Health News Roundup: Trials with Oxford COVID-19 vaccine start in Brazil; Sanofi eyes approval of COVID-19 vaccine ans more

Sanofi eyes approval of COVID-19 vaccine by first half of 2021 French drugmaker Sanofi SA said on Tuesday it expects to get approval for the potential COVID-19 vaccine it is developing with Britain's GlaxoSmithKline Plc by the first half of next year, faster than previously anticipated.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Pig trial of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine shows promise with two shots

A trial in pigs of AstraZeneca's experimental COVID-19 vaccine has found that two doses of the shot produced a greater antibody response than a single dose. Research released by Britain's Pirbright Institute on Tuesday found that giving an initial prime dose followed by a booster dose of the vaccine-elicited a stronger immune response than a single dose. This suggests a two-dose approach may be more effective in getting protection against COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

Trials with Oxford COVID-19 vaccine start in Brazil

Oxford University this weekend started human clinical trials for a potential coronavirus vaccine in Brazil, sponsor Lemann Foundation said in a statement late on Monday. Trials will count on 2,000 health workers volunteers in Sao Paulo and 1,000 people in Rio de Janeiro.

New U.S. COVID-19 cases surge 25% last week; Arizona, Florida, and Texas set records

The United States saw a 25% increase in new cases of COVID-19 in the week ended June 21 compared to the previous seven days, with Arizona, Florida, and Texas experiencing record surges in new infections, a Reuters analysis found. Twenty-five U.S. states reported more new cases last week than the previous week, including 10 states that saw weekly new infections rise more than 50%, and 12 states that posted new records, according to the analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer-run effort to track the outbreak.

India's Cipla to price remdesivir version for COVID-19 under $66

Indian drugmaker Cipla Ltd will price its generic version of Gilead Sciences Inc's antiviral drug remdesivir for use in COVID-19 patients at less than 5,000 rupees ($66), the company said. Cipla and privately held Indian drugmaker Hetero Labs on Sunday gained approval to sell generic versions of remdesivir in the country. Hetero expects to price a similar 100-milligram dose of the treatment at 5,000 to 6,000 rupees.

Traffic jams signal return to normal in New York but COVID-19 cases jump elsewhere

New York City residents, gradually emerging from more than 100 days of coronavirus lockdown, celebrated an easing of social-distancing restrictions on Monday by shopping at reopened stores, dining at outdoor cafes, and getting their first haircuts in months. But even as New Yorkers, confined for weeks at the epicenter of the global pandemic, returned to some semblance of normalcy, alarming spikes in coronavirus infection rates elsewhere around the country worried public health experts.

Sanofi eyes approval of COVID-19 vaccine by first half of 2021

French drugmaker Sanofi SA said on Tuesday it expects to get approval for the potential COVID-19 vaccine it is developing with Britain's GlaxoSmithKline Plc by the first half of next year, faster than previously anticipated. Sanofi, which is hosting virtual research and development event, and GSK had said in April the vaccine, if successful, would be available in the second half of 2021.

Sanofi clinches $2 billion vaccines deal with Translate Bio

French drugmaker Sanofi has agreed to a potential $2 billion deal with U.S. biotech company Translate Bio to make vaccines, expanding their collaboration in the development of an inoculation against COVID-19. The deal strengthens Sanofi's credentials in a market engaged in a frantic race to find a safe and effective vaccine against the coronavirus disease that has killed more than 472,000 worldwide.

Inovio gets $71 million from U.S. defense department for COVID-19 vaccine device

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday it has received $71 million from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to scale up production of the company's devices that are used to administer its experimental COVID-19 vaccine into the skin. The drug developer's shares rose nearly 13% to $17.27 before the opening bell.

Bayer close to glyphosate settlement worth $8-10 billion: Handelsblatt

Bayer AG is close to agreeing on a settlement worth $8-10 billion over claims its glyphosate-based Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, German business daily Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday. The company's supervisory board was due to discuss and vote on the settlement, which includes a $2 billion buffer for future claims, in the coming days, paper cited company and negotiating partner sources as saying.

Aspen could produce 10 million dexamethasone tablets within a month: CEO

South African pharmaceutical maker Aspen could provide 10 million dexamethasone tablets within a month, CEO Stephen Saad told Reuters on Tuesday. "Aspen has looked at the short-term needs and can provide 10 million tablets in the next 3 to 4 weeks. We would look to ramp up further should there be a need for additional product," Saad said, without saying how much of the drug the company was currently producing.