Health News Roundup: EU regulator backs Takeda's dengue vaccine; Bavarian Nordic wins monkeypox vaccine order from Switzerland and more

This compared with 12 symptomatic and six asymptomatic cases the day before. Exclusive-NHS drafts stricter oversight of trans youth care England's National Health Service has drafted new guidelines for treating transgender youth that would call for local authorities to be alerted in some cases where young people have obtained puberty blockers and hormone therapies on the private market, according to a copy of the guidelines reviewed by Reuters.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

EU regulator backs Takeda's dengue vaccine

Advisers to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Friday recommended the use of a tetravalent dengue vaccine by the German unit of Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd for people aged four years and above. Dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, generally causes mild, flu-like symptoms in most people. However, some patients develop severe symptoms, with an estimated death rate of 20,000 to 25,000 each year, primarily in children, according to the World Health Organization.

Bavarian Nordic wins monkeypox vaccine order from Switzerland

Bavarian Nordic said on Friday the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health and the Swiss Armed Forces had jointly ordered 100,000 doses of its MVA-BN smallpox and monkeypox vaccine. The Danish company said in a statement it would seek regulatory approval of the vaccine in the country as part of the deal, and deliveries would start imminently.

U.S. Supreme Court rebuffs Novartis, allows generic versions of MS drug

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday turned down Novartis' bid to block the launch of generic versions of the company's blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya in a dispute with China's HEC Pharm Co Ltd and other generic drugmakers. Novartis had asked the justices to suspend a lower court's ruling that lifted a ban on generic versions of Gilenya, the Switzerland-based company's third highest-selling drug last year with $2.8 billion in sales.

Beijing reports 16 symptomatic, 8 asymptomatic COVID cases for Oct 13

China's capital Beijing reported 16 symptomatic new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and eight asymptomatic cases for Oct. 13, local government authorities said on Friday. This compared with 12 symptomatic and six asymptomatic cases the day before.

Exclusive-NHS drafts stricter oversight of trans youth care

England's National Health Service has drafted new guidelines for treating transgender youth that would call for local authorities to be alerted in some cases where young people have obtained puberty blockers and hormone therapies on the private market, according to a copy of the guidelines reviewed by Reuters. The guidelines are part of a wide-ranging review of treatment for young transgender people seeking NHS care. The current approach, which can include medical interventions, has been criticized by some practitioners who said it rushed people onto medication, and by families who complained the service could not manage fast-growing demand.

Japan's Fujifilm stops work on Avigan as COVID drug

Fujifilm Holdings Corp has ended the development of its anti-influenza drug Avigan to treat COVID-19, the firm said on Friday, after more than two years of work on a pill once hailed as Japan's biggest contribution to the global coronavirus fight.

In March, Fujifilm had cut short enrolment in a Phase III trial, saying the emergence of the Omicron variant made it tough to measure the drug's effectiveness in preventing severe symptoms.

U.S. extends COVID-19 public health emergency declaration

The United States on Thursday extended the COVID-19 pandemic's status as a public health emergency for another 90 days, thereby preserving measures like high payments to hospitals and expanded Medicaid. The extension was announced by U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra on Thursday. Last month, President Joe Biden said in an interview that "the pandemic is over," which prompted criticism from health experts.

China reports 1,456 new COVID cases for Oct 13 vs 1,624 a day earlier

China reported 1,456 new COVID-19 infections for Oct. 13, of which 313 were symptomatic and 1,143 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Friday. That compared with 1,624 new cases a day earlier - 372 symptomatic and 1,252 asymptomatic, which China counts separately.

Long COVID at 12 months persists at 18 months, study shows

Most patients with COVID-19 who have lingering symptoms at 12 months are likely to still have symptoms at 18 months, new data suggest. The findings are drawn from a large study of 33,281 people in Scotland who tested positive for the coronavirus. Most of the results are in line with those from earlier, smaller studies.

Biden to sign order seeking new prescription drug cost savings - official

President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Friday pushing federal officials to drive prescription drug costs down during a pre-election trip designed to promote Democrats' health policies, an official said. The order requires the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to outline within 90 days how it will use new models of care and payment to cut drug costs, according to the White House official, who declined to be identified previewing the president's action.

(With inputs from agencies.)