Health News Roundup: AstraZeneca to withdraw COVID vaccine globally as demand dips; Whooping cough epidemic sweeps Europe, health agency says and more

The company also said it would proceed to withdraw the vaccine Vaxzevria's marketing authorizations within Europe. Regeneron's experimental gene therapy improves hearing in one patient Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said on Wednesday its investigational gene therapy improved hearing to normal levels in a child within 24 weeks in an early to mid-stage study. Whooping cough epidemic sweeps Europe, health agency says European countries have reported a surge in whooping cough cases in 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, with 10 times as many identified as in each of the previous two years.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Google DeepMind unveils next generation of drug discovery AI model

Google Deepmind has unveiled the third major version of its "AlphaFold" artificial intelligence model, designed to help scientists design drugs and target disease more effectively. In 2020, the company made a significant advance in molecular biology by using AI to successfully predict the behaviour of microscopic proteins.

Pfizer agrees to settle over 10,000 Zantac lawsuits, Bloomberg News reports

Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal. The agreements cover cases in U.S. state courts but don't completely resolve the company's exposure to Zantac claims, the report said, adding that financial details of the deals were not immediately available.

Vitamin Shoppe's telehealth service to provide access to weight-loss drugs

Health and wellness products retailer Vitamin Shoppe said on Wednesday that subscribers to its telehealth service would have access to weight-loss medications such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Rybelsus. Monthly medication subscription to the retailer's virtual healthcare platform, Whole Health Rx, starts at an introductory price of $219, and does not require insurance, the company said in a statement.

AstraZeneca to withdraw COVID vaccine globally as demand dips

AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a "surplus of available updated vaccines" since the pandemic. The company also said it would proceed to withdraw the vaccine Vaxzevria's marketing authorizations within Europe.

Regeneron's experimental gene therapy improves hearing in one patient

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said on Wednesday its investigational gene therapy improved hearing to normal levels in a child within 24 weeks in an early to mid-stage study.

Whooping cough epidemic sweeps Europe, health agency says

European countries have reported a surge in whooping cough cases in 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, with 10 times as many identified as in each of the previous two years. In total, nearly 60,000 cases were reported by European Union and European Economic Area countries over the period, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said on Wednesday, with 11 deaths in infants and eight among older adults.

Teva, Medincell's schizophrenia drug succeeds in late-stage study

Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals and French partner Medincell said on Wednesday their experimental schizophrenia drug had met its main goal of reducing the severity of symptoms in a late-stage study. U.S.-listed shares of Teva were up 3.3% at $14.41 in premarket trading.

Thailand to recriminalise cannabis as PM vows to get tough on drugs

Thailand will re-list cannabis as a narcotic by year-end, its prime minister said on Tuesday, in a stunning U-turn just two years after becoming one of the first countries in Asia to decriminalise its recreational use. The moves comes despite rapid growth of a domestic retail sector for marijuana, with tens of thousands of shops and businesses springing up in Thailand in the past two years in an industry projected to be worth up to $1.2 billion by 2025.

Teva Pharm to launch Humira biosimilar as Q1 profit misses estimates

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries said it was set to launch its long awaited biosimilar of AbbVie's blockbuster arthritis drug Humira in the coming weeks after it posted mixed results in the first three months of 2024. The drugmaker also said late-stage results for a new drug for schizophrenia met its primary endpoints, helping to push its New York-listed shares up more than 13% to their highest level since 2019 in late morning trade. It is developing the monthly injection with France's Medincell.

US FDA advises healthcare facilities to switch from Getinge's heart devices

The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday advised healthcare facilities to move away from using Getinge's heart devices in patients as they faced safety and quality concerns despite a string of recalls. The recommendation is based on concerns that the company has not sufficiently addressed the problems and risks with the recalled devices, it added.

(With inputs from agencies.)