Health News Roundup: WHO recommends use of two antibody drugs against Ebola; Abortion drug maker drops challenge to Mississippi ban and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. U.S. to boost monkeypox vaccine supply with 1.8 million extra doses The United States said on Thursday it will boost its supply of monkeypox vaccine by making available an extra 1.8 million doses of Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos shot, as the number of reported cases in the country rose above 13,500.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. to boost monkeypox vaccine supply with 1.8 million extra doses

The United States said on Thursday it will boost its supply of monkeypox vaccine by making available an extra 1.8 million doses of Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos shot, as the number of reported cases in the country rose above 13,500. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gave the figure for reported cases as of Aug.17, which represent more than a third of the global total of 39,000, at a White House briefing.

Britain faces 'humanitarian crisis' as energy costs soar, says health lobby

Britain faces a "humanitarian crisis" this winter when the difficult choices forced upon low-income households by soaring energy bills could cause serious physical and mental illness, a healthcare lobby group said on Friday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resisted calls to provide more support to households struggling with higher bills, insisting his government will leave major fiscal decisions to the next prime minister who takes office in early September.

WHO recommends use of two antibody drugs against Ebola

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday recommended two monoclonal antibody treatments against Ebola, saying the use of such drugs combined with better care had "revolutionised" the treatment of a disease once seen as a near-certain killer. The drugs - Regeneron's Inmazeb (REGN-EB3) and Ridgeback Bio's Ebanga (mAb114) - use laboratory-made monoclonal antibodies that mimic natural antibodies in fighting off infections.

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a ceremony to thank and praise military medics for spearheading the country's fight against the coronavirus in the capital Pyongyang, state media said. Following is a summary of other recent developments in the pandemic:

EU backs changing monkeypox vaccine injection method to boost supply

European countries could stretch out limited supplies of the monkeypox vaccine by administering smaller doses of the shot, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Friday. The agency's advice is in line with the so-called fractional dosing approach endorsed by U.S. regulators in which one vial of the vaccine can be used to administer up to five separate doses - instead of a single dose - by injecting a smaller amount in between layers of the skin (intradermal injection).

Canada OKs Pfizer COVID booster for kids 5-11, sees monkeypox cases slow

Canada's health ministry on Friday said it had authorized the use of Pfizer Inc's and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine as a booster for children five to 11 years old at least six months after receiving their initial two doses. The authorization for a booster shot was granted after a thorough, independent review of the vaccine, which "provides good protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death," the health ministry wrote on Twitter.

Fresenius SE CEO to quit after earnings outlook sours

Fresenius SE said its long-serving Chief Executive Stephan Sturm would quit, to be replaced by the head of its drugs unit, after the diversified group's earnings were hit following the COVID pandemic and a surge in costs. Michael Sen, a former management board member of Siemens and finance chief of E.ON, who now runs hospital drugs division Kabi, will take the helm on Oct. 1, the company said on Friday.

FDA asks Pfizer to test second Paxlovid course in patients with COVID rebound

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered Pfizer Inc to test the effects of an additional course of its antiviral Paxlovid among people who experience a rebound in COVID-19 after treatment, the regulator said on Friday. The drugmaker must produce initial results of a randomized controlled trial of a second course of the antiviral by Sept. 30 next year, the FDA told Pfizer in a letter dated Aug. 5.

Abortion drug maker drops challenge to Mississippi ban

A manufacturer of mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortions, on Thursday dropped its legal fight to sell the drug in Mississippi after the state banned nearly all abortions. GenBioPro Inc said it was voluntarily dismissing its lawsuit in a filing in federal court in Jackson. The company had argued that federal regulators' approval of mifepristone to induce abortion at up to 10 weeks of pregnancy overrode the state's prohibition on nearly all abortions.

Axsome's depression drug enters competitive market after U.S. approval

Axsome Therapeutics Inc on Friday gained U.S. approval for its treatment for depression, giving more than 20 million Americans affected by the disorder a new option in a market crowded by older drugs. Shares of the U.S.-based company, which expects to launch the drug in the fourth quarter, surged 25% in early trade.

(With inputs from agencies.)