Health News Roundup: Timeline for supply limits on Novo Nordisk weight-loss drug unclear, US FDA says; FDA warns CVS, others against selling unapproved eye products and more

The final recommendation from director Mandy Cohen comes after a panel of advisers to the agency voted 13-1 to recommend the shots made by Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE as well as Moderna. Majority of US dog owners hesitant about canine vaccines, study finds The anti-vaccination movement that flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic appears to also apply to dog owners, increasing the risk of disease for dogs, their owners and their vets, according to a new study.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Timeline for supply limits on Novo Nordisk weight-loss drug unclear, US FDA says

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it was not clear when supply of lower doses of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy would normalize, backtracking from its earlier estimates to resume supply of the popular weight-loss drug this month. The FDA, in its drug shortage list, listed the 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg doses of the drug with limited availability and that the duration of shortage was "to be decided", while the larger doses of 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg were still available. Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgense said last month the company's limits on U.S. supplies of starter doses of Wegovy will last into next year even as the Danish drugmaker spends billions boosting output to keep up with soaring demand.

FDA warns CVS, others against selling unapproved eye products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday warned eight companies, including pharmacy giants CVS Health Corp and Walgreens Boots Alliance, against manufacturing or marketing unapproved eye products. The eye products addressed in the FDA's letters to these companies are illegally marketed to treat conditions like conjunctivitis, cataract and glaucoma, the agency said, adding that such drugs pose an increased risk to users as they can bypass some of the body's natural defenses.

US FDA panel says popular decongestant used in cold medicines ineffective

An outside panel of experts to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday refused to back the effectiveness of oral over-the-counter (OTC) medicines made with phenylephrine, an ingredient widely used in cold and cough syrups. The panel unanimously voted against the effectiveness of orally administered phenylephrine as a nasal decongestant, adding that no more trials were required to prove otherwise.

India's Kerala shuts schools and offices to curb deadly Nipah virus

India's southern state of Kerala shut some schools, offices and public transport on Wednesday in a race to stop the spread of the rare and deadly Nipah virus, which has killed two people. An adult and a child were still infected in hospital, and more than 130 people have been tested for the virus, spread via contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats, pigs or people, a state health official said.

ICON to partner with US govt agency to test COVID vaccine candidates

Contract research firm ICON Plc said on Wednesday it is partnering with the U.S. government for a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of next generation COVID-19 vaccine candidates. As part of the collaboration with Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, ICON will conduct a mid-stage trial of 10,000 participants to assess the efficacy of a next generation COVID-19 vaccine relative to currently available shots.

Moderna to scale down manufacturing of COVID vaccine

Moderna on Wednesday announced it was scaling down manufacturing of its COVID-19 vaccine, an updated version of which was approved this week by U.S. regulators, to align with lower post-pandemic demand and help the company sooner hit its target of 75% to 80% gross margin growth. Moderna is in talks with its partners that fill vials and syringes with its messenger RNA-based COVID vaccines globally to downsize production, Stephen Hoge, president of the Massachusetts-based company, said in an interview.

Explainer-Who should get a COVID vaccine this year?

The U.S. drug regulator authorized updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and its partner BioNTech as well as from Moderna this week as the country prepares to start an autumn vaccination campaign. A third vaccine from Novavax remains under review. On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the shots for those aged 12 and above, and authorized them for emergency use in children aged 6 months through 11 years. Advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted on Tuesday to recommend the use of the vaccines widely. CDC Director Mandy Cohen said last month she expects the shots to be given annually, but not all doctors agree everyone needs them each year.

US CDC recommends broad use of updated COVID-19 vaccines

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director on Tuesday signed off on broad use of updated COVID-19 vaccines approved by the government - covering ages 6 months and up - as the country prepares to start a vaccination campaign within days. The final recommendation from director Mandy Cohen comes after a panel of advisers to the agency voted 13-1 to recommend the shots made by Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE as well as Moderna.

Majority of US dog owners hesitant about canine vaccines, study finds

The anti-vaccination movement that flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic appears to also apply to dog owners, increasing the risk of disease for dogs, their owners and their vets, according to a new study. The study of Canine Vaccination Hesitancy (CVH) by Boston University's School of Public Health was released on Aug. 26. It found 37% of owners consider dog vaccines to be unsafe, 22% of dog owners view them as ineffective, and 30% deem them unnecessary.

Indian firms linked to cough syrup deaths had received warnings

The deaths of 12 children in northern India between December 2019 and January 2020, police allege, were caused by adulterated cough syrup made by drugmaker Digital Vision. It was not the first time the company's medicines have come under scrutiny. Indian drugs regulators found quality shortfalls in drugs made by Digital and its unit Orison Pharmaceuticals at least 22 times between 2012 and July this year, according to a Reuters review of records from five states and India's federal drugs regulator CDSCO.