Health News Roundup: Merck could keep its patent edge by shifting Keytruda cancer drug to a simple shot; China reports 34,980 new COVID cases for Dec 1 vs 36,061 a day earlier and more

Y-mAbs said it is assessing the implications of the Food and Drug Administration's complete response letter (CRL) and the company's plans for the drug's development program. Indonesian families sue drug regulator, govt after children die of kidney disease More than a dozen parents are suing Indonesia's drug regulator and health ministry for allowing into the country medications linked to acute kidney injury that killed their children or damaged their organs, their lawyer told Reuters on Friday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Merck could keep its patent edge by shifting Keytruda cancer drug to a simple shot

U.S. drugmaker Merck & Co hopes to patent a new formulation of its $20 billion cancer immunotherapy Keytruda that can be injected under the skin, allowing it to protect its best-selling drug from competition expected as soon as 2028. For years Merck has relied on Keytruda to fuel its growth. The treatment, approved in 2014, harnesses the body's own immune system to fight cancers with dramatic results. Against advanced lung cancer, it has led to a five-year survival rate in about one-quarter of people compared to 5% of people historically.

China reports 34,980 new COVID cases for Dec 1 vs 36,061 a day earlier

China reported a slight dip in new daily COVID-19 cases on Dec. 1 with 34,980 infections, of which 4,278 were symptomatic and 30,702 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Friday. That is compared with 36,061 new cases a day earlier – 4,150 symptomatic and 31,911 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately.

Inside China's fight over the future of zero-COVID

Samuel Ren is sick of zero-COVID. "Omicron is not a threat, it is just like a normal cold," said the IT worker in his mid-20s in Shanghai, describing China's ongoing lockdown measures as "ridiculous".

Roivant, Pfizer team up on inflammatory disease drug

Biotech firm Roivant Sciences on Thursday launched a company with Pfizer Inc focused on an experimental bowel disease treatment, as the drugmakers seek to tap into a multibillion-dollar market. The drug, RVT-3101, was originally developed by Pfizer, which will hold a 25% stake in the new business, with Roivant holding the majority interest.

U.S. FDA declines to approve Y-mAbs's pediatric cancer drug

The U.S. health regulator on Thursday declined to approve a treatment from Y-mAbs Therapeutics for a rare form of nerve cancer in pediatric patients, dragging the company's shares down 16% in extended trading. Y-mAbs said it is assessing the implications of the Food and Drug Administration's complete response letter (CRL) and the company's plans for the drug's development program.

Indonesian families sue drug regulator, govt after children die of kidney disease

More than a dozen parents are suing Indonesia's drug regulator and health ministry for allowing into the country medications linked to acute kidney injury that killed their children or damaged their organs, their lawyer told Reuters on Friday. Nearly 200 children have died of acute kidney injury in Indonesia this year and authorities have said two ingredients, ethylene glycol, and diethyelene glycol, found in some syrup-based paracetamol medications are linked to the illness.

Sanofi says any offer for Horizon Therapeutics, if made, will be in cash

French drugmaker Sanofi said on Friday that if it decides to bid for biotech company Horizon Therapeutics Plc, it would do so in cash. Horizon Therapeutics Plc, which has a market capitalization of about $18 billion, is in talks with Amgen Inc, Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen Global Services over potential takeover offers.

Exclusive: Reckitt expects U.S. infant formula shortage until spring

The near year-long infant formula shortage in the United States that prompted the intervention of the White House is likely to "persist" until spring, according to Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of what is now the biggest brand in the market, Enfamil. Panicked parents had earlier this year emptied the baby formula aisles at supermarkets after former top U.S. manufacturer Abbott Laboratories in February recalled dozens of types of its Similac, Alimentum and EleCare formulas.

Relief and worry as major Chinese cities ease COVID curbs

Further easing of COVID-19 testing requirements and quarantine rules in some Chinese cities was met with a mix of relief and worry on Friday, as hundreds of millions await an expected shift in national virus policies after widespread social unrest. The looser measures were welcomed by workers frustrated by three years of economically damaging curbs but have jolted others who suddenly feel more exposed to a disease authorities had consistently described as deadly until this week.

Pharmacy owner in deadly 2012 U.S. meningitis outbreak gets 1 year in prison

A co-owner of a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy whose mold-tainted drugs sparked a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak in 2012 was sentenced on Thursday to one year in prison for deceiving regulators to avoid federal oversight before the tragedy. Gregory Conigliaro was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston after a federal appeals court last year revived his conviction for conspiring to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ahead of the outbreak.

(With inputs from agencies.)