Health News Roundup: Moderna considers pricing COVID vaccine at $110-$130 - WSJ; COVID wave past its peak in many parts of China - state media and more

The justices took up Pfizer's appeal of a lower court's ruling that agreed with the government's view that the company's proposal to directly cover cost-sharing co-payments required of patients to use its Vyndaqel and Vyndamax drugs could violate a federal law called the Anti-Kickback Statute. Pfizer CEO rules out generic COVID drug Paxlovid for China Pfizer Inc is not in talks with Chinese authorities to license a generic version of its COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid for use there, but is in discussions about a price for the branded product, Chief Executive Albert Bourla said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Moderna considers pricing COVID vaccine at $110-$130 - WSJ

Moderna Inc is considering pricing its COVID-19 shot at $110 to $130 per dose in the United States when it shifts from government contracting to commercial distribution of the shots, the company's Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel told the Wall Street Journal on Monday. "I would think this type of pricing is consistent with the value," said Bancel, according to the WSJ report, adding the company was in discussions with hospital systems, pharmacies and pharmacy-benefit managers to line up distribution of its vaccine ahead of a potential fall booster shot campaign.

COVID wave past its peak in many parts of China - state media

Many parts of China are already past their peak of COVID-19 infections, state media reported on Tuesday, with officials further downplaying the severity of the outbreak despite international concerns about its scale and impact. A summary by Health Times, a publication managed by People's Daily, the Communist Party's official newspaper, said infections have been declining in the capital Beijing and several Chinese provinces. One official was quoted as saying nearly 90 million people had already been infected in Henan province.

Eisai, Biogen's Alzheimer's drug price should not dent demand - analysts

The $26,500-per-year price tag for Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen Inc's newly approved Alzheimer's disease drug is slightly above expectations, but should not dent demand for the promising therapy, Wall Street analysts said. The U.S. health regulator on Friday granted accelerated approval to the drug, Leqembi, and the decision was hailed by patient groups.

J&J may eye deals that boost eye care, surgical robots businesses - CEO

Johnson & Johnson will look for opportunities to merge with or acquire firms that add value to its focus areas of eye care, surgical robots, orthopedics and cardiovascular products, the company's Chief Executive Officer Joaquin Duato said on Monday. The healthcare giant is in the process of spinning off its consumer healthcare business under the brand Kenvue to focus on its pharmaceutical and medical devices businesses.

U.S. appeals court won't revive Zofran birth defect cases against GSK

A federal appeals court on Monday declined to revive hundreds of lawsuits by women who claim that GlaxoSmithKline Plc failed to warn them that taking the anti-nausea drug Zofran during pregnancy could cause birth defects. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal law preempts the plaintiffs' state-law claims that GSK failed to warn doctors and pregnant women that animal studies found a link between birth defects and taking Zofran.

Novavax's longtime CEO Stanley Erck to retire

Novavax Inc said on Monday its longtime chief executive officer, Stanley Erck, would retire and be succeeded by industry veteran John Jacobs, at a time when the COVID-19 vaccine maker looks to catch up with larger rivals. Novavax shares were up about 5% in premarket trade.

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.

U.S. Supreme Court rebuffs Pfizer plan to help patients pay for heart medication

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned away Pfizer Inc's bid to revive its plan to cover out-of-pocket expenses of Medicare patients for drugs costing $225,000 a year to treat a rare heart condition after federal officials found that the drugmaker's arrangement could amount to illegal kickbacks. The justices took up Pfizer's appeal of a lower court's ruling that agreed with the government's view that the company's proposal to directly cover cost-sharing co-payments required of patients to use its Vyndaqel and Vyndamax drugs could violate a federal law called the Anti-Kickback Statute.

Pfizer CEO rules out generic COVID drug Paxlovid for China

Pfizer Inc is not in talks with Chinese authorities to license a generic version of its COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid for use there, but is in discussions about a price for the branded product, Chief Executive Albert Bourla said on Monday. Reuters reported on Friday that China was in talks with Pfizer to secure a license that will allow domestic drugmakers to manufacture and distribute a generic version of the U.S. firm's COVID-19 antiviral drug Paxlovid in China.

U.S. experts recommend weight-loss drugs for obese children

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on Monday recommended use of weight-loss drugs in children ages 12 years or older for treatment of obesity, which impacts about 14.4 million kids and adolescents in the United States and can lead to serious health complications. The new guidelines - the first in over a decade - focus on the treatment of obesity, as opposed to prevention.