Reuters Health News Summary

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval for Lunsumio was based on an early-to mid-stage study that showed the drug cleared signs of cancer in patients, with most patients responding to the treatment for at least 18 months, the company said late Thursday. Omicron subvariant XBB jumps to 18% of U.S. COVID cases - CDC The highly-contagious Omicron subvariant XBB has surged to more than 50% of COVID-19 cases in the northeastern United States and risks spreading fast as millions of Americans begin holiday travel on Friday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. FDA approves Acer Therapeutics' genetic disorder drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Acer Therapeutics Inc's drug for treating patients with a type of genetic disorder called urea cycle disorders (UCDs), according to the health regulator's website. The approval letter, issued on Thursday, said the drug, sodium phenylbutyrate, could be used as an adjunctive therapy to the standard of care for patients with UCDs with certain deficiencies.

U.S. FDA changes Plan B label to say it does not cause abortion

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday changed the label for the emergency contraception known as Plan B One-Step to make clear that the pill does not alter the course of an existing pregnancy. The consumer information distributed with the morning after pill known as Plan B One-Step, which has been available over the counter for everyone since 2013, now makes clear its mechanism of action does not alter the implantantion of an egg.

U.S. FDA approves Roche's lymphoma therapy

The U.S. health regulator has approved Roche Holding AG's therapy for treating a type of rare cancer called follicular lymphoma. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval for Lunsumio was based on an early-to mid-stage study that showed the drug cleared signs of cancer in patients, with most patients responding to the treatment for at least 18 months, the company said late Thursday.

Omicron subvariant XBB jumps to 18% of U.S. COVID cases - CDC

The highly-contagious Omicron subvariant XBB has surged to more than 50% of COVID-19 cases in the northeastern United States and risks spreading fast as millions of Americans begin holiday travel on Friday. In the week ended Dec. 24, XBB was estimated to account for 18.3% of the COVID-19 cases in the United States, up from 11.2% in the previous week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday (CDC).

India makes COVID test mandatory for arrivals from some countries, including China

India has mandated a COVID-19 negative test report for travelers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, the health minister said on Saturday. Passengers from those countries would be put under quarantine if they showed symptoms of COVID-19 or tested positive, Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

Eisai, Biogen's new Alzheimer's drug should be priced below Aduhelm - report

An influential drug pricing research group said Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen Inc's new Alzheimer's disease treatment lecanemab should be priced lower than the drug Aduhelm that was developed by the companies. In a draft report released on Thursday, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) said a price range of between $8,500 and $20,600 annually for lecanemab would meet some commonly used thresholds for cost effectiveness.

Hong Kong announces planned border re-opening with China as Omicron surges at Christmas

China, grappling with a new wave of COVID-19 infections, took another step towards loosening its pandemic-related restrictions on Saturday when Hong Kong's leader announced it would aim to re-open its borders with the mainland by mid-January. Speaking at a news conference upon returning from Beijing, Hong Kong Chief executive John Lee said authorities would aim to "gradually, orderly, and fully" re-open all entry points between the two sides, and coordinate with the government of nearby Shenzhen to manage the flow of people.

China's stretched health system braces for peak in COVID infections

China is expecting a peak in COVID-19 infections within a week, a health official said, with authorities predicting extra strain on the country's health system even as they downplay the disease's severity and continue to report no new deaths. In the face of a surging outbreak and widespread protests against its "zero-COVID" regime of lockdowns and testing, China began dismantling it this month, becoming the last major country to move towards living with the virus.

BioNTech starts human trial to test malaria vaccine

BioNTech on Friday initiated an early-stage study to evaluate its experimental malaria vaccine in humans, the German drugmaker said. The Phase 1 trial is expected to enrol 60 volunteers in the United States with no history of malaria to assess the vaccine candidate at three-dose levels.

Hong Kong aims for mid-January reopening of border with mainland China

Hong Kong will reopen its borders with mainland China by mid-January, city Chief Executive John Lee said on Saturday, as Beijing accelerates the unwinding of stringent COVID-19 rules that have battered economic growth. Lee, speaking at a press event at the airport in Hong Kong as he returned from a trip to Beijing, said the goal in "gradually, orderly, and fully" reopening the city will be to return the border to its state before the virus outbreak.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)