Health News Roundup: Regulators expected to OK Pfizer boosters for older Americans this week; Cambodia bat researchers on mission to track origin of COVID-19 and more

Biosimilars are cheaper versions of biologic drugs made from living organisms. Factbox - Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus Pfizer and BioNTech said on Monday their COVID-19 vaccine induced a robust immune response in 5- to 11- year-olds, and they plan to ask for authorization to use the shot in children in that age range in the United States, Europe and elsewhere as soon as possible.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Regulators expected to OK Pfizer boosters for older Americans this week

U.S. regulators are expected to authorize a third booster shot of the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE COVID-19 vaccine for older and some high-risk Americans early this week in time for the government to roll them out by Friday as hoped. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to give the nod to the shots for at least this group in the days ahead of a meeting of advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. The CDC panel will discuss more precise recommendations for how the shots will be administered.

Cambodia bat researchers on mission to track origin of COVID-19

Researchers are collecting samples from bats in northern Cambodia in a bid to understand the coronavirus pandemic, returning to a region where a very similar virus was found in the animals a decade ago. Two samples from horseshoe bats were collected in 2010 in Stung Treng province near Laos and kept in freezers at the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge (IPC) in Phnom Penh.

Mirati Therapeutics taps industry veteran Meek as CEO

Mirati Therapeutics Inc named industry veteran David Meek as its chief executive officer on Monday as it pushes on with the development of its promising candidates for cancer treatment. 58-year-old Meek will join the company's board and replaces Charles Baum, who has served as the president and CEO of California-based Mirati since 2012.

Indonesia reports least daily COVID-19 cases in over a year

Indonesia on Monday reported 1,932 new daily coronavirus infections, the lowest since August 2020, data from country's COVID-19 task force showed, with deaths at 166.

Thailand to try alternative COVID-19 vaccination method to stretch supplies

Doctors in Thailand have been given the go-ahead to start giving COVID-19 booster shots under the skin, rather than injecting them into muscles, officials said on Monday, in an effort to strengthen immunity and stretch vaccine supplies. Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the method, which doctors began exploring https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-explore-injecting-coronavirus-vaccines-under-skin-2021-08-19 last month, could be used at the discretion of medical professionals, providing it was supported by evidence.

CVS Health to hire 25,000 ahead of flu season, COVID-19 boosters

CVS Health Corp said on Monday it would fill as many as 25,000 clinical and retail jobs ahead of the flu season and as the United States prepares to administer booster COVID-19 vaccine shots. The company said most of the available jobs were for full-time, part-time, and temporary licensed pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and nurses, adding that it was also looking for employees to help manage its retail stores.

No target date for lifting coronavirus curbs, German govt says

The German government was not giving a target date for lifting coronavirus-related social distancing regulations since there was no certainty about how the pandemic would develop this winter, a spokesman said on Monday. Germany reported 3,736 new coronavirus infections on Monday and a seven-day incidence rate of 71 per 100,000 people, according to the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases.

U.S. FDA approves first biosimilar rival to Roche's blockbuster eye drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved South Korean drugmaker Samsung Bioepis Co Ltd and Biogen Inc's biosimilar rival to Roche Holding AG's blockbuster eye drug, Lucentis. Biosimilars are cheaper versions of biologic drugs made from living organisms.

Factbox - Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

Pfizer and BioNTech said on Monday their COVID-19 vaccine induced a robust immune response in 5- to 11- year-olds, and they plan to ask for authorization to use the shot in children in that age range in the United States, Europe and elsewhere as soon as possible. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

Pfizer/BioNTech say data show COVID-19 vaccine safe and protective in kids

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE said on Monday their COVID-19 vaccine induced a robust immune response in 5 to 11 year olds, and they plan to ask for authorization to use the vaccine in children in that age range in the United States, Europe and elsewhere as soon as possible. The companies said the vaccine generated an immune response in the 5-to-11 year olds in their Phase II/III clinical trial that matched what they had previously observed in 16-to-25 year olds. The safety profile was also generally comparable to the older age group, they said.