Health News Roundup: U.S. FDA lifts hold on Bluebird's sickle cell disease therapy; Medical device makers drop products as EU law sows chaos and more

Shares of the drugmaker surged more than three-fold on Monday after the positive data on resmetirom - a potential treatment for NASH, or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, the fastest-growing cause of liver transplants. Medical device makers drop products as EU law sows chaos Nicola Osypka's German company has been selling medical devices used in surgery on newborn babies in Europe for decades, but new European Union rules have forced her to make tough decisions.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

AstraZeneca wins EU backing for heart drug, but suffers lung cancer setback

AstraZeneca on Monday won European endorsement for its blockbuster drug, dapagliflozin, as a treatment for all forms of heart failure, the company said. The drug, which belongs to a class of medicines called SGLT2 inhibitors and is branded as Forxiga in the European Union, raked in about $1 billion in sales in the first three quarters of 2022.

China's capital Beijing to speed up imports of COVID drugs - official

China's capital Beijing will speed up global procurement of COVID-related drugs to relieve pressure from domestic shortages, and expedite clearance for inbound shipments, a Beijing pharmaceuticals official said at a press conference on Monday.

U.S. FDA lifts hold on Bluebird's sickle cell disease therapy

Bluebird Bio Inc said on Monday that the U.S. health regulator had lifted a partial clinical hold on studies for its gene therapy to treat blood disorder sickle cell disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision ends a year-long halt on future studies and a pause in enrollment for ongoing studies of lovo-cel after one case of persistent anemia in a patient.

Madrigal leads race for NASH treatments after trial success, shares surge

Madrigal Pharmaceuticals' experimental drug met the main goals in a eagerly anticipated late-stage study, propelling it to the forefront in the race for the first approved treatment for patients with advanced liver scarring. Shares of the drugmaker surged more than three-fold on Monday after the positive data on resmetirom - a potential treatment for NASH, or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, the fastest-growing cause of liver transplants.

Medical device makers drop products as EU law sows chaos

Nicola Osypka's German company has been selling medical devices used in surgery on newborn babies in Europe for decades, but new European Union rules have forced her to make tough decisions. Under the regulations designed to prevent another health scandal, such as the one in 2010 involving ruptured breast implants made by Poly Implant Prothese, companies must apply for new certificates for their medical equipment.

Macau government cancels COVID risk zones for mainland China

Macau's government said on Monday that it would cancel its regulations on risk zones in mainland China starting from Tuesday, the latest unwinding of stringent COVID-19 rules that have hammered revenues in the world's biggest gambling hub. In addition, all arrivals into Macau via the mainland, including from overseas, need to show a negative COVID test conducted within the last 72 hours, versus 48 hours previously, the government said.

China reports first COVID deaths in weeks as official count questioned

China reported its first COVID-related deaths in weeks on Monday amid rising doubts over whether the official count was capturing the full toll of a disease that is ripping through cities after the government relaxed strict anti-virus controls.

Monday's two deaths were the first to be reported by the National Health Commission (NHC) since Dec. 3, days before Beijing announced that it was lifting curbs which had largely kept the virus in check for three years but triggered widespread protests last month.

COVID-19 still Spain's leading cause of deaths this year

The number of deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic fell by almost a third in Spain in the first half of this year from a year ago, but the illness provoked by the virus remained the leading cause of fatalities, official data showed on Monday. Spain's statistics agency INE said 20,915 people died from COVID-19 in the first half of 2022, according to provisional data, down from 29,300 during the same period in 2021.

'I don't trust it:' Vaccine hesitancy lingers even as China COVID cases surge

Headhunter Candice knows the COVID-19 infections engulfing Beijing and much of China will soon hit her home of Shenzhen city, but she would rather face it without a vaccine booster, saying she fears potential side effects more than the virus. The 28-year-old took two doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac last year, hoping it would make travel easier, but she has since grown more sceptical, citing stories from friends about health impacts, as well as similar health warnings on social media.