Reuters Health

• Gilead Widens Battle Against Alleged Counterfeit HIV Drug Ring A federal judge in New York has frozen the assets of dozens of people and entities accused of operating a massive nationwide scheme to distribute counterfeit bottles of Gilead Sciences HIV drugs, including two alleged 'kingpins.'
  Reuters Health Information, September 29, 2022
• CDC Expands Pre-exposure Eligibility for Monkeypox Vaccine At risk people nationwide will now be able to get Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos monkeypox vaccine before being exposed to the disease, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday.
  Reuters Health Information, September 28, 2022
• Taiwan to End COVID Quarantine for Arrivals, Welcome Back Tourists Taiwan will end its mandatory COVID-19 quarantine for arrivals from Oct. 13 and welcome tourists back, the government said on Thursday, completing a major step on its plan to re-open to the outside world.
  Reuters Health Information, September 29, 2022
• Merck Agrees to Allow Sinopharm to Sell Molnupiravir COVID Drug in China Drugmaker Merck said on Wednesday that it agreed to allow China's Sinopharm to distribute and import its COVID-19 antiviral molnupiravir in China if the drug is approved for use there.
  Reuters Health Information, September 28, 2022
• Indonesia Approves First Home-Grown COVID Vaccine for Emergency Use The Indovac vaccine has been developed by Indonesia's state-owned pharmaceutical company Bio Farma and the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine.
  Reuters Health Information, September 28, 2022
• Biogen Shares Soar on Landmark Alzheimer's Data, Lift Rivals Biogen was set to add more than $10 billion to its market capitalization on Wednesday, as a surprise trial success of the experimental Alzheimer's drug it developed with Eisai was hailed as an unequivocal win by analysts.
  Reuters Health Information, September 28, 2022
• Opioid Crisis Cost US Nearly $1.5 Trillion in 2020: Congressional Report Fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic toll of the opioid addiction and overdose crisis on the United States reached nearly $1.5 trillion in 2020 alone and is likely to grow.
  Reuters Health Information, September 28, 2022
• Private Sector Pledges $8 Billion to Battle US Hunger US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced $8 billion in new private sector spending to fight hunger, after lawmakers failed to further extend pandemic-era nutrition supports like universal school meals and increased aid to food banks.
  Reuters Health Information, September 28, 2022
• Biden Medicare Costs Victory Due Mostly to Alzheimer's Drug Change President Joe Biden claimed victory on Tuesday for a drop in costs for tens of millions of Americans covered by the Medicare health program, though it is primarily due to a decision to severely limit coverage of an expensive, new Alzheimer's drug.
  Reuters Health Information, September 27, 2022
• FDA Puts Avidity's Muscle Disorder Drug Trial on Partial Hold Avidity Biosciences said on Tuesday the US Food and Drug Administration has put a hold on patient enrollment in an early to mid-stage trial of its drug to treat a genetic muscle disorder, sending the company's shares down over 15%.
  Reuters Health Information, September 27, 2022
• Europe's Generic Drugmakers Say They May Cut Output Due to Energy Bills Europe's drugmakers have warned they may stop making some cheap generic medicines because of surging electricity costs and are calling for an overhaul of the way they are priced, the latest industry to seek help as the energy crisis deepens.
  Reuters Health Information, September 27, 2022
• Nigeria's Northwest Faces Worsening Malnutrition: MSF Nigeria faces worsening malnutrition in the northwest due to insecurity, high food prices and the impact of climate change, Medicines Sans Frontiers said on Tuesday.
  Reuters Health Information, September 27, 2022
• Shionogi Says COVID Pill Trial Shows Reduction in Symptoms Japan's Shionogi & Co Ltd said on Wednesday its oral treatment for COVID-19 demonstrated a significant reduction in symptoms compared with a placebo in a Phase III trial in Asia.
  Reuters Health Information, September 28, 2022
• FDA to Review Fewer Emergency Use Requests for COVID Tests The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it will now review only a small number of emergency use authorization requests for COVID tests that are likely to have a significant benefit to public health, including fulfilling an unmet need.
  Reuters Health Information, September 27, 2022
• Japan's COVID-19 Herd Immunity Near 90% After Omicron Wave: Study Japan's population level immunity to COVID-19 has reached about 90% in major population areas after a recent Omicron wave, though that level of protection is likely to diminish in a matter of months, according to a study published on Tuesday.
  Reuters Health Information, September 27, 2022
• China Reports 968 New COVID Cases for Sept 26 vs 999 a Day Earlier China reported 968 new COVID-19 infections on September 26, of which 245 were symptomatic and 723 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday.
  Reuters Health Information, September 27, 2022
• Biogen Finalizes $900 Million Drug Kickback Settlement, US Says Biogen has finalized a $900 million settlement resolving a whistleblower lawsuit accusing the biotech company of paying doctors kickbacks to prescribe multiple sclerosis drugs, the US Department of Justice said on Monday.
  Reuters Health Information, September 26, 2022
• US FDA Clears Additional Lots of Moderna's Covid Booster Amid Shortage The US Food and Drug Administration said on Monday it has authorized an additional five batches of Moderna's updated Covid booster shots made at a Catalent facility in Indiana, after it deemed them safe for use.
  Reuters Health Information, September 26, 2022
• Canada to Remove All COVID Travel Restrictions From October 1 Canada will drop all COVID-19 restrictions for travelers from October 1, including vaccination and masking requirements for flights and trains, the government said on Monday.
  Reuters Health Information, September 26, 2022
• Valneva in Talks With Potential Partner on Second-Gen COVID-19 Vaccines French drugmaker Valneva said on Monday it is in talks with a potential partner on producing an updated version of its COVID-19 vaccine that targets new variants of the disease, sending its shares up.
  Reuters Health Information, September 26, 2022