Health News Roundup: Russia's RDIF expects EMA approval of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine within two months -Ifax; EU says J&J to miss vaccine supply target in second quarter and more
Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that European Union approval of Sputnik V will be delayed because a June 10 deadline to submit data was missed, citing two people familiar with the matter. EU says J&J to miss vaccine supply target in second quarter Johnson & Johnson is expected to miss its COVID-19 vaccine supply target to the European Union for the second quarter after millions of doses were banned for use in Europe over safety concerns, an EU Commission spokesman said.
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Russia's RDIF expects EMA approval of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine within two months -Ifax
Russia's RDIF sovereign wealth fund expects to receive approval for the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 from the European Medicines Agency within two months, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday. Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that European Union approval of Sputnik V will be delayed because a June 10 deadline to submit data was missed, citing two people familiar with the matter.
EU says J&J to miss vaccine supply target in second quarter
Johnson & Johnson is expected to miss its COVID-19 vaccine supply target to the European Union for the second quarter after millions of doses were banned for use in Europe over safety concerns, an EU Commission spokesman said. The setback could cause new delays in the bloc's vaccination drive, although the EU now relies mostly on the Pfizer-BioNTech shot to inoculate its population. More than half of adults in the EU have so far received at least one shot.
Regeneron's antibody therapy cuts deaths among some hospitalised COVID-19 patients -study
A COVID-19 antibody cocktail developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and Roche reduced deaths in hospitalized patients whose own immune systems had failed to produce a response, a large British study found on Wednesday. The therapy, REGEN-COV, has been granted emergency use authorization for people with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in the United States but results from the RECOVERY trial provide the clearest evidence of its effectiveness among hospitalized patients.
Chinese media mocks U.S. donation of 80 vaccine vials to Trinidad and Tobago
Striking a blow for China's so-called vaccine diplomacy, state media have mocked the United States for calling attention to its donation of 80 vials of COVID-19 vaccines to Trinidad and Tobago. "Would this be selected for the Worst Public Relations Award of the Year?" the official Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday in an article on WeChat, which compiled more than 10 mocking tweets by other social media users under a U.S. embassy Twitter statement announcing the donation.
U.S. buys another 200 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine
Moderna Inc said on Wednesday the U.S. government has bought another 200 million doses of its authorized COVID-19 shot, including the option to purchase other coronavirus vaccine candidates from the company's pipeline. The United States has now ordered a total of 500 million Moderna vaccine doses to date, with 110 million set for delivery in the fourth quarter and 90 million to be delivered in the first quarter of 2022.
Royal Caribbean delays Odyssey of the Seas launch after crew tests positive for COVID-19
Royal Caribbean Group said on Wednesday it would delay the inaugural sailing of its Odyssey of the Seas cruise liner by nearly a month after eight crew members tested positive for COVID-19. The news comes a week after two people tested positive for the virus on one of its Celebrity cruises, where the infected travelers were quarantined.
EU approval of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine delayed, sources say
European Union approval of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine will be delayed because a June 10 deadline to submit data was missed, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters, diminishing the shot's prospects in the EU's pandemic response. One of the sources, a German government official, said the failure to provide the necessary clinical trial data to the EU medicines watchdog would postpone any go-ahead in the bloc until at least September.
France ends night-time curfew as COVID situation improves quicker-than-expected
French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday that a national night-time curfew that had been installed in France at end 2020 to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus would now end from June 20, as opposed to a previous June 30 target. Castex also said at a weekly government news briefing that COVID face masks would soon no longer be required outdoors as the situation was improving quicker than expected in the country.
First patient set to receive controversial Biogen Alzheimer's drug
A U.S. hospital on Wednesday will give the first infusion of an expensive, controversial new Alzheimer's drug from Biogen Inc before Medicare had even said what it will pay for - and with some doctors upset by its approval last week. The first administration of the drug, Aduhelm, outside of a clinical trial is scheduled to take place in Providence, Rhode Island, at Butler Hospital's Memory and Aging Program.
India says gap between vaccine doses is based on scientific evidence
India's government on Wednesday defended its decision to double the gap between the two doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to up to 16 weeks after three scientific advisers said there was no agreement on such a wide interval. On Tuesday, Reuters reported that the government increased the gap last month without the agreement of the scientific group that it said recommended the move, citing three members of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) advisory body.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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