Health News Roundup: U.S. charges Teva in generic drugs price-fixing probe; India's coronavirus cases top 3.2 million and more

More U.S. colleges see spike in COVID-19 cases after classes resume More U.S. colleges were grappling with high numbers of students testing positive for the coronavirus just days into the start of the fall semester after some universities rolled back their campus reopening plans in recent weeks.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. charges Teva in generic drugs price-fixing probe

The U.S. Justice Department charged Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd on Tuesday with conspiring with competitors to raise prices for generic drugs. The Justice Department has been investigating allegations the company colluded with other drugmakers to push up the prices of widely used pharmaceuticals, including a high cholesterol drug.

India's coronavirus cases top 3.2 million

India recorded more than 60,000 cases of COVID-19 for the eighth day in a row on Wednesday, as total cases crossed 3.2 million, data from the federal health ministry showed. The world's second-most populous country is third behind the United States and Brazil in terms of total caseload, and has recorded the world's highest single-day caseload consistently since August 7, a Reuters tally showed.

Could U.S. regulators authorize a COVID-19 vaccine before the election?

U.S. President Donald Trump has said a vaccine for the novel coronavirus could be available before the Nov. 3 presidential election, sooner than most experts anticipate. A COVID-19 vaccine as early as October could become a reality if drugmakers deliver on optimistic timelines for completing large, late-stage clinical trials and regulators allow for its use prior to a full review and approval.

Coronavirus re-infections raise concerns about immunity

Two European patients are confirmed to have been re-infected with COVID-19, raising concerns about people's immunity to the coronavirus as the world struggles to tame the pandemic. The cases, in Belgium and the Netherlands, follow a report this week by researchers in Hong Kong about a man there who had contracted a different strain of the virus four and a half months after being declared recovered - the first such second infection to be documented.

South Korea orders striking doctors back to work amid surge in coronavirus cases

South Korea ordered doctors in the Seoul area to return to work on Wednesday as they began a three-day strike in protest of several government proposals, including one to boost the number of doctors to deal with health crises like the coronavirus. Trainee doctors have been staging ongoing walkouts, and thousands of additional doctors were due to stage a three-day strike starting on Wednesday.

Australian coronavirus antibody therapy aims for trial in early 2021

Australian researchers hope to start human trials of a coronavirus antibody therapy in early 2021, while a large-scale trial of a vaccine could begin by the end of this year, scientists said on Wednesday. The research targets came as the country's virus hotspot, Victoria state, recorded its second-most deadly day of the pandemic with 24 deaths. Just 149 new cases were reported, well down from daily rises of more than 700 about three weeks ago.

More U.S. colleges see spike in COVID-19 cases after classes resume

More U.S. colleges were grappling with high numbers of students testing positive for the coronavirus just days into the start of the fall semester after some universities rolled back their campus reopening plans in recent weeks. The University of Alabama on Monday reported more than 550 people across its campuses had tested positive for COVID-19 since it resumed in-person classes on August 19. Most of those infected were students, faculty and staff at the university's main campus in Tuscaloosa.

U.S. agency spells out new COVID-19 testing mandate for nursing homes

Nursing homes in the United States will now be required to test staff for COVID-19 and offer testing to residents, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said on Tuesday. The new rules also mandate nursing homes to share test results with the U.S. government and hospitals to provide data on COVID-19 cases to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Cambridge university aims for autumn trials of coronavirus vaccine after UK funding

The University of Cambridge is aiming to start clinical trials of its possible coronavirus vaccine in the autumn after it received 1.9 million pounds ($2.5 million) in funding from the British government, the university said on Wednesday. The scientists behind the vaccine said their approach, which uses genetic sequences of all known coronaviruses to hone the immune response, could help avoid the adverse effects of a hyper-inflammatory immune response.

Young people fueling recent spike of coronavirus in Americas, U.N. agency says

Young people are driving the spread of the coronavirus in the Americas, the head of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Tuesday, noting that both deaths and caseloads have doubled in the region over the past six weeks. Briefing reporters on a webcast, Dr. Carissa Etienne chastised governments that have rushed economic re-openings despite data that shows a worsening pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies.)