Health News Roundup: Thailand U-turns on COVID vaccination rule for visitors; AstraZeneca boosts heart, kidney business with $1.8 billion CinCor deal and more

The study by researchers from healthcare provider Clalit, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Sapir College has not yet been peer reviewed. Factbox-Countries mandate COVID tests for China travellers Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China as COVID-19 cases there surged following its relaxation of "zero-COVID" rules.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Thailand U-turns on COVID vaccination rule for visitors

Thailand has rescinded an entry policy announced at the weekend requiring visitors to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination, its health minister said on Monday, citing sufficient immunisation levels in China and globally. Anutin Charnvirakul said checking evidence of vaccinations was inconvenient and a panel of heath experts had agreed to withdraw the new rule, which was announced on Saturday by aviation authorities ahead of an expected deluge of visitors from China, where COVID-19 cases have surged.

AstraZeneca boosts heart, kidney business with $1.8 billion CinCor deal

AstraZeneca said on Monday it had struck a deal to buy U.S.-based drug developer CinCor Pharma Inc for up to $1.8 billion to increase its stock of heart and kidney drugs. Core to the deal is CinCor's experimental therapy baxdrostat, which is in development to treat conditions including high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease.

Moderna meets forecast with $18.4 billion in COVID vaccine sales in 2022

Moderna Inc said on Monday it generated about $18.4 billion in COVID-19 vaccine sales in 2022, meeting its forecast of $18 billion-$19 billion for the year. The company also forecast minimum COVID-19 vaccine sales of about $5 billion in 2023, compared with its previous forecast of $4.5 billion to $5.5 billion in November.

Private equity acquires a taste for drug development

Private equity firms that deemed drug development too risky for their liking in the past are increasingly investing in the sector, raising dedicated funds and coming up with deals that compensate them for the uncertainty involved. These firms are seeking to capitalize on the growing gap between the supply of capital for clinical research and the number of drugs competing for it, eight buyout executives and investors interviewed by Reuters said.

China says talks to include Paxlovid in its health insurance drug list fail

China will not include Pfizer Inc's Paxlovid in an update to its list of medicines covered by basic medical insurance schemes as the U.S. firm quoted a high price for the COVID-19 drug, China's Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) said on Sunday. The COVID-19 antiviral drug is currently covered by the country's broad healthcare insurance scheme under temporary measures the regulator introduced in March last year as outbreaks rose.

Chinese rush to renew passports as COVID border curbs lifted

People joined long queues outside immigration offices in Beijing on Monday, eager to renew their passports after China dropped COVID border controls that had largely prevented its 1.4 billion residents from travelling for three years. Sunday's reopening is one of the last steps in China's dismantling of its "zero-COVID" regime, which began last month after historic protests against curbs that kept the virus at bay but caused widespread frustration among its people.

Fosun pharma, Genuine Biotech will donate COVID treatment Azvudine to China's rural areas

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical said on Monday it would cooperate with its charity fund and Henan Genuine Biotech to donate 100 million yuan worth of COVID treatment Azvudine to China's rural areas. The product would be donated in phases to China's central and western rural areas, covering 180 counties, the company said on its WeChat account.

Ocugen-Bharat Biotech COVID vaccine meets main goals in U.S. trial

Ocugen Inc said on Monday the COVID-19 vaccine developed by its Indian partner Bharat Biotech International Ltd met the main goals of a trial in the United States. The vaccine, sold under brand name Covaxin, showed an immune response in individuals who had not received a COVID vaccine previously as well as those vaccinated with mRNA vaccines by Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc, meeting its main goals, Ocugen said.

Omicron COVID booster cuts hospitalization in over 65s, Israeli study finds

The Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccine booster developed by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE sharply reduced hospitalizations among older patients, Israeli researchers said on Monday, in some of the first evidence of the jab's real-world effectiveness. The study by researchers from healthcare provider Clalit, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Sapir College has not yet been peer reviewed.

Factbox-Countries mandate COVID tests for China travellers

Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China as COVID-19 cases there surged following its relaxation of "zero-COVID" rules. China has rejected criticism of its COVID data. PLACES IMPOSING CURBS

(With inputs from agencies.)