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The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will jointly launch a new study to gather data on COVID-19 this winter. The Winter COVID-19 Infection Study (WCIS) will run from November 2023 to March 2024, involving up to 200,000 participants, UKHSA has said on Monday (October 2). UKHSA previously commissioned the Coronavirus Infection Survey (CIS), conducted by the ONS in collaboration with scientific study leaders from Oxford University, analysing more than 11.5 million swab tests and 3 million blood tests from April 2020 to March 2023. Meanwhile, the Winter CIS study involves conducting up to 32,000 lateral flow tests weekly, providing vital insights into COVID-19 prevalence in the broader community. The sample will be structured to broadly reflect key population characteristics.

Covid-19 vaccine maker Novavax on Wednesday said it expects revenue this year to be flat or lower as it works to improve its commercial performance and pick up market share from much larger rivals, Pfizer and Moderna. The company posted a larger-than-expected fourth-quarter loss as revenue lagged analysts' estimates. Chief executive John Jacobs said Novavax claimed just a low-single-digit percentage market share in the US during the most recent vaccination campaign, as demand for Covid vaccines was smaller than hoped and the company got its protein-based shot to market later than its messenger RNA-based rivals. "We were disappointed with that US performance," Jacobs said in an interview. He said the company's sales force was not targeted enough toward retail pharmacy chains, and that its 5-dose vials were not as convenient for use as rivals' pre-filled syringes.

Britain on Tuesday (January 4) faced warnings of an impending hospital crisis due to staff shortages caused by a wave of Omicron infections, as the country returned to work after Christmas. However, Britain's vaccine minister said hospitalised Covid-19 patients were showing less severe symptoms than before, adding that there was no need for further restrictions at this stage. Prime minister Boris Johnson resisted imposing stringent lockdown measures in England ahead of New Year as Omicron fuelled a spike in cases to record highs. While hospitalisations are rising they have not tracked the trajectory of daily cases, possibly reflecting the impact of vaccines and booster shots, the likely lower severity of Omicron and the time lag in people going into hospital. "At the moment, if you look at the people who have been hospitalised, they are going in with less severe conditions than before," minister for Vaccines and Public Health Maggie Throup told Sky News, adding that the "Plan B" Johnson brought in in December was working. "The numbers that are in hospital beds is about half what it was a year ago - and that just shows the power of the vaccine."

New GSK raised its 2022 forecast for the second time this year, after third-quarter earnings and sales topped estimates, continuing its strong start as a standalone prescription medicine and vaccine business since carving out its consumer health division Haleon. After years of underperformance relative to its peers and missing out on the lucrative market for the first set of COVID-19 vaccines, GSK has delivered a string of strong results. The latest is led by a record quarter for its blockbuster shingles vaccine Shingrix and higher-than-expected revenue from its COVID therapy, Xevudy. Having survived a revolt by activist investors Elliott and Bluebell last year, GSK's prospects have been boosted by clinical trial success, though concerns remain around U.S. litigation over heartburn drug Zantac. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed in the United States against a raft of drugmakers over allegations the heartburn drug contains a probable carcinogen.

The British scientists behind one of the major therapeutic Covid-19 trials have turned their focus to treatments for monkeypox, a viral disease that has been labelled a global health emergency by the World Health Organization. The team from Oxford University behind the so-called RECOVERY trial - which honed in on four effective Covid treatments - on Tuesday unveiled a new trial, dubbed PLATINUM, to confirm whether Siga Technologies' tecovirimat is an effective treatment for monkeypox. Although there are vaccines developed for the closely related smallpox that can reduce the risk of catching monkeypox, there are currently no treatments that have been proven to help hasten recovery in those who develop the disease. The UK has over 3,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox. The virus is transmitted chiefly through close contact with an infected person. It typically causes mild symptoms including fever, rash, swollen lymph nodes and pus-filled skin lesions. Severe cases can occur, though people tend to recover within two to four weeks. Siga's drug, branded Tpoxx, has been cleared to treat diseases caused by the family of orthopoxvirus that includes smallpox, monkeypox and cowpox by the European Union and United Kingdom, but due to limited trial data it is generally only used in severe cases in Britain.

British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline beat first-quarter sales and earnings forecasts on Wednesday (April 27), helped by demand for its Covid-19 therapy and shingles vaccine, as the company moves towards the July separation of its consumer health business. Profit after tax jumped 68 percent to £1.8 billion ($2.3 billion, 2.1 billion euros) compared with the start of 2021. Sales climbed 32 percent to almost £9.8 billion. "We have delivered strong first-quarter results in this landmark year for GSK, as we separate consumer healthcare and start a new period of sustained growth," chief executive Emma Walmsley said in the earnings statement. "Our results reflect further good momentum across speciality medicines and vaccines, including the return to strong sales growth for Shingrix and continuing pipeline progress." The shingles vaccine generated £698 million in quarterly sales, beating analyst estimates of 528 million. Walmsley is seeking to reshape GSK after facing fierce investor criticism over the company's delay in producing Covid jabs and treatments.

Thirty-five generic drug manufacturers will make a more affordable version of Pfizer's anti-Covid pill for the world's poorer nations, in licensing deals announced Thursday (17) by a UN-backed organisation. The global Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) signed agreements with three dozen manufacturers to produce the oral Covid-19 treatment nirmatrelvir for supply in 95 low- and middle-income countries. US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer signed a licence agreement with the MPP in November. The MPP, in turn, issued sub-licences to the generic drugs makers. The deals announced Thursday will "help ensure access to our oral Covid-19 treatment for patients in need around the world", said Pfizer chairman Albert Bourla.

Covid-vaccine maker AstraZeneca said Friday that profits fell sharply in the first half on ballooning costs linked to its takeover of US biotech firm Alexion. The pharmaceutical group added that sales of its Covid-19 vaccine Vaxzevria slumped 49 percent in the second quarter. Net profit slumped 64 per cent to $746 million compared with the first six months of last year, AstraZeneca said in a statement. Operating expenses jumped 33 percent, "reflecting the addition of Alexion, and continued investment in new launches and the pipeline" of drugs, the group said. That offset a 48-percent jump in revenue to more than $22 billion. Revenue rose strongly thanks to sales of Alexion medicines. The group said annual revenue from Covid-19 medicines is anticipated to be broadly flat compared with 2021.

AstraZeneca said its antibody cocktail against Covid-19 would - unlike its vaccine - be priced commercially as it negotiates supply contracts with governments around the globe. "We are looking at a commercial pricing strategy. That is part of our negotiations with governments," Iskra Reic, Astra's executive vice president for vaccines and immune therapies, said in a media call on Thursday. She added that the group's main objective was to make the shot affordable and broadly available.

Moderna has joined one of the UK's leading pharmaceutical industry body, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) to expand its footprint and investment in the UK. The biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines will strengthen its footprint with the new state-of-the-art vaccine research, development and manufacturing facility in the UK. It will create valuable new jobs and build on the strength of the UK's life sciences ecosystem. The company is best known for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic and are now developing a range of mRNA-based vaccines for a number of conditions. The ABPI represents companies of all sizes who invest in discovering the medicines of the future, including some of the world's largest, most innovative, and most successful pharmaceutical firms. Darius Hughes, UK General Manager, Moderna, said: "We are delighted to join the ABPI - this alliance is an important part of our long-term commitment to the UK and supports the wider significant investments in manufacturing, research and development we are making in this country.

NHS moves a step ahead towards its efforts to address covid-19 backlogs by opening a new 'planned care' hospital in Berkshire dedicated to non-emergency treatment. Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot, part of Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, will focus on cutting waits for routine care with staff prioritising patients who have been waiting longest, including for orthopaedic and ophthalmology services. The hospital houses six operating theatres, 48 inpatient beds and 22 day-case cubicles and provides surgical, diagnostic and outpatient care, and will treat patients across Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey. There will also be a range of outpatient services under the same roof including gynaecology, urology and cardiology services. These will be supported by services offering patients endoscopy, physiotherapy, phlebotomy and radiology checks and treatments.

Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam has announced that he will step down as deputy chief medical officer (DCMO) for England at the end of March to take up a new role at the University of Nottingham. He joined Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on secondment from the university in 2017, and will soon return to be the pro-vice-chancellor for Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Professor Van-Tam said: "My time as DCMO have been the most challenging of my professional career, especially the Covid response. We all wish Covid had never happened. Notwithstanding, it has been the greatest privilege of my professional career to have served the people of the UK during this time. "I want to pay tribute to Professor Chris Whitty, the CMO team, my fellow scientists, public health professionals and clinicians whose support, wisdom and energy has been inspiring. "I will continue to work until the end of March and look forward to the next challenge." As the DCMO for Health Protection, he has played key roles in various incidents, including domestic outbreaks of MERS and monkeypox, 2017 to 2018 influenza season and during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that there has been a continued increase in cases of whooping cough (pertussis) across England since the start of this year. According to new data published by the agency on Thursday (7 March), 553 new cases of whooping cough were confirmed in January alone, compared with 858 cases for the whole of last year (2023). The country is witnessing a surge in whooping cough cases after a prolonged period of low case numbers, attributed to restrictions and reduced social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. England recorded the highest number of whooping cough cases in 2016, recording 5,949 cases. As the ongoing rise coincides with a steady decline in the vaccination rates among pregnant women and children, UKHSA has strongly encouraged mums-to-be to get the maternal pertussis vaccine so that their young baby is protected against this serious disease.

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. The world has never had access to the kind of real-time information for these viruses that scientists obtained on SARS-CoV-2 through sequencing millions of genomes, Ewan Harrison, head of the new Respiratory Virus and Microbiome Initiative, told reporters on Monday. That includes granular detail on how they transmit as well as how they evolve in the face of the human immune response. "We hope that by expanding our ability to sequence these viruses routinely, we can build upon the work that's going on COVID, and hopefully supercharge research efforts to understand the transmission of these viruses, but also to help develop new treatments and vaccines," Harrison said.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has appointed Susan Rienow, country president of Pfizer, as its vice president. "As vice president, she will support the president, Pinder Sahota, general manager and corporate vice president of Novo Nordisk UK, in delivering his priorities. These are improving access to medicines, delivering economic growth and helping to find solutions to big societal challenges such as climate change, AMR, and inequalities," said ABPI in a statement. At Pfizer, Susan leads the organisation to bring the power of innovation, data and technology together to transform healthcare and improve outcomes for patients. She previously led Pfizer UK's vaccines business unit during the Covid-19 pandemic.

NHS England delivered 358 million general practice (GP) appointments, including Covid-19 vaccinations, in the 12 months to October 2023, an increase of 50.9 million compared to October 2019. This equals to 44 more appointments per practice per working day, with over 70 per cent of these taking place within two weeks of booking, data published by NHSE on Thursday (30 November) showed. Health Minister, Andrea Leadsom, thanked GPs and primary care teams across the country for making it possible to deliver around 32,500 more appointments every day, which clearly demonstrate that "more people are getting the care they need, when they need it." "While this is positive news, we know that there is more to do to make it easier and quicker for patients to contact their general practice and continue to focus on delivering the Primary Care Recovery Plan," she added. The Primary Care Recovery Plan published earlier this year is focused on improving access to primary care. It provided GPs in England with £240 million to support them to embrace the latest technology to tackle the 8am rush, and handle more appointments. As of August 2023, more than 1,000 general practices had signed up to digital upgrades to make booking GP appointments easier.

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.

Kamila Hawthorne, the chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Council, was honoured with the GG2 Woman of the Year Award at the annual GG2 Leadership and Diversity Awards, held at the Park Plaza Hotel on Tuesday, 5 March. Hawthorne has been a practitioner and a mentor to young GPs for almost 35 years, and has led pioneering research projects focusing on health inequalities, diabetes and heart disease. She has been recognised twice as GP of the Year for her work with minority ethnic communities. Professor Kiran Patel, Group Chief Medical Officer at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, was named the GG2 Man of the Year Award. Apart from being a sought-after cardiologist and consultant, Patel also possesses a wealth of experience in managerial roles. He has done a lot of work in addressing health inequalities, and notably, in 2020, he prescribed the very first COVID-19 vaccine.