Health News Roundup: North Dakota's top court will not revive state's abortion ban; U.S. FDA advisers vote in favor of full approval for Pfizer's COVID pill Paxlovid and more

The flood of COVID-relief aid -- $5.2 trillion in all -- that Congress approved in 2020 and 2021 under Republican President Donald Trump and his Democratic successor Joe Biden has emerged as an early target for House of Representatives Republicans as they search for ways to rein in federal spending. Pfizer to replace migraine drug packaging over child safety concerns Pfizer Inc said on Thursday it was working on a new child-proof packaging for its migraine drug, Nurtec ODT, after safety concerns led to a recall alert from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

North Dakota's top court will not revive state's abortion ban

North Dakota's Supreme Court on Thursday refused to revive a strict abortion ban previously blocked by a lower court, finding that the ban violates a state constitutional right to abortion to preserve the mother's life or health. The ruling means that abortion remains legal in North Dakota for now.

U.S. FDA advisers vote in favor of full approval for Pfizer's COVID pill Paxlovid

Advisers to the U.S. health regulator on Thursday voted in favor of recommending a full approval for Pfizer's COVID-19 pill Paxlovid in adults at high risk of progression to severe disease. The Food and Drug Administration's panel of external advisers voted 16-to-1 in favor of the drug's benefits outweighing its risk for some adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

Sarepta slides as surprise FDA panel meeting adds uncertainty for gene therapy

Shares of Sarepta Therapeutics Inc slumped 18% in premarket trade on Friday due to uncertainty over approval of its gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy after the U.S. health regulator reversed its decision on whether to hold a panel meeting. Sarepta said late Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration planned to hold a meeting of its independent experts to review the gene therapy, less than a month after saying it would not do so.

Veterans, carpenters and vaccines: What's at stake if US COVID aid is canceled

A Republican proposal to cancel unspent COVID-19 relief money could undercut healthcare for military veterans and pensions for blue-collar workers while doing little to improve the U.S. fiscal picture, a Reuters review of federal spending figures found. The flood of COVID-relief aid -- $5.2 trillion in all -- that Congress approved in 2020 and 2021 under Republican President Donald Trump and his Democratic successor Joe Biden has emerged as an early target for House of Representatives Republicans as they search for ways to rein in federal spending.

Pfizer to replace migraine drug packaging over child safety concerns

Pfizer Inc said on Thursday it was working on a new child-proof packaging for its migraine drug, Nurtec ODT, after safety concerns led to a recall alert from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Consumers should immediately secure the recalled product out of the sight and reach of children and contact Pfizer for a free child-resistant pouch to store it, the CPSC said.

Novo Nordisk suspended from UK lobby group

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has been suspended from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) for two years over what the ABPI on Thursday described as "serious breaches" of its code of practice. ABPI's statement linked to a website of a self-regulatory body run by the association that pointed to a complaint alleging that Novo Nordisk had sponsored courses on weight management on LinkedIn for health professionals, without making clear the company's involvement.

Alzheimer's Association lobbies for Medicare coverage of Leqembi and other drugs

The Alzheimer's Association has deployed 1,000 people diagnosed with, or caring for someone with the disease, to meet with all 535 members of Congress across the United States and urge them to press Medicare for early access to a new class of drugs, beginning with lecanemab, that promise to slow the disease. The grassroots lobbying campaign, which has not been reported in detail, is being led by state-based chapters, according to interviews with four Association national and local officials.

Vaccine-derived poliovirus detected in Burundi, Congo

Health officials in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have detected cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus, the World Health Organization and Global Polio Eradication Initiative said. The WHO said the Burundian government had declared the detection of the virus a national public health emergency, after cases were confirmed in an unvaccinated four-year-old boy in Isale district in western Burundi and two other children who were his contacts.

Sanofi to cut US price of its most-prescribed insulin by 78%

Sanofi SA said on Thursday it will cut U.S. list prices for its most-prescribed insulin product, Lantus, by 78% starting next year after similar moves by rivals Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Co. The French drugmaker will also extend its $35 out-of-pocket pricing program to all patients with commercial insurance using Lantus.

Two new vaccines against bird flu effective in Dutch lab -govt

Two vaccines tested by a Dutch veterinary research centre have proved effective against highly infectious bird flu in a first experiment conducted under a controlled environment, Dutch authorities said on Friday. "Not only did the vaccines give poultry used in the lab protection against disease symptoms but they also countered the spreading of the bird flu," the Dutch government said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies.)