Health News Roundup: Drugmaker Viatris appoints Theodora Mistras as CFO; Vaping grows fastest among UK groceries in 2023 and more

11-21 inspection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took place at Moderna’s facility in Norwood, Massachusetts, which is used to manufacture the company’s COVID shot Spikevax and an experimental mRNA cancer vaccine being developed with Merck & Co. EU watchdog deals blow to GSK blood cancer drug Blenrep Europe's health regulator stuck to its recommendation not to renew conditional approval for GSK's blood cancer drug Blenrep on Friday, citing data that did not confirm its effectiveness.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Drugmaker Viatris appoints Theodora Mistras as CFO

Global healthcare company Viatris on Friday appointed Theodora Mistras as its chief financial officer, effective March 1. The company said the current CFO Sanjeev Narula will work closely with Mistras to support a smooth transition and will then depart the company on March 1.

US court orders new FTC review of Illumina's Grail deal

A U.S. appeals court on Friday struck down a Federal Trade Commission order against Illumina's purchase of cancer diagnostic test maker Grail, a former subsidiary, saying the agency had applied a wrong legal standard. The New Orleans-based panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 34-page order that will require the FTC to reconsider the deal.

Vaping grows fastest among UK groceries in 2023

Vaping products were the fastest growing category in UK grocery for the second year running in 2023, while sales of cigarettes, cigars and loose tobacco fell sharply, industry data showed. Britain's government in October proposed banning younger generations from ever buying cigarettes and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it also needed to act on youth vaping.

Exclusive-US FDA finds control lapses at Moderna manufacturing plant

U.S. drug regulators in September found quality control lapses at Moderna’s main factory including with equipment used to manufacture drug substance for its COVID-19 vaccine, according to the report obtained by Reuters via a Freedom of Information Act request. The Sept. 11-21 inspection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took place at Moderna’s facility in Norwood, Massachusetts, which is used to manufacture the company’s COVID shot Spikevax and an experimental mRNA cancer vaccine being developed with Merck & Co.

EU watchdog deals blow to GSK blood cancer drug Blenrep

Europe's health regulator stuck to its recommendation not to renew conditional approval for GSK's blood cancer drug Blenrep on Friday, citing data that did not confirm its effectiveness. While the recommendation by a European Medicines Agency (EMA) committee has to be formally approved by the European Commission, it represents a setback to a key oncology business which GSK has been looking to strengthen.

Uptake of new hemophilia gene therapies slow as field assesses options

High cost, logistical issues and the prospect of potential treatment advances are holding back adoption of the first gene therapies for hemophilia, experts said this week during the American Society of Hematology's (ASH) annual meeting. Experimental options discussed at the San Diego meeting included personalized treatments and next-generation gene therapies, many still in the earliest stages of testing.

Mexico closes cantaloupe plant temporarily amid deadly salmonella outbreak

Mexico's government said Friday it temporarily closed a cantaloupe processing plant while investigating the source of a salmonella contamination that has killed at least nine people in the U.S. and Canada. Mexican health officials said they ordered the temporary suspension of activities at the plant in the northern state of Sonora after two visits, in which they took samples from surfaces and water which are pending results.

US FDA approves Astellas' combination therapy for bladder cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Astellas Pharma's Padcev in combination with Merck's Keytruda for a type of bladder cancer. In April, FDA had granted accelerated approval to this combination for treating patients suffering from the disease that are ineligible for chemotherapy with the commonly used cancer drug, cisplatin.

US FDA approves Arcutis' drug to treat chronic skin disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday approved Arcutis Biotherapeutics' drug for treating a skin condition called seborrheic dermatitis in individuals nine years of age and older. Shares of Arcutis jumped 20% in extended trade to $2.94.

Bristol Myers to discontinue trial for colorectal cancer treatment

Bristol Myers Squibb said on Friday it would discontinue its late-stage trial testing a treatment for a type of colon cancer. The company said an independent data monitoring committee's analysis showed the trial was unlikely to meet its primary endpoints upon completion.