Health News Roundup: AstraZeneca to invest $245 million in Cellectis to boost gene therapy prospects; Humana shares fall as reaffirmed 2023 profit view disappoints and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

AstraZeneca to invest $245 million in Cellectis to boost gene therapy prospects

AstraZeneca said on Wednesday it would invest $245 million in French biotechnology company Cellectis in a deal aimed at speeding up the development of therapeutics in areas including oncology, immunology and rare diseases. Cellectis' gene-editing technology and manufacturing capabilities to design novel cell and gene therapy products will help strengthen AstraZeneca's growing offering in the space, it said.

Humana shares fall as reaffirmed 2023 profit view disappoints

Humana on Wednesday beat third-quarter profit estimates on a better-than-expected performance in its government-backed insurance plans, but disappointed the Street by maintaining its annual forecast, sending its shares down more than 2% premarket.

The health insurer stuck to its 2023 adjusted profit target of at least $28.25 per share. Analysts on average expected a profit of $28.31 per share for the year, LSEG data showed.

Unlike Pfizer, Moderna can meet 2023 COVID forecast, analysts say

Moderna should hit the lower end of its sales target for this year as it only needs to tap a small portion of the private market with its COVID vaccine to reach that goal, according to industry analysts. Around 20 million people need to be vaccinated with Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine for the company to reach $2 billion in 2023 sales from the private market, a figure four analysts told Reuters was achievable.

GSK lifts annual forecasts again, powered by strong vaccine launch

GSK raised its full-year profit and sales forecasts for a second time on Wednesday, following the strong launch of its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine in the United States.

GSK is betting on RSV vaccine Arexvy to be its next blockbuster medicine as it grapples with a combination of patent expiries and declining revenue from its current bestsellers by the end of this decade.

FDA panel says Vertex/CRISPR to assess safety risks of gene therapy in follow-up study

A panel of advisers to the U.S. health regulator said on Tuesday Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics could assess potential safety risks of their sickle cell disease gene therapy after approval. If the therapy is approved, Vertex has proposed a 15-year follow up of patients to evaluate the safety outcomes of the therapy.

Indonesian court jails CEO, three others, over deadly cough syrup

An Indonesian court sentenced to jail on Wednesday the chief executive and three other officials of a company whose cough syrup has been linked to the death of more than 200 children, for violating drug safety laws, the company's lawyer said. The Indonesian company, Afi Farma, was accused of producing cough syrups containing excess amounts of toxic material and prosecutors charged the four officials for "consciously" not testing the ingredients, despite having the means and responsibility to do so, according to a charge sheet.

Switzerland lifts extra restrictions against gay men giving blood

Gabriel Delabays sat calmly, his feet elevated on a reclining chair, as a nurse drew blood from his left arm at a Swiss transfusion centre on Wednesday, the first day gay men in the country could give blood without extra restrictions. Switzerland amended blood donation criteria for men who have sexual relations with other men, making ineligibility criteria the same for homosexuals and heterosexuals.

UK regulator approves Pfizer's hair loss drug

Britain's medicines regulator on Wednesday approved Pfizer Inc's drug to treat hair loss caused by an autoimmune disease. The drug, branded as Litfulo, has been approved by UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for people aged 12 years and older suffering from severe alopecia areata.

CVS profit beats estimates on strong performance of pharmacy segment

CVS Health Corp beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit on Wednesday as strength in its drugstores and pharmacy benefit management business offset higher-than-expected medical costs at its insurance unit. CVS' health insurance business clocked better-than-expected premiums at $24.66 billion in the third quarter, but its medical costs were high, reflecting the increased utilization of services under government-supported plans for older adults seen across the industry this year.

Factbox-How Novo Nordisk makes its weight-loss drug Wegovy

Novo Nordisk is spending billions of dollars to boost output and ease shortages of its hugely popular, highly effective weight-loss medicine Wegovy. The Danish drugmaker, which reports its third-quarter results on Nov. 2, has warned U.S. demand will continue to outpace supplies of the weekly self-injection into 2024.