Health News Roundup: Britain approves Novavax COVID shot for 12-17 year-olds; Abbott restarts Similac infant formula production at Michigan facility and more

The suit also would be filed also in the Regional Court of Duesseldorf in Germany, Moderna said in a news release. Factbox: Monkeypox cases and deaths around the world More than 90 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks of the viral disease, which the World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency, as confirmed cases crossed 46,300 and non-endemic countries reported their first related deaths.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Britain approves Novavax COVID shot for 12-17 year-olds

Britain's medicines regulator on Friday approved Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine for children aged between 12 and 17 years. The mRNA vaccines made by Moderna as well as the partnership between Pfizer-BioNTech are also cleared for use by this age group, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said.

Abbott restarts Similac infant formula production at Michigan facility

Abbott Laboratories has restarted production of its Similac infant formula at the plant in Sturgis, Michigan at the center of the U.S. baby formula shortage. Abbott, the biggest U.S. supplier of baby formula, in February recalled Similac and other infant formula products produced at the Michigan facility after reports of bacterial infections in babies who had consumed products that originated there.

Very few in the U.S. getting full monkeypox vaccine series - CDC chief

Very few people who have gotten monkeypox shots in the United States have received the second dose needed for full protection, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said on Friday. She told a White House briefing that nearly 97% of the shots administered were first doses, and although many people are eligible for a second dose, "very few" have been given so far.

Factbox-Vaccines delivered under COVAX sharing scheme for poorer countries

The COVAX facility, backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), has delivered 1.63 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to 146 countries, GAVI data shows. In December, COVAX set a target of achieving 70% COVID-19 immunization coverage by mid-2022.

Analysis-Novartis CEO may struggle to rally investors to Sandoz spin-off

Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan could struggle to woo investors to the listing of generics drugs business Sandoz, as weaker drug prices and jittery financial markets present one of his biggest challenges in the years-long overhaul of the Swiss drugmaker. Novartis said on Thursday it plans to spin off Sandoz on Swiss and U.S. stock exchanges next year, capping off a prolonged streamlining of the Basel-based drugmaker that began in 2014, preceding Narasimhan's appointment to CEO in 2018.

AstraZeneca's Farxiga cuts death risk in heart failure patients -study

AstraZeneca's blockbuster diabetes drug Farxiga led to significant reductions in the risk of hospitalization and death in people with all types of heart failure, according to study data released on Saturday, opening the door to a substantial increase in patients who could benefit. The drug belongs to a class of medicines called SGLT2 inhibitors that were initially approved to treat type 2 diabetes. Since then, the drugs have been shown to benefit patients with chronic kidney and heart disease and prevent heart attacks.

E.coli infections in four U.S. states rise to 84; majority of Wendy's customers

The E.coli bacteria outbreak in four Midwest states from an unknown source has affected 47 more people, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday, with a majority of the total 84 reported to have sandwiches at Wendy's.

The agency said 52 people of the 62 it interviewed reported to have eaten sandwiches with romaine lettuce at a Wendy's restaurant in the week before they fell ill.

Moderna sues Pfizer/BioNTech for patent infringement over COVID vaccine

Moderna sued Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech on Friday for patent infringement in the development of the first COVID-19 vaccine approved in the United States, alleging they copied technology that Moderna developed years before the pandemic. The lawsuit, which seeks undetermined monetary damages, was filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. The suit also would be filed also in the Regional Court of Duesseldorf in Germany, Moderna said in a news release.

Factbox: Monkeypox cases and deaths around the world

More than 90 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks of the viral disease, which the World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency, as confirmed cases crossed 46,300 and non-endemic countries reported their first related deaths. Below are the non-endemic countries that have reported monkeypox-related deaths: