Reuters Health

• Pfizer's COVID Antiviral Paxlovid Gains Full US Approval The FDA on Thursday granted full approval to Pfizer's oral antiviral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, clearing the way for the drugmaker to sell it at market rates once US government supplies dwindle.
  Reuters Health Information, May 25, 2023
• BioNTech Proceeding With COVID Shot in Line With WHO Guidance Germany's BioNTech said it was on track to introduce a COVID-19 shot by the early fall in the northern hemisphere that is adapted to currently dominant virus variants in line with recommendations by the World Health Organization.
  Reuters Health Information, May 25, 2023
• Obesity Fighting Success Fuels Novo Bet on Gene-Editing Tech Capitalizing on strong demand for its obesity therapies, Novo Nordisk's growing appetite for deals has fuelled a bet on a US gene-editing company called Life Edit Therapeutics.
  Reuters Health Information, May 24, 2023
• Namibia Declares Outbreak of Crimean-Congo Fever Namibia has declared an outbreak of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) after one person died of the disease in the capital Windhoek, the government said on Tuesday.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• US Asks Court to Dismiss Ruling Against Travel Mask Directive The Justice Department on Tuesday asked an appeals court panel to vacate an April 2021 ruling that had declared unlawful a government order requiring masks on airplanes and other transportation modes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• Rich Nations Must Do More to Fight Pandemics: WHO Richer countries should be asked to better pull their weight in helping the world cope with pandemics, according to a new draft of a treaty being negotiated at the World Health Organization.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• Weight-Loss Drug Pioneers Aim to Jump on Wegovy Bandwagon Weight loss drug Wegovy has transformed the obesity market and pharmaceutical companies with existing treatments are hoping the resulting demand will boost demand for their older, less effective but cheaper, drugs.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• Doping-Education First but Drug-Testing in Gamers' Future Gamers who use stimulants could be frozen out of competitions after the World Anti-Doping Agency and Global Esport Federation said they will work on an education programme that could lead to signing onto the WADA Code and open the door to the Olympics.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• Amgen Settles Patent Lawsuit Over Biosimilar of Stelara Johnson & Johnson has settled its lawsuit over Amgen's proposed biosimilar version of J&J's top-selling treatment Stelara for psoriasis and other autoimmune conditions, according to a filing in Delaware federal court.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• WHO 'Overstretched' in Response to Increasing Health Emergencies A growing number of health emergencies around the world, from COVID-19 to cholera, have left the World Health Organization's response 'overstretched,' a senior advisor said on Tuesday.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• How WHO Could Fight Future Pandemics Negotiations on new rules for dealing with pandemics are underway at the WHO, with a target date of May 2024 for a legally binding agreement to be adopted by the UN health agency's 194 member countries.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• Purdue Pharma to Sell Consumer Business for $397 Million Bankrupt Purdue Pharma received a US judge's permission on Tuesday to sell its consumer health business for $397 million to a subsidiary of Arcadia Consumer Healthcare.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• Denmark to Boost Healthcare Funding Denmark will use stronger-than-expected economic growth to boost its healthcare system with an extra 5 billion Danish crowns ($739 million) per year.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• South Carolina Lawmakers Pass 6-Week Abortion Ban South Carolina lawmakers on Tuesday passed a ban on most abortions after fetal cardiac activity begins, around 6 weeks.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• India Makes Tests Mandatory for Cough Syrup Export India will make tests mandatory for cough syrups before they are exported, a government notice showed on Tuesday, after Indian-made cough syrups were linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia and Uzbekistan.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• Britain Plugs Nursing Gaps With International Staff Britain recruited a record number of international nurses in the last financial year to plug hospital staffing shortages, with as many as 10% coming from so-called 'red-list' countries where health staff should not be actively recruited.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2023
• Intercept Tumbles on Concerns Over Prospects of Fatty Liver Disease Drug Shares of Intercept fell about 16% on Monday over concerns about the prospects of the company's drug to treat a type of fatty liver disease after the regulator's advisory panel voted to defer an accelerated approval.
  Reuters Health Information, May 22, 2023
• Ironwood Bulks Up on Digestive Therapies With VectivBio Buy Ironwood said on Monday it would buy Switzerland-based drug developer VectivBio for $1.15 billion, adding a promising treatment for digestive disorders to its portfolio.
  Reuters Health Information, May 22, 2023
• Ireland to Label Alcoholic Drinks With Health Warnings Ireland will introduce mandatory health labelling of alcoholic drinks, warning of the links to cancer, liver disease and the risk of drinking while pregnant.
  Reuters Health Information, May 22, 2023
• Walgreens Fights 'Staggering' $642 Million Arbitration Award National retail pharmacy giant Walgreen has asked a US judge to vacate an arbitrator's award of more than $642 million to Humana Health Plan in a drug-pricing dispute.
  Reuters Health Information, May 22, 2023