Health News Roundup: FDA staff flags uncertainties on Veru's COVID drug; EUA hopes lift shares; BioNTech executive says it is too early to predict China vaccine approval and more

Oncology is a key area of focus for GSK as a standalone prescription medicine and vaccine business and its shares fell 3% after its statement, which raised concerns that regulatory approval of Blenrep may be rescinded. Walgreens-backed VillageMD to buy Summit Health in $9 billion deal Primary care provider VillageMD, which is backed by Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, is buying urgent care provider Summit Health in a deal valued at $9 billion, as the second-largest U.S. pharmacy chain expands its healthcare footprint.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Some in White House worry abortion message bungled before midterms

Some senior White House officials have been second-guessing their messaging to voters around abortion in recent weeks, sources familiar with the matter said, as forecasts turned in Republicans' favor in the run up to the midterm elections. Many Democrats are no longer optimistic about retaining one or both houses of Congress in Tuesday's midterms, and some have asked if party leaders and the Joe Biden White House should have spent more time talking about the U.S. economy, and less about women's reproductive rights.

GSK's blood cancer drug fails main goal of trial, shares fall

GSK's blood cancer drug Blenrep failed the main goal of a late-stage study designed to show it was better than an existing treatment on the market, the company said on Monday. Oncology is a key area of focus for GSK as a standalone prescription medicine and vaccine business and its shares fell 3% after its statement, which raised concerns that regulatory approval of Blenrep may be rescinded.

Walgreens-backed VillageMD to buy Summit Health in $9 billion deal

Primary care provider VillageMD, which is backed by Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, is buying urgent care provider Summit Health in a deal valued at $9 billion, as the second-largest U.S. pharmacy chain expands its healthcare footprint. The deal adds to the rising trend of big U.S. companies expanding into the healthcare business this year. Amazon in July announced a $3.5 billion acquisition of primary care operator 1Life Healthcare Inc, while CVS Health Corp said it would buy Signify Health for $8 billion.

FDA staff flags uncertainties on Veru's COVID drug; EUA hopes lift shares

Staff reviewers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday identified several uncertainties around Veru Inc's data for its experimental COVID-19 drug but did not raise any new concerns, sending its shares surging 52%. The reviewers also did not offer any strong argument against the emergency use authorization (EUA) even as they flagged the small size of the trial that showed the drug reduced death rates, analysts said.

BioNTech executive says it is too early to predict China vaccine approval

A BioNTech executive on Monday confirmed that the company is in discussions with Chinese authorities over regulatory approval of the German biotech firm's COVID-19 vaccine for use by expatriates in China but the outcome was uncertain. "We have seen some positive re-engagement, as has been reported. We confirm that we have been taking part in some discussions, which are very positive," Chief Strategy Officer Ryan Richardson said in an analyst call.

Novartis adds 50 million euros to European antibiotics investment budget

Sandoz, the generic drugs business that will be spun off its parent Novartis, will boost investment in its European antibiotics production network by 50 million euros ($50 million) on strong global demand for bacteria-fighting medicines. The construction of a penicillin production site in Kundl, Austria, takes the company's total European investment budget for antibiotics to more than 250 million euros, Sandoz said in a statement on Monday.

Malawi gets 2.9 million cholera vaccine doses as outbreak spreads

Malawi has received 2.9 million doses of oral cholera vaccine as an outbreak continues to spread across the country, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF said on Monday. The vaccine consignment comes as the death toll from the outbreak that started in March rose to 207, Malawi health ministry figures showed.

Beijing to improve COVID prevention policy operation for residents leaving and returning to city

Beijing will improve the way its COVID-19 prevention policy operates to make it easier for people leaving and returning to the Chinese capital, and provide aid for urgent visits to the city such as hospital appointments and important business trips, government spokesperson Xu Hejian said on Monday.

China's COVID resurgence spurs new curbs, Foxconn imposes restrictions

China's escalating COVID-19 resurgence has spurred authorities and companies, including key iPhone manufacturer Foxconn, to ramp up measures to contain outbreaks, disrupting production and throwing business events into confusion. China reported on Monday 5,496 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases for Nov. 6, the highest since May 2, when the country's commercial capital of Shanghai was put under a crushing lockdown amid its worst outbreak.

U.S. Supreme Court rejects Bristol Myers cancer-drug patent fight with Gilead

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rebuffed a bid by Bristol Myers Squibb Co's Juno Therapeutics Inc to reinstate a $1.2 billion award it won in its patent fight with Gilead Sciences Inc subsidiary Kite Pharma Inc over a lymphoma drug. The justices turned away Juno's appeal of a lower court's ruling throwing out the award in the litigation over Kite's biologic drug Yescarta, in a case that could have repercussions for the cutting-edge biologic drug industry.

(With inputs from agencies.)