Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
AstraZeneca wins EU backing for heart drug, but suffers lung cancer setback
AstraZeneca on Monday won European endorsement for its blockbuster drug, dapagliflozin, as a treatment for all forms of heart failure, the company said. The drug, which belongs to a class of medicines called SGLT2 inhibitors and is branded as Forxiga in the European Union, raked in about $1 billion in sales in the first three quarters of 2022.
China’s capital Beijing to speed up imports of COVID drugs – official
China’s capital Beijing will speed up global procurement of COVID-related drugs to relieve pressure from domestic shortages, and expedite clearance for inbound shipments, a Beijing pharmaceuticals official said at a press conference on Monday.
Madrigal drug meets main goals in much-awaited NASH trial
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals said on Monday its experimental drug for fatty liver disease met both of the main goals in a highly anticipated late-stage study, sending its shares soaring over 200%. The positive data sets the stage for the drug, resmetirom, to become the first treatment for NASH, or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a disease that affects about 5% of adults in the United States but has no approved treatments.
Medical device makers drop products as EU law sows chaos
Nicola Osypka’s German company has been selling medical devices used in surgery on newborn babies in Europe for decades, but new European Union rules have forced her to make tough decisions. Under the regulations designed to prevent another health scandal, such as the one in 2010 involving ruptured breast implants made by Poly Implant Prothese, companies must apply for new certificates for their medical equipment.
Macau government cancels COVID risk zones for mainland China
Macau’s government said on Monday that it would cancel its regulations on risk zones in mainland China starting from Tuesday, the latest unwinding of stringent COVID-19 rules that have hammered revenues in the world’s biggest gambling hub. In addition, all arrivals into Macau via the mainland, including from overseas, need to show a negative COVID test conducted within the last 72 hours, versus 48 hours previously, the government said.
In COVID-hit Beijing, funeral homes and crematoriums are busy
Hearses bearing the dead lined the driveway to a designated COVID-19 crematorium in the Chinese capital on Saturday while workers at the city’s dozen funeral homes were busier than normal, days after China reversed tight pandemic restrictions. In recent days in Beijing the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has hit services from catering to parcel deliveries. Funeral homes and crematoriums across the city of 22 million are also struggling to keep up with demand as more workers and drivers testing positive for coronavirus call in sick.
China reports first COVID deaths in weeks as official count questioned
China reported its first COVID-related deaths in weeks on Monday amid rising doubts over whether the official count was capturing the full toll of a disease that is ripping through cities after the government relaxed strict anti-virus controls.
Monday’s two deaths were the first to be reported by the National Health Commission (NHC) since Dec. 3, days before Beijing announced that it was lifting curbs which had largely kept the virus in check for three years but triggered widespread protests last month.
COVID-19 still Spain’s leading cause of deaths this year
The number of deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic fell by almost a third in Spain in the first half of this year from a year ago, but the illness provoked by the virus remained the leading cause of fatalities, official data showed on Monday. Spain’s statistics agency INE said 20,915 people died from COVID-19 in the first half of 2022, according to provisional data, down from 29,300 during the same period in 2021.
‘I don’t trust it:’ Vaccine hesitancy lingers even as China COVID cases surge
Headhunter Candice knows the COVID-19 infections engulfing Beijing and much of China will soon hit her home of Shenzhen city, but she would rather face it without a vaccine booster, saying she fears potential side effects more than the virus. The 28-year-old took two doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac last year, hoping it would make travel easier, but she has since grown more sceptical, citing stories from friends about health impacts, as well as similar health warnings on social media.
(With inputs from agencies.)
