Health News Roundup: Alnylam to appeal ruling on patents related to Moderna's COVID vaccines; Far from fighting, doctor strikes aggravate healthcare collapse in Port Sudan and more

Doctors and nurses in the Red Sea city say they have not been paid for four months, as the Sudanese government's budget has been decimated by fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Alnylam to appeal ruling on patents related to Moderna's COVID vaccines Alnylam Pharmaceuticals said on Friday it plans to appeal a ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware on two patents asserted against Moderna for the latter's COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Far from fighting, doctor strikes aggravate healthcare collapse in Port Sudan

The army-controlled coastal city of Port Sudan has become a refuge from the war raging to the west, but its health system is in near collapse due to power cuts and scarce supplies - and staff shortages now exacerbated by striking doctors. Doctors and nurses in the Red Sea city say they have not been paid for four months, as the Sudanese government's budget has been decimated by fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Alnylam to appeal ruling on patents related to Moderna's COVID vaccines

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals said on Friday it plans to appeal a ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware on two patents asserted against Moderna for the latter's COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax. Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Alnylam sued both Moderna and Pfizer Inc in Delaware last year, seeking royalties for the lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology their vaccines use to deliver genetic material known as mRNA.

US FTC suspends challenge to block Amgen's $27.8 billion deal for Horizon Therapeutics

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has suspended its challenge of Amgen's $27.8 billion purchase of Horizon Therapeutics, allowing the FTC to consider whether the agency should settle the case, a filing late on Friday showed. The pause is effective until Sept. 18.

(With inputs from agencies.)