Health News Roundup: Moderna says it hit its 2023 COVID vaccine sales goal; Merck to buy Harpoon Therapeutics for $680 million and more

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recommended that people on the continent stay home if they feel sick, and consider wearing masks in crowds or healthcare settings, with flu spreading as it typically does this time of year but hitting some countries harder than others. Merck to buy Harpoon Therapeutics for $680 million Merck & Co said on Monday it would buy cancer drug developer Harpoon Therapeutics for about $680 million, reinforcing its oncology portfolio with immunotherapies.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Canada says bulk importation not an effective solution to high drug prices in US

The Canadian government thinks bulk importation will not provide an effective solution to the problem of high drug prices in the United States after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed Florida to import cheaper drugs from Canada, Health Canada said on Monday. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Bristol Myers expects to launch 16 new products through 2030 - CEO

Bristol Myers Squibb CEO Christopher Boerner said on Monday the drugmaker expects to add 16 new products to its portfolio by the end of the decade. The drugmaker said it would focus on licensing, partnerships and bolt-on purchases as opposed to large acquisitions after signing two multi-billion dollar deals last month.

Drugmakers kick off industry conference with two cancer deals

Johnson & Johnson and Merck on Monday announced plans to buy cancer therapy developers on the first day of a major U.S. healthcare conference, igniting what industry participants hope will be a strong year for deals after a solid end to 2023. Deals announced on Monday had a combined equity value of more than $6 billion, including one by medical device maker Boston Scientific for Axonics Inc. That follows roughly $25 billion worth of U.S.-listed biotech deals last month, according to data provider LSEG Deals Intelligence.

Brazil dodges bird flu threat to post record chicken exports - industry lobby

Brazilian meat exporters, who faced the threat of bird flu reaching commercial poultry farms for the first time last year, managed to ship a record 5.138 million metric tons of chicken products in 2023, according to industry lobby ABPA on Monday. The export volume, which includes fresh and processed products, confirms positive projections from ABPA last year, and represents a 6.6% rise in relation to the total exported in 2022, which was 4.822 million tons.

Novo Nordisk says weekly IcoSema superior to daily insulin glargine, aspart

Denmark's Novo Nordisk said on Monday its COMBINE 3 phase 3a drug trial had shown that a weekly injection of IcoSema was superior in controlling blood sugar level in people with type 2 diabetes compared to daily injections of insulin glargine combined with the insulin aspart.

Lilly CEO says weight-loss drug Zepbound weekly prescriptions hit 25,000 in December

Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks on Monday said the company's powerful weight-loss drug Zepbound hit 25,000 new prescriptions per week at the end of December and that its 2024 supply may not be enough to meet demand. "I think it's important to set expectations, but we're working hard to fulfill demand," he told Reuters at the annual JPMorgan health conference in San Francisco.

Moderna says it hit its 2023 COVID vaccine sales goal

Moderna on Monday said its 2023 COVID vaccine sales would be around $6.7 billion, coming in above the lower end of its full-year forecast, and reiterated its goal of returning to sales growth in 2025. Shares of the vaccine maker were up 2.3% in early afternoon trading.

Spain considers nationwide hospital mask rule, as flu, COVID hit Europe

Spain's government proposed a nationwide mandate for people to wear masks in hospitals and health clinics on Monday, and Italy said respiratory illness infection rates had hit a record, as flu and COVID spread across Europe. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recommended that people on the continent stay home if they feel sick, and consider wearing masks in crowds or healthcare settings, with flu spreading as it typically does this time of year but hitting some countries harder than others.

Merck to buy Harpoon Therapeutics for $680 million

Merck & Co said on Monday it would buy cancer drug developer Harpoon Therapeutics for about $680 million, reinforcing its oncology portfolio with immunotherapies. The U.S. drugmaker has been doubling down on building future revenue streams as its blockbuster immunotherapy, Keytruda, inches closer to losing key patents, opening the doors for competition from biosimilars.

Novartis in advanced talks to buy Cytokinetics- source

Swiss drugmaker Novartis is in the lead to acquire Cytokinetics for a deal that could value the drug developer at well over $10 billion, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday. Novartis is poised to prevail in the auction for Cytokinetics, ahead of other bidders that include AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, according to the source.

(With inputs from agencies.)