Health News Roundup: AstraZeneca facing two London lawsuits over COVID-19 vaccines; Juul plans to lay off 30% of workforce in cost-cut push and more

CDC said it was too soon to know whether this might cause more severe illness compared with previous variants. Juul plans to lay off 30% of workforce in cost-cut push - source Juul Labs is planning to lay off 30% of its workforce, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday, as the e-cigarettes maker aims to reduce its operating costs.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Novo hires Thermo Fisher as second manufacturer for Wegovy weight-loss drug -source

Novo Nordisk has hired Thermo Fisher as its second contract manufacturer for its hugely popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Thermo is doing the filling of the Wegovy injection pens at its factory in Greenville, North Carolina, the source said, declining to be named because the information is confidential.

Scientists solve the genetic puzzle of sex-related Y chromosome

Scientists have taken an important step forward in understanding the human genome - our genetic blueprint - by fully deciphering the enigmatic Y chromosome present in males, an achievement that could help guide research on infertility in men. Researchers on Wednesday unveiled the first complete sequence of the human Y chromosome, which is one of the two sex chromosomes - the X chromosome being the other - and is typically passed down from male parent to male offspring. It is the last of the 24 chromosomes - threadlike structures that carry genetic information from cell to cell - in the human genome to be sequenced.

J&J's Janssen to close part of its vaccine division -Telegraaf

Johnson & Johnson's Janssen division, which helped to develop its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, will close much of its vaccine research and development operations in the Netherlands, newspaper De Telegraaf reported. In an emailed response on Wednesday, Johnson & Johnson confirmed plans to exit some of its vaccine research and development programmes, which it said it had initially disclosed in its 2023 second-quarter results.

Roche inadvertently publishes positive interim trial data on lung cancer drug

Roche inadvertently published positive lung cancer drug trial data from an interim analysis, boosting the Swiss drug maker's shares even though more data will be needed to confirm the treatment's efficacy. Roche said on Wednesday that market participants had made it aware of the inadvertent disclosure of an interim data analysis on new immunotherapy tiragolumab, part of an experimental class of drugs known as anti-TIGIT.

US FDA taps EPA veteran James Jones to oversee food division after formula crisis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has selected James "Jim" Jones, a 30-year veteran of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to direct its food division as part of a broader reorganization, the agency said on Wednesday. The FDA in January said it would reorganize its food program after being slammed for its slow response to issues at an infant formula plant that resulted in an outbreak of illness and a national formula shortage.

Exclusive-Healthcare software vendor NextGen explores sale, sources say

NextGen Healthcare, a provider of software that helps manage patients' records, is exploring options that include a sale of the company, according to people familiar with the matter. The U.S. company, which does not maintain headquarters as many of its employees work remotely, has hired investment bank Morgan Stanley to advise it on its discussions with potential buyers, the sources said.

US CDC says new COVID lineage could cause infections in vaccinated individuals

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday the new BA.2.86 lineage of coronavirus may be more capable than older variants in causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received vaccines. CDC said it was too soon to know whether this might cause more severe illness compared with previous variants.

Juul plans to lay off 30% of workforce in cost-cut push - source

Juul Labs is planning to lay off 30% of its workforce, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday, as the e-cigarettes maker aims to reduce its operating costs. The restructuring is aimed at maximizing profitability and cash-flow generation, the company said in a statement, adding that it would substantially reduce its headcount to deliver on the company's strategy.

CVS launches unit to market and co-produce biosimilars

CVS Health Corp said on Wednesday it has launched Cordavis, a unit that will work directly with manufacturers to commercialize and co-produce biosimilars for the U.S. market. The company will also launch biosimilar Hyrimoz with Swiss drugmaker Novartis' Sandoz from next year at a list price that is more than 80% lower to AbbVie's blockbuster arthritis drug Humira.

AstraZeneca facing two London lawsuits over COVID-19 vaccines

AstraZeneca is facing two London lawsuits, including one from the husband of a woman who died after receiving the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker's COVID-19 vaccine, in the first of potentially dozens of cases brought in England. Britain was the first country to roll out the at-cost AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in early 2021, although it later restricted the use of it among under 40s due to the small risk of blood clots.

(With inputs from agencies.)