Health News Roundup: Widening U.S. outbreak stirs fear of resurgence; Biogen moves forward with potential Alzheimer's drug and more

Coronavirus tricks the body into attacking the brain Exclusive: EU secures potential COVID-19 drugs from Roche, Germany's Merck The European Commission has struck deals with drugmakers Roche and Merck KGaA to secure supplies of experimental treatments for COVID-19, a Commission source told Reuters on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Widening U.S. outbreak stirs fear of resurgence in early hard-hit states

New Jersey on Wednesday adopted one of the toughest coronavirus face mask orders in the United States and New York City unveiled a plan to have students return to classrooms for two or three days a week, as cases skyrocketed in other parts of the country. New Jersey and New York, the hardest-hit states at the outset of the U.S. outbreak, are desperate to preserve the progress they have made in containing the virus in the face of its resurgence elsewhere, primarily the U.S. South and West.

Biogen moves forward with potential Alzheimer's drug, seeks U.S. approval

Biogen Inc said on Wednesday it submitted an application seeking U.S. approval of its closely watched Alzheimer's drug, as the company aims to be the first to bring a treatment to market that can alter the course of the mind-wasting disease. Biogen shares were up nearly 5% at $281.34 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq.

Nonprofits urge Johnson & Johnson to halt sales of Baby Powder globally

More than 170 nonprofit groups on Wednesday called for Johnson & Johnson to stop selling its talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder world-wide, citing concerns that it contains cancer-causing asbestos, according to a statement from advocacy group Black Women for Wellness. The groups, which include educational institutions such as Emory University and activist groups such as Greenpeace, among others, also want the company to recall existing inventory in North America.

Potential COVID-19 vaccine not 'single solution' to pandemic, Johnson & Johnson CEO says

U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson aims to begin clinical testing of its COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks and produce billions of doses in 2021, chief executive officer Alex Gorsky said on Wednesday but cautioned that it will take more than one vaccine to rein in the virus. Gorsky said it was a good thing other companies are experimenting with different approaches to vaccines, in part because different vaccines might work better in different groups of people.

Gilead begins testing inhalable form of remdisivir for COVID-19

Gilead Sciences Inc said on Wednesday it has started an early-stage study of its antiviral COVID-19 treatment remdesivir that can be inhaled, for use outside of hospitals. The company said the trial, which will enroll about 60 healthy Americans aged between 18 and 45, will test the drug particularly in those cases where the disease has not progressed to require hospitalization.

Russian firm gets approval for drug said to block coronavirus replication

Russia has approved a new antiviral drug, Coronavir, to treat COVID-19 patients, its developer R-Pharm said on Wednesday, as Russia's tally of infections hit 700,000. It said a clinical trial involving mild or medium-level cases had shown the drug to be highly effective in inhibiting replication of the new coronavirus.

U.S. CDC reports 2,982,900 coronavirus cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday reported 2,982,900 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 50,304 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 932 to 131,065. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on July 7 compared with its previous report a day earlier.

Scientists warn of potential wave of COVID-linked brain damage

Scientists warned on Wednesday of a potential wave of coronavirus-related brain damage as new evidence suggested COVID-19 can lead to severe neurological complications, including inflammation, psychosis, and delirium. A study by researchers at University College London (UCL)described 43 cases of patients with COVID-19 who suffered either temporary brain dysfunction, strokes, nerve damage, or other serious brain effects.

Virus tricks the body into attacking brain; common heartburn drugs linked to coronavirus risk

The following is a brief roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Coronavirus tricks the body into attacking the brain.

Exclusive: EU secures potential COVID-19 drugs from Roche, Germany's Merck

The European Commission has struck deals with drugmakers Roche and Merck KGaA to secure supplies of experimental treatments for COVID-19, a Commission source told Reuters on Wednesday. The deals cover Roche's arthritis drug RoActemra and Merck's multiple sclerosis drug Rebif - both seen as potential COVID-19 therapies - and will secure supplies for any of the 27 European Union member states wanting to buy them, the source said.

(With inputs from agencies.)