Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
U.S. FDA panel to review Emergent’s OTC opioid overdose drug
The U.S. health regulator said on Tuesday its advisory panel will meet on Feb. 15 to review Emergent Biosolutions Inc’s over-the-counter (OTC) nasal spray to treat suspected opioid overdoses. Emergent is seeking the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA)approval for the prescription-free sale of Narcan, its nasal spray form of the drug naloxone. Narcan is already cleared for the treatment of opioid overdose in the country.
Merck COVID treatment priced at 1,500 yuan per bottle in China’s Tianjin
Merck & Co’s COVID-19 antiviral treatment molnupiravir was priced at 1,500 yuan ($221.21) per bottle in Tianjin, according to the northern Chinese city’s medical purchasing centre on Tuesday. Each bottle contains 40 pills – enough for one course of treatment – according to the centre. The treatment, which is sold under the brand name Lagevrio, was approved for adults with mild to medium COVID infections and a high risk of progressing to severe cases.
Sen. Sanders asks Moderna not to hike COVID vaccine price
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders sent Moderna Inc a letter this week asking the drug company to halt planned U.S. price increases on its COVID-19 vaccine, saying price hikes could make the shot unaffordable for millions of Americans. Sanders said in his letter that raising prices would be particularly egregious after the U.S. government provided around $1.7 billion to fund development of the vaccine. The letter was addressed to Moderna Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel.
British scientists plan to expand genomic sequencing from COVID to flu
Genomic sequencing allowed the world to track new coronavirus variants throughout the pandemic. Now British researchers plan to use it to better understand a host of other respiratory pathogens, from influenza to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The work is aimed at shedding more light on known threats and, potentially, emerging ones, the team at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, working with the UK Health Security Agency, said.
Bayer flags new blood thinner as $5 billion-plus opportunity
Bayer predicted on Tuesday its experimental drug against dangerous blood clots could make more than 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) in peak annual sales, as the company seeks to revive a share price that has drawn interest from activist investors. The first revenue outlook for asundexian, designed to prevent thrombosis and strokes, shows Bayer’s confidence that it can replace revenue from one of its pharmaceutical best-sellers, Xarelto, which is set to lose protection from key European patents in 2026.
China suspends issuing visas in Japan, S.Korea to retaliate for COVID curbs
China suspended issuing short-term visas in South Korea and Japan on Tuesday, after announcing it would retaliate against countries that required negative COVID-19 tests from Chinese travellers. China has ditched mandatory quarantines for arrivals and allowed travel to resume across its border with Hong Kong since Sunday, removing the last major restrictions under the “zero-COVID” regime which it abruptly began dismantling in early December after historic protests against the curbs.
WHO meeting to decide on COVID emergency set for Jan. 27
A World Health Organization committee will meet on Jan. 27 to consider whether the COVID-19 pandemic still represents a global emergency, a spokesperson said on Tuesday, three years after it was first declared. WHO spokesperson Carla Drysdale confirmed the timing of the meeting at a Geneva press briefing. The Emergency Committee advises WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who makes the ultimate call on whether an outbreak represents a so-called Public Health Emergency of International Concern which is the U.N. agency’s highest level of alert.
Pfizer CEO rules out generic COVID drug Paxlovid for China
Pfizer Inc is not in talks with Chinese authorities to license a generic version of its COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid for use there, but is in discussions about a price for the branded product, Chief Executive Albert Bourla said on Monday. Reuters reported on Friday that China was in talks with Pfizer to secure a licence that will allow domestic drugmakers to manufacture and distribute a generic version of the U.S. firm’s COVID-19 antiviral drug Paxlovid in China.
WHO urges travellers to wear masks as new COVID variant spreads
Countries should consider recommending that passengers wear masks on long-haul flights, given the rapid spread of the latest Omicron subvariant of COVID-19 in the United States, World Health Organization (WHO) officials said on Tuesday. In Europe, the XBB.1.5 subvariant was detected in small but growing numbers, WHO/Europe officials said at a press briefing.
In rural eastern China, not testing for COVID becomes the norm
Weng Shuiye laid back in her chair, sighing with relief as oxygen flowed from a tank into her nostrils. Breathing problems, body aches and lethargy had prompted her to visit a hospital in her home village in Tonglu county in eastern China’s Zhejiang province’ for treatment.
(With inputs from agencies.)
