Health News Roundup: Canadian federal government warns provinces against health care charges; Finding COVID-19's origins is a moral imperative - WHO's Tedros and more

The COVID vaccine maker said it will open new offices in California and Seattle, adding that its Genomics unit will expand to south San Francisco. US FDA approves Pfizer's nasal spray for migraine The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Pfizer Inc's nasal spray for migraine, giving patients access to a potentially fast-acting pain-relief option for headaches.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Canadian federal government warns provinces against health care charges

The Canadian government has warned provinces and territories to ensure that necessary medical services remain free to avoid reduction in federal funding, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said on Friday, calling a rise in cases of Canadians having to pay for health services "unacceptable". The Canada Health Act (CHA) governs the publicly funded healthcare system, which is meant to offer Canadians equitable access to medical care based on their needs, not their ability to pay.

Finding COVID-19's origins is a moral imperative - WHO's Tedros

Discovering the origins of COVID-19 is a moral imperative and all hypotheses must be explored, the head of the World Health Organization said, in the clearest indication yet that the U.N. body remains committed to finding how the virus arose. A U.S. agency was reported by the Wall Street Journal to have assessed the pandemic had likely been caused by an unintended Chinese laboratory leak, raising pressure on the WHO to come up with answers. Beijing denies the assessment which could soon become public after the U.S. House of Representatives voted this week to declassify it.

Moderna loses bid to shift liability in COVID-19 vaccine patent case

Despite the backing of the U.S. government, Moderna Inc on Friday failed to persuade a federal judge it should not have to face a patent lawsuit over its COVID-19 vaccine and that the United States should have been sued instead. U.S. District Judge Mitchell Goldberg ruled for the second time that Moderna had not yet shown that the government was the proper target of a lawsuit by Arbutus Biopharma Corp and Genevant Sciences GmbH.

US House unanimously backs COVID origins information declassification

The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously on Friday to require Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to declassify information on the origins of COVID-19, increasing pressure on President Joe Biden's administration to allow its release. The vote was 419 to 0 in favor. Since the Senate on March 1 passed the bill - by unanimous consent - it now goes to the White House for Biden to sign into law or veto.

U.S. FDA approves Acadia's genetic Rett syndrome drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc's drug for the treatment of Rett syndrome, a genetic brain disorder, the company said on Friday, making it the first approved drug for the condition. The U.S. health regulator's decision allows use of the trofinetide, to be sold under the brand name Daybue, in adult and pediatric patients two years of age and older and comes with a warning of diarrhea and weight loss.

Moderna to hire around 2,000 employees amid mRNA development push

Moderna Inc said on Friday it was planning to hire about 2,000 employees globally by 2023-end and set up new offices on the U.S. West Coast, as it aims to scale up development of new products amid declining COVID vaccine sales. The COVID vaccine maker said it will open new offices in California and Seattle, adding that its Genomics unit will expand to south San Francisco.

US FDA approves Pfizer's nasal spray for migraine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Pfizer Inc's nasal spray for migraine, giving patients access to a potentially fast-acting pain-relief option for headaches. The drug, Zavzpret, was approved for the treatment of acute migraine, the company said. Pfizer gained the drug as well as FDA-approved oral migraine pill Nurtec ODT, through its $11.6 billion buyout of Biohaven Pharmaceutical last year.

Economists warn of costs if US Medicare covers new obesity drugs

The cost of expanding U.S. Medicare prescription drug coverage to pay for expensive, new obesity medications could be catastrophic, health economists warned in a report published on Saturday. Big-selling diabetes drugs have been repurposed as obesity treatments after demonstrating weight loss of more than 20% in clinical trials. While they are far more effective than older drugs, lifetime use might be required to keep lost weight off.

How cough syrup gets poisoned

The global market for children’s over-the-counter cough, cold and allergy remedies in 2022 was worth about $2.5 billion, according to market research firm Euromonitor. These medicines combine active ingredients such as paracetamol (known as acetaminophen in the United States) to reduce fever with a syrup made from glycerin or propylene glycol that is safe, sweet and easy to swallow.

(With inputs from agencies.)