Health News Roundup: Half of Americans interested in getting updated COVID shot -Reuters/Ipsos poll; Novartis shareholders vote in favour of Sandoz spin-off and more

The FDA's clarification follows a unanimous vote by its panel of outside experts on Tuesday against the effectiveness of oral OTC medicines made with phenylephrine, an ingredient widely used in cold and cough syrups. Sandoz dials up product launch plans ahead of market debut Sandoz plans to launch at least five additional biologic drugs, its CEO Richard Saynor said, as the generics drugs business of Switzerland's Novartis works to enhance its investor appeal ahead of its market debut next month.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Half of Americans interested in getting updated COVID shot -Reuters/Ipsos poll

About half of Americans are interested in getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine more than three years after the virus infected millions and upended daily life across the United States and around the world, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The results suggest that more might be willing to get a booster shot than a year ago when only around roughly one in six Americans opted for an updated shot, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Novartis shareholders vote in favour of Sandoz spin-off

Novartis shareholders on Friday voted in favour of spinning off the Swiss company's generic-drugs business Sandoz, with investors holding 99.7% of the represented capital supporting the complete separation. Ahead of the vote at the extraordinary general meeting, Sandoz CEO Richard Saynor said the new company is eyeing the launch of at least five additional biologic drugs over the longer term.

US FDA to Seek Public Opinion Before Banning Popular Cough Syrup Ingredient

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday it would seek public opinion before finalizing its decision to remove a decongestant widely used in cough syrups from the agency's list of ingredients for over-the-counter (OTC) use. The FDA's clarification follows a unanimous vote by its panel of outside experts on Tuesday against the effectiveness of oral OTC medicines made with phenylephrine, an ingredient widely used in cold and cough syrups.

Sandoz dials up product launch plans ahead of market debut

Sandoz plans to launch at least five additional biologic drugs, its CEO Richard Saynor said, as the generics drugs business of Switzerland's Novartis works to enhance its investor appeal ahead of its market debut next month. Its launch ambitions come as Novartis shareholders are widely expected to sign off on the Sandoz spin-off at an extraordinary general meeting on Friday.

China to manage monkeypox as disease on par with COVID-19

China plans to manage monkeypox in the same way it handles infectious diseases such as COVID-19 starting from Sept. 20, health authorities said on Friday, after detecting around 500 cases of the viral infection last month. Monkeypox will be managed under Category B protocols, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement.

Football-U.S. college student develops device he hopes can help eradicate sport concussions

When Carter Hogg's brother F.J. suffered a concussion that ended his football career and then spent agonizing months regaining his health, Carter was moved to study the causes of concussions in the hopes of finding a way to prevent them. The 20-year-old from Dallas has developed a protective hood that is worn under the helmet and shoulder pads called G8RSkin that has received positive results in testing and he hopes can help eradicate head injuries, one of the biggest health concerns in sport.

UK regulator approves Moderna's updated COVID vaccine

The UK drug regulator said on Friday it has approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine by Moderna, making it the second shot to be used in the country's vaccination campaign this autumn. The updated shot, branded Spikevax, to target the XBB.1.5 variant of Omicron, is indicated for use in adults and children aged 6 months and above.

EU regulator recommends to stop sale of GSK's blood cancer drug

The European Medicines Agency's human medicines committee on Friday recommended against renewal of the conditional marketing authorisation for GSK's blood cancer drug Blenrep.

Maker of MDMA-assisted PTSD treatment to seek US regulatory nod

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) plans to file for regulatory approval for the party drug MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in the United States later this year, in a potential boost to the nascent psychedelic therapeutics industry. PTSD is a disorder caused by very stressful events and can significantly disrupt patients' lives. MDMA, used in the drug Ecstasy, is currently illegal in the U.S.

AstraZeneca succession sickness demands urgent fix

Can a CEO be worth $9 billion? That’s the question posed by the 4% fall in AstraZeneca’s shares following an article stating boss Pascal Soriot may soon resign. The company has played down the report, and its stock has recovered, but the episode highlights its uncertain position were 64-year-old Soriot to leave. Without a clear succession plan, investors should prepare for further swings. By most measures, Soriot is a top performer. He joined the $205 billion Anglo-Swedish group in 2012 with a mandate to rebuild its empty pipeline. Barely two years in he had to fend off a 55 pound a share offer from rival Pfizer. Today AstraZeneca’s shares are worth nearly twice that amount, and the group has thrived thanks to blockbusters like breast cancer treatment Lynparza, and bold M&A, such as the $39 billion purchase of rare disease specialist Alexion in the middle of the pandemic. Berenberg analysts reckon AstraZeneca’s annual return on research spending has averaged 12% since 2016, comfortably exceeding its 8% cost of capital and trouncing most major pharma groups. The combination of these tactics has gifted investors with an over 400% return including dividends during Soriot’s tenure, handily beating European rivals like Novartis, Sanofi and GSK. Small wonder investors and analysts wonder whether AstraZeneca will be able to find a successor capable of replicating his success. Soriot’s lengthy tenure, more than double the average for a FTSE 100 chief executive, makes the issue all the more pressing. There are better ways to handle a succession. Take Diageo. When Ivan Menezes passed away, he left a clear replacement in Chief Operating Officer Debra Crew. Alternatively, AstraZeneca’s board could line up a number of candidate CEOs, giving it ample choice when Soriot resigns. AstraZeneca has some credible internal candidates. The success of its cancer treatments, which made up 35% of sales in 2022, would put either Susan Galbraith, executive vice president of oncology research and development, or David Fredrickson, who runs the commercial strategy for that business, in a strong position. Others could include Chief Financial Officer Aradhana Sarin. The board could also consider external candidates like Luke Miels, a former protégé of Soriot’s who defected to rival GSK in 2017. It would be hard for any of those to match Soriot’s returns. Still, the lingering uncertainty needs a quick fix.