Health News Roundup: Moderna CEO to testify in senate on proposed vaccine price hike; WHO maintains public health emergency alert for mpox and more

In January, Sanders had written to Bancel to refrain from quadrupling the price of COVID-19 vaccine, after Moderna said it was considering pricing its vaccine at $110 to $130 per dose in the United States, when it shifts from government contracting to commercial distribution. U.S. FDA panel backs OTC opioid overdose drug, proposes label changes Emergent BioSolutions Inc's over-the-counter version of opioid overdose reversing drug received unanimous support from U.S. Food and Drug Administration's panel of advisers, sending shares of the contract drugmaker up nearly 16% after market.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Moderna CEO to testify in senate on proposed vaccine price hike

Senator Bernie Sanders said on Wednesday Moderna Inc's chief executive officer Stéphane Bancel will testify next month in front of the senate on the drugmaker's plans to raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine. In January, Sanders had written to Bancel to refrain from quadrupling the price of COVID-19 vaccine, after Moderna said it was considering pricing its vaccine at $110 to $130 per dose in the United States, when it shifts from government contracting to commercial distribution.

WHO maintains public health emergency alert for mpox

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said mpox remained a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), its highest level of alert, citing continued transmission in some countries. Mpox - which spreads via close contact and tends to cause flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions - was declared a global health emergency by the WHO in July 2022. The organisation maintained its alert in November.

U.S. FDA panel backs OTC opioid overdose drug, proposes label changes

Emergent BioSolutions Inc's over-the-counter version of opioid overdose reversing drug received unanimous support from U.S. Food and Drug Administration's panel of advisers, sending shares of the contract drugmaker up nearly 16% after market. The vote puts the naloxone-based treatment Narcan on track to potentially become the first opioid overdose drug to be sold OTC nationwide. Naloxone rapidly reverses or blocks the effects of an overdose, restoring normal respiration.

U.S. Republicans target transgender youth healthcare in legislative push

Republican legislators across the United States have escalated a campaign to ban certain healthcare for transgender youth, in some cases seeking to charge parents and doctors with child abuse if they provide treatment. This year's legislative agenda, unprecedented in the number and scope of bills around transgender issues, also includes measures to block teachers from using pronouns that match a student's gender identity, ban trans girls from playing on girls' sports teams and require trans people to use the bathroom corresponding to their sex assigned at birth.

Explainer-What we know about China's medical reform protests

Hundreds of people in the Chinese cities of Wuhan and Dalian protested against medical benefit cuts on Wednesday in the latest display of public discontent after rare nationwide demonstrations last year over strict COVID curbs. Here is what we know about the protests.

Explainer-Bird flu: what are the risks to people and animals?

Countries ranging from the United States and Britain to France and Japan have suffered record losses of poultry in outbreaks of avian flu in the past year. The disease, which experts said is being spread by migratory birds, reached South American nations such as Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia for the first time.

Labcorp beats quarterly profit estimates

Laboratory Corp of America Holdings on Thursday beat quarterly profit estimates, helped by strength in its diagnostics business and demand for its drug development services. Test providers such as Quest Diagnostics and Abbott Laboratories have seen a rebound in demand for routine testing in the recent quarters, helping them cushion a decline in revenues from COVID-19 tests.

Fukushima wastewater release would have limited impact on South Korean waters - study

The release of waste water from Japan's wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant would have a negligible effect on South Korean waters, according to a government study published on Thursday. "That change would be too small to detect," an official at the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology said.

Bird flu spreads to new countries, threatens non-stop "war" on poultry

Avian flu has reached new corners of the globe and become endemic for the first time in some wild birds that transmit the virus to poultry, according to veterinarians and disease experts, who warn it is now a year-round problem. Reuters spoke to more than 20 experts and farmers on four continents who said the prevalence of the virus in the wild signals that record outbreaks will not abate soon on poultry farms, ramping up threats to the world's food supply. They warned that farmers must view the disease as a serious risk all year, instead of focusing prevention efforts during spring migration seasons for wild birds.

Analysis-U.S. food benefits for poor to shrink as pandemic provisions end

Low-income Americans will soon receive less in food assistance or completely lose their eligibility for the benefits, as the federal government ends policies adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that kept millions from going hungry at a time of lockdowns and rising unemployment. Anti-hunger advocates warned that the looming drop in aid could undo progress toward a Biden administration goal to end U.S. hunger by 2030. The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives may also pursue further cuts to food assistance to shrink the U.S. deficit.