Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Rapid rise in Mumbai pushes India’s COVID numbers to month high
India’s health ministry reported 3,712 new coronavirus infections for the past twenty-four hours on Thursday, the highest in nearly a month, driven up by a record number of cases recorded in the financial capital, Mumbai. The city reported 739 cases on Wednesday night, more than double the number it had recorded just two days earlier, 318.
Moderna delays COVID vaccine deliveries to EU by several months
Moderna Inc said on Thursday it has agreed to push back some COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to the European Union by several months to later in 2022 or early next year. Shares of Moderna fell nearly 2% before the bell over the delay, even though the company stuck to its vaccine sales forecast of $21 billion for 2022.
Factbox-Monkeypox cases around the world
Over 30 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks of the viral disease, with more than 550 confirmed or suspected infections mostly in Europe. The outbreaks are raising alarm because monkeypox, which spreads through close contact and was first found in monkeys, mostly occurs in the west and central Africa, and only very occasionally spreads elsewhere.
Africa’s COVID deaths to fall by 94% in 2022, WHO analysis shows
Deaths on the African continent from COVID-19 are expected to fall by nearly 94 percent in 2022 compared to last year, modeling by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed on Thursday. 2021 was the pandemic’s most deadly year in Africa, with COVID-19 the seventh major cause of death, just below malaria.
Morocco reports first case of monkeypox – state TV on Twitter
Morocco reported on Thursday its first case of monkeypox, in a traveler coming from Europe, state TV said on Twitter, citing the health ministry. The patient is in a stable condition, it said.
Evonik to build $220 million U.S. production site for mRNA lipids
German chemicals group Evonik will build a U.S. production facility for lipids needed for mRNA therapies, winning considerable U.S. government backing for the $220 million investment. Evonik is among the suppliers of lipids, produced in Germany, which are needed for packaging the messenger RNA molecules in Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.
In Shanghai, lockdown blues make way for COVID testing gripes
Shanghai residents’ relief over the easing of a two-month COVID-19 lockdown is giving way to frustration as they face hours waiting in line for virus tests and must show negative results to be permitted to enter public spaces. China’s biggest city and business hub lifted lockdowns for most of its 25 million residents on Wednesday. But citizens are required to have proof they have taken a COVID test within the last 72 hours in order to enter areas like malls and offices – or even to use subways and buses.
Regeneron buys rights to cancer drug Libtayo from Sanofi
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said on Thursday it would buy the global rights to cancer drug Libtayo from French drugmaker Sanofi SA in a deal that includes an upfront payment of $900 million. The companies signed a collaboration agreement in 2015 under which they jointly marketed the drug in the United States, while Sanofi was responsible for selling it outside the country. Worldwide profits from Libtayo were split equally.
Pfizer seeks U.S. authorization of COVID vaccine for young children
Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech have completed the filing with the U.S. drugs regulator seeking authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine in children under 5 years of age. The filing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), completed on Wednesday, including data showing three lower-dose shots of the vaccine generated a strong immune response in children as young as 6 months of age.
Omicron sub-variant fuels Portugal’s COVID-19 surge
An Omicron sub-variant has fuelled a surge in COVID-19 cases in Portugal which now has the world’s second-highest infection rate, potentially threatening the tourism sector’s recovery. Portugal registered an average of 2,447 new cases per million people over the last seven days. That compares to neighboring Spain’s 449 and Britain’s 70, according to tracker Our World In Data.
(With inputs from agencies.)
