GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi said on Wednesday (December 15) they expect data from late-stage clinical trials of its booster dose of their Covid-19 vaccine candidate in the first quarter, instead of this year, another delay for the potential shot.
The news came as two companies said preliminary data from trials showed the single-dose booster provided strong immune responses. They added that they need more
time to test the booster on more people who have not been infected by the virus before they can submit data to regulators.
The Phase III trial for the recombinant adjuvanted Covid-19 vaccine recruited most participants in the third quarter, coinciding with a significant increase in the number of people infected globally due to the Delta variant, it said.
"To provide the necessary data to regulatory authorities for the booster vaccine submission, the trial will continue to accrue the number of events needed for analysis, with results expected in Q1, 2022."
No safety concerns were identified.
This is the latest delay for the vaccine's development, putting the companies further behind rivals in the race for Covid-19 shots.
With 118 new cases confirmed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the total number of measles cases reported in England since 1 October 2023 has gone
up to 465.
According to the latest data published by the agency, West Midlands continues to see a disproportionately high rate of infections, with a sharp rise in case
numbers over the last six weeks, mainly driven by cases in Birmingham.
In England, there were 17 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in October, 42 in November, 161 in December, 240 in January 2024.
Five more cases were confirmed last week, according to the measles statistics updated by UKHSA on 8 February.
More than 70 per cent (329 of 465) of total confirmed cases were reported from the West Midlands, 13 per cent (62 of 465) from London, seven per cent (32 of 465)
in Yorkshire and The Humber, and the remaining cases from other regions of England.
Pfizer said on Tuesday it will pay $11.6 billion to buy Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, making a big bet on its ability to boost sales of the top-selling pill in a new class of migraine drugs.
The boards of both companies have approved the deal, they said. Biohaven shares jumped 70 per cent to $141.31, while Pfizer was up slightly at $48.83.
Pfizer is flush with cash from a once-in-a-lifetime surge in revenue from Covid-19 vaccines and therapeutics and has said it is looking to buy companies or drugs
that could add at least $25 billion in annual sales by the end of the decade.
"The CGRP oral medications, though still somewhat newer entrants in a deeply entrenched space, continue to make steady inroads in disrupting the broader migraine market in the U.S.," said BioHaven chief executive Vlad Coric.
Biohaven forecast Nurtec sales of $825 million to $900 million in 2022.
Pfizer said it expects the pills to eventually overtake the shots.
With scarlet fever currently circulating in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) has urged parents to remain vigilant for potential symptoms in
children.
Also known as scarlatina, it is an infectious disease triggered by group A strep bacteria that can lead to symptoms such as fever, a sandpapery rash, sore throat
and swollen tonsils.
The latest data published by the UKHSA showed that a total of 19,528 cases of scarlet fever were reported in the 2023/24 season, of which 12,176 cases occurring
between 1 January and 24 March 2024.
While the number of cases recorded this year is lower than those recorded during the same period in 2023, which totaled 15,933 cases, it exceeds the average for
the previous five years.
"Scarlet fever is a common childhood illness, although it can affect anyone of any age," said Dr Theresa Lamagni at UKHSA.
Parents are advised to contact their GP practice or NHS111 when their GP is unavailable, if they suspect they or their child are experiencing symptoms of scarlet
fever.
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, India's largest drugmaker by revenue, reported a better-than-expected 5.2 per cent rise in third-quarter profit on Tuesday,
driven by higher sales of its specialty drugs.
The company, known for its consumer healthcare products such as Revital vitamins and pain relief medicine Volini, said it earned a consolidated net profit of 21.66
billion rupees ($265.23 million) in three months ended Dec. 31, up from 20.59 billion rupees last year.
Analysts, on average, had expected the company to report a profit of 21.26 billion rupees, according to Refinitiv IBES data.
Total revenue from operations climbed nearly 14 per cent to 112.41 billion rupees. Input costs rose 8.5 per cent. Drug sales in India rose 7.1 per cent to 33.92
billion rupees, whereas sales in the United States climbed 16.6 per cent to 34.66 billion rupees, with each of the two regions accounting for 31 per cent of the
company's total consolidated sales.
The company, founded in 1983, makes over-the-counter medications, anti-retrovirals and active pharmaceutical ingredients for chronic and acute treatments.
Two Indian pharmaceutical companies, Cipla and Glenmark, are pulling back certain products from the American market due to manufacturing concerns, according
to the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).
A New Jersey-based subsidiary of Cipla is recalling 59,244 packs of Ipratropium Bromide and Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Solution due to "short fill", news agency
PTI reported, quoting the latest Enforcement Report issued by the US health regulator.
Produced at the company's Indore SEZ plant, this medication is used to manage symptoms associated with lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and
emphysema.
Cipla USA decided to recall the affected lot following complaints of less fill volume in respule and few drops of liquid observed in the intact pouch, the USFDA
said, adding that the drug maker initiated the Class II recall in the US market on March 26 this year.
The latest findings from the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2022 by QualityWatch, a joint programme with the Nuffield Trust and the Health
Foundation shed light on concerning disparities faced by ethnic minority communities in the UK healthcare system.
Despite strides in cancer care, the survey highlights persistent challenges in easy and equitable access to timely diagnosis and quality communication,
particularly for individuals from Mixed, Black, or Asian backgrounds.
Key insights from the survey underscored that individuals from ethnic minority groups often require a higher number of interactions with healthcare professionals
before receiving a cancer diagnosis.
Notably, one in three people from Mixed, Black, or Asian ethnicities needed three or more visits to a GP practice, compared to the average of one in five across
the population.
These delays in diagnosis can have significant implications for treatment outcomes and overall patient experience.
Moreover, the survey revealed concerning trends regarding the quality of communication following a cancer diagnosis among ethnic minority patients.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest national surveillance data on antibiotic prescribing and resistance.
The English surveillance programme for antimicrobial utilisation and resistance (ESPAUR) report showed an increase in antibiotic use in all settings
(apart from dental) in 2022.
According to the report, antibiotic prescribing rose by 8.4 per cent in 2022 compared with 2021, although the number remains below 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
"There are many reasons behind the increase in prescribing, one of which is likely related to decreased immunity and exposure to infections during the
COVID-19 pandemic that may have underpinned the increased transmission in co-circulating infections, namely: influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus
(RSV) and group A streptococcus (GAS)," the report stated.
According to a report in 'The Mirror', palliative care doctors see hundreds of people dying in front of them. One of these doctors has revealed how a person feels before death. When a person dies, what is the reaction of his body and what is going on in his mind. Experts have limited information about this process, but the truth is that death awaits the person who has already died.
