Health News Roundup: Novavax exec says its new COVID shot should work against variants on the rise; AstraZeneca's Tagrisso slashes death risk in certain post-surgery lung cancer patients and more

With this and earlier data, Moderna is considering seeking faster approval from regulators for the treatment, the company told investors after having presented the results at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago. Cancer drugmakers rise as industry meet fuels investor interest Shares of several cancer drug firms surged on Monday after the companies reported positive clinical trial data from their therapies at an ongoing industry conference in Chicago.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Novavax exec says its new COVID shot should work against variants on the rise

Novavax Inc's head of research and development on Monday said an updated COVID-19 vaccine the company is already producing is likely to be protective against other fast-growing coronavirus variants circulating in the U.S. Protein-based vaccines like Novavax's take longer to produce than the messenger RNA-based (mRNA) versions made by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech.

AstraZeneca's Tagrisso slashes death risk in certain post-surgery lung cancer patients

AstraZeneca's lung cancer therapy, Tagrisso, cut the risk of death by more than half in patients with a certain form of lung cancer who were diagnosed early enough to have their tumour surgically removed, trial data showed. Tagrisso is already the crown jewel in the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker's portfolio, raking in $5.4 billion last year.

Analysis-Stelara patent deal puts J&J back on path to $57 billion 2025 revenue forecast

Johnson & Johnson's legal settlement with Amgen Inc to delay a biosimilar version of its blockbuster psoriasis treatment Stelara until January 2025 could make the drug a larger contributor to J&J’s 2024 and 2025 sales than Wall Street is forecasting. Stelara, introduced in 2009, has been J&J’s top-selling drug since 2019, with sales reaching $9.7 billion in 2022. Its patents begin to expire this year, opening the door to a cheaper biosimilar entering the market, and raising expectations that the company would need to lower the $13,000 per month price of Stelara.

US FDA delays decision on SpringWorks Therapeutics' tumor treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended its decision for SpringWorks Therapeutics Inc's tumor treatment by three months as the health regulator needs more time to review additional data, the company said on Monday. No additional data or studies have been requested by the FDA at this time, according to SpringWorks.

Akero says NASH drug shown to reduce liver fat by 65% in some patients

Akero Therapeutics Inc said on Monday data from a mid-stage study showed its experimental therapy reduced liver fat by 65% in certain patients with a type of fatty liver disease called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The drug, efruxifermin, also met secondary efficacy goals when tested alongside a diabetes treatment belonging to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists in the trial.

Cancer vaccines poised to unlock 'new treatment paradigm' with Merck/Moderna data

Adding an experimental mRNA-based vaccine from Moderna Inc and Merck & Co reduced the risk that the most deadly skin cancer would spread by 65% over treatment with immunotherapy alone in a mid-stage trial, the companies reported on Monday. With this and earlier data, Moderna is considering seeking faster approval from regulators for the treatment, the company told investors after having presented the results at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

Cancer drugmakers rise as industry meet fuels investor interest

Shares of several cancer drug firms surged on Monday after the companies reported positive clinical trial data from their therapies at an ongoing industry conference in Chicago. Day One Bio, Immunogen Inc, Evaxion Biotech A/S and G1 Therapeutics Inc rose after presentations at the ongoing annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting.

New Zealand curbs disposable vapes to deter the young

New Zealand unveiled measures on Monday to curb vaping by young people, from limits on sales near schools to a ban on some disposable units, as it extends aggressive anti-smoking campaigns. Although the Pacific nation has one of the lowest rates of adult smoking among the 38 nations in the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, it has banned future generations from smoking in a push to be "smokefree" by 2025.

(With inputs from agencies.)