Reuters Health News Summary

China's Fosun to end BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine trial, seek approval for another BioNTech's Chinese partner Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group does not plan to run further clinical trials of the German firm's coronavirus vaccine candidate that has completed early-stage trials in China, an executive said.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Swiss report 10,073 new coronavirus infections, 73 more deaths

Coronavirus infections rose by 10,073 in a day, data from Swiss health authorities showed on Wednesday, as the Alpine country is trying to slow the spread of COVID-19. The total confirmed cases in Switzerland and tiny neighbouring principality Liechtenstein increased to 192,376 and the death toll rose by 73 to 2,275. China's Fosun to end BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine trial, seek approval for another

BioNTech's Chinese partner Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group does not plan to run further clinical trials of the German firm's coronavirus vaccine candidate that has completed early-stage trials in China, an executive said. Fosun will focus instead on seeking Chinese approval for BioNTech's other experimental vaccine which is in final-stage human trials in the United States, Fosun's Chief Medical Officer Hui Aimin told Reuters in an interview. The vaccine candidate developed by BioNTech and U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc is under real-time regulatory review in Europe and could seek emergency use authorisation in the United States shortly after enough safety data is provided as early as this month. But the candidate known as BNT162b2 missed an earlier window to be tested in China, as Fosun had rushed into Phase 1 trials of a slightly less satisfactory candidate, BNT162b1, before early trials data overseas showed BNT162b2 is safer. Hui said he did not regret testing BNT162b1 without waiting for more complete data. "For ordinary vaccines, it does not matter if you wait for a few days, or a month," Hui said. "But for (COVID-19 vaccines), how many more people would have died had you waited just for one day?" Hui said Fosun was applying for a bridge study for BNT162b2, designed to evaluate whether the large trial data gathered overseas could be extrapolated to the populace of China. A bridge clinical trial is required for pharmaceutical products which are approved abroad but do not have data to show that ethnic differences can affect their efficacy and safety, China's National Medical Products Administration said. Hui expected the late-stage candidate could be greenlighted for use in China "around the same time" as the vaccine's global clearance. U.S. coronavirus hospitalizations hit three-month high over 50,000: Reuters tally

The number of coronavirus patients in U.S. hospitals breached 50,000 on Tuesday, the highest level in nearly three months, as a surge in infections threatens to push the nation's health care system to the edge of capacity. Texas reported the highest number of currently hospitalized patients with 5,936, followed by Illinois with 3,594 and California with 3,270 patients, according to a Reuters tally. While California has three times as many people as Illinois, new cases have been the highest per capita in the Midwest. What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Oxford vaccine trial results due this year Austrian daily coronavirus infections reach new record above 6,000

Austria's daily tally of new coronavirus infections climbed above 6,000 for the first time on Wednesday to a new record of 6,211, data from the health and interior ministries showed. Tougher nationwide restrictions aimed at bringing infections under control took effect on Tuesday, including a nightly curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the closure of cafes, bars and restaurants to all but take-away service. Theatres, cinemas and museums are also closed until the end of the month. Oxford COVID-19 vaccine results due next month, raising hopes of 2021 rollout

The University of Oxford hopes to present late-stage trial results on its COVID-19 vaccine candidate this year, raising hopes that Britain could start to roll out a successful vaccine in late December or early 2021. A vaccine that works is seen as a game-changer in the battle against the coronavirus, which has killed more than 1.2 million people worldwide, shuttered swathes of the global economy and turned normal life upside down for billions of people. Poland reports record rise in daily coronavirus cases and deaths

Poland reported a record 24,692 new coronavirus infections and 373 deaths on Wednesday, the health ministry said, amid expectations that the government would announce more restrictions to curb the pandemic. The health ministry said that, as of Wednesday, COVID-19 patients occupied 18,654 hospital beds and were using 1,625 ventilators, out of available 27,143 and 2,094 respectively. English health service preparing for pre-Christmas COVID vaccine roll-out

The National Health Service (NHS) in England is getting prepared to start distributing possible COVID-19 vaccines before Christmas in case one of the candidates is ready by the end of the year, the head of the state-run health service said. "There are over two hundred vaccines in development... we should hopefully get one or more of those available, certainly from the first part of next year," Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, told BBC radio. UK PM Johnson says will roll out COVID tests on scale never seen before

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday his government would roll out new types of COVID-19 testing "on a scale never seen before" to stem the growing pandemic when a new lockdown in England expires on Dec. 2. "At the expiry of this period on December 2 ... we will be rolling out across this country new types of testing on a scale never seen before," Johnson told parliament. Johnson & Johnson fails to overturn $2.12 billion baby powder verdict, plans Supreme Court appeal

Missouri's highest court on Tuesday refused to consider Johnson & Johnson's appeal of a $2.12 billion damages award to women who blamed their ovarian cancer on asbestos in its baby powder and other talc products. The Missouri Supreme Court let stand a June 23 decision by a state appeals court, which upheld a jury's July 2018 finding of liability but reduced J&J's payout from $4.69 billion after dismissing claims by some of the 22 plaintiffs.