top

Bob and Fran German share how going vegan changed their lives and helps them keep fit, healthy, full of energy – and sniffle-free.

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Octogenarian YouTubers Bob and Fran German practise qigong in a video. The vegan couple switched to a whole food, plant-based diet years ago because their “lives depended on it”, and now say they feel as fit as ever. Photo: YouTube/AskBobnFran
Wellness

The hidden benefits of common vaccines, including reduced dementia, heart risks

Flu, RSV, shingles, Covid and other vaccines have ‘off-target’ benefits for older adults, making them ‘key tools’ for healthy ageing.

China’s private sector

China’s drug and medical device sector fuels growth with record licensing deals

China’s pharmaceutical industry surges on ageing demand and global expansion, with revenue forecast to top US$2.1 trillion by 2030.

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Wellness

The huge benefits of quitting alcohol, from weight loss to slowing ageing

Ex-drinkers and sobriety experts explain how life is better and healthier without drinking as many attempt the same during Dry January.

Jodi Clark, seen in January 2023 and this month, who now runs online groups, challenges and retreats for women, has lost 38kg (84lb) since she stopped drinking more than 3 years ago. Photo: Jodi Clark
Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Hong Kong’s biotech hub aim advanced by pacts with national agencies

Deepening cooperation on traditional Chinese medicine and cancer research will help the city play a role in developing more effective and less intrusive treatments.

Made in China 2025

Novartis, SciNeuro deal offers hope for 55 million suffering from Alzheimer’s

SciNeuro’s anti-amyloid programme is one of the firm’s key strategic research and development priorities to target the brain disease.

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United States

New York City Mayor Mamdani joins picket line as 15,000 nurses strike

The city’s new mayor backs the walkout as thousands of nurses strike over pay, staffing and workplace safety.

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New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani joins nurses from New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Centre. Photo: AFP
Wellness

Singaporean dementia study links Alzheimer’s to clogged ‘brain drains’

Blocked glymphatic channels, part of the brain’s waste-cleaning network, could be an early Alzheimer’s marker, Singaporean researchers find.

An elderly Asian woman with dementia is comforted by her daughter. A study of nearly 1,000 Singaporeans found that those showing early signs of Alzheimer’s tended to have “enlarged perivascular spaces”, or blocked glymphatic channels, the pathways through which cerebrospinal fluid washes away toxins from the brain. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Why your gut microbiome is so important for health and how to protect it

Bacteria in the gut perform important jobs that help prevent disease, but how to best protect and improve yours? An expert weighs in.

The Philippines

Soaring healthcare costs in the Philippines: are doctors’ fees to blame?

Doctors have hit back, saying that they are being unfairly blamed for deeper systemic failures in healthcare financing.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong hospital A&E department visits fall 12% after new fees take effect

Number of people benefiting from fee waivers under new pricing regime that started on January 1 triples.

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The fee revamp took effect on January 1. Photo: Sun Yeung
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong’s late summer flu season is over. But official says jabs still vital

Controller of Centre for Health Protection says seasonal influenza activity has dropped below baseline level over the past week.

A health official has urged people to get vaccinated to help prevent a surge in winter flu cases. Photo: Dickson Lee
Artificial intelligence

Dose of uncertainty: experts wary of AI health tech gadgets at CES trade show

Technology and health experts question the accuracy of these products and warn of data privacy issues.

Made in China 2025

Chinese biotechs strike a record US$136 billion in out-licensing deals in 2025

Chinese drug makers signed 157 out-licensing deals with global pharmaceutical firms last year versus 94 a year earlier.

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Made in China 2025

Meow or never: China’s pudgy pets spark race for weight-loss drugs

Fosun and Huadong biotech labs eye feline obesity drugs as owners weigh cuteness against health risks.

The total pet population in China reached 430 million in 2024, with nearly one-third of urban cats classified as obese, according to the China Pet Industry Association. Photo: Shutterstock
United States

Medical groups win right to challenge RFK Jnr’s Covid-19 vaccine policies

Judge lets medical groups challenge Kennedy’s CDC vaccine changes, citing health risks to public health and unlawful panel influence.

Thailand

Thailand tightens cannabis sales as dispensaries face closure ahead of election

Thailand, the first country in Asia to decriminalise cannabis in 2022, tightens rules to appeal to conservative voters ahead of pivotal election.

Hong Kong society

Editorial | As Hong Kong’s public hospital fees rise, balance must be the watchword

Accessibility and affordability should be prioritised, especially given the city’s ageing population increasingly prone to chronic illnesses.

A hospital staff member holds a queue token at Kwong Wah Hospital’s A&E department on December 31, the day before the hospital fee revamp. Photo: Sun Yeung
Science

China’s biopharma sector ‘in prime position to challenge US leadership’

American commission issues stark warning, as analytics firm Clarivate reports that Chinese innovative drug development has entered new phase.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Low-income patients call for more help as steeper Hong Kong hospital fees loom

From January 1, patients will need to pay more for certain services, and while safety net will also be widened, some people have fallen through the cracks.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Genomic sequencing puts Hong Kong at forefront of cancer care innovation

Scientist Aya El Helali says research speeds up cancer treatment discovery and helps the city bridge mainland China with global drug development.

India

As India’s US$70 million obesity drug market bulges, so does price war

Pharmaceutical giants like Lilly and Nordisk are battling for dominance in India’s weight-loss market with price cuts and early launches.

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A hoarding of Eli Lilly on a building in Gurugram, India. Photo: Reuters
Science

In world first, Chinese surgeons save patient’s ear with graft onto foot

The ear was torn off in an industrial accident and was successfully reattached to the woman’s scalp several months later.

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The ear spent months grafted to the patient’s foot. Photo: QQ.com
Wellness

As weight-loss drugs reduce appetites, US restaurants cut portion sizes

Some New York restaurants are offering smaller portions at lower prices to appeal to those on hunger-reducing GLP-1 weight-loss medications.

Wellness

No need for needles? US approves Wegovy pill for weight loss

Novo Nordisk’s daily medication offers an oral alternative to blockbuster injections, with a launch expected in early January.

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