Health News Roundup: US FDA staff raises no new concerns about Abbott's heart device; Moderna, Bayer-backed Metagenomi stock drops 32% on Nasdaq debut and more

Data posted on Thursday ahead of an RSV conference next week showed an efficacy of about 63% after 8.6 months in preventing RSV-related respiratory disease, down from 84% at 3.3 months. Bayer CEO says company stands behind glyphosate Bayer's CEO said on Friday that the healthcare and crop chemicals group continues to firmly back its glyphosate weedkiller even after a recent courtroom loss in U.S. litigation over an alleged carcinogenic effect.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Catalent sales edge past estimates as focus shifts to Novo deal

Contract drug manufacturer Catalent inched past Wall Street estimates for second-quarter revenue on Friday, days after it agreed to a $16.5-billion buyout offer from Novo Nordisk's parent firm. The New Jersey-based firm is the main supplier of fill-finish work - involving filling and packaging syringes and injection pens in sterile conditions - for Novo's popular weight-loss drug, Wegovy.

US FDA staff raises no new concerns about Abbott's heart device

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staff reviewers did not raise any new concerns on Friday over the safety and effectiveness of Abbott's heart valve repair device designed for patients who are at risk for surgery. The assessment comes ahead of the FDA's independent expert panel meeting on Tuesday, which will make recommendations on whether or not to clear the use of the device, TriClip, in patients with tricuspid regurgitation (TR).

Moderna, Bayer-backed Metagenomi stock drops 32% on Nasdaq debut

Shares of Metagenomi Technologies, a genetic medicines company backed by Bayer Healthcare and Moderna, slumped 32% in their Nasdaq debut on Friday. The stock opened for trading at $10.25 compared with the IPO price of $15 per share.

Moderna shares slide on concerns over drop in RSV vaccine efficacy

Moderna fell as much as 7% on Friday after Wall Street analysts raised concerns over faster declines in the efficacy of its experimental respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine when compared with rival shots from GSK and Pfizer. Data posted on Thursday ahead of an RSV conference next week showed an efficacy of about 63% after 8.6 months in preventing RSV-related respiratory disease, down from 84% at 3.3 months.

Bayer CEO says company stands behind glyphosate

Bayer's CEO said on Friday that the healthcare and crop chemicals group continues to firmly back its glyphosate weedkiller even after a recent courtroom loss in U.S. litigation over an alleged carcinogenic effect. When asked whether Bayer would alter its legal strategy, CEO Bill Anderson said in a media call that glyphosate is approved and deemed safe by regulators in every major jurisdiction.