Health News Roundup: UK regulator approves Pfizer's hair loss drug; Over 15 million Americans got updated COVID vaccines so far 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.

Over 15 million Americans got updated COVID vaccines so far

Over 15 million people in the United States, around 4.5% of the population, had received the updated COVID-19 shots by Oct. 27, a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson said on Wednesday, lagging behind last year's vaccinations. Close to 23 million people had received updated boosters as of Oct. 26 last year, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows. The 2022 fall vaccination campaign started around 10 days earlier than this year's.

Brazil child cancer deaths linked to soy farming, study finds

Soy farming has been linked to a rise in child cancer deaths in Brazil, the world's biggest producer and exporter of the oilseed and one of the top users of pesticides for protecting crops from disease and pests, according to a study in the South American country. The peer-reviewed study published on Monday in PNAS, the journal of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, found that as soy cultivation expanded in Brazil, "agricultural pesticide exposure was associated with increased childhood cancer mortality among the broader population indirectly exposed to these chemicals."

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.

Tennessee families ask US Supreme Court to block ban on gender-affirming care

Three Tennessee families of transgender children on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a state law banning so-called gender-affirming care, such as puberty blockers and hormones, for patients under 18. In their petition, the first filed before the nation's highest court in a series of lawsuits over similar bans around the country, the families said the ban would cause "severe physical and emotional harm" by preventing the children, a 12-year-old and two who are 15, from receiving necessary care.

More older former smokers need lung cancer screening, experts say

New lung cancer screening guidelines issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS) on Wednesday call for annual testing with low‐dose computed tomography (CT) for anyone aged 50 to 80 who was formerly a long-term or heavy smoker, a recommendation that could affect millions of Americans. Previously, the ACS called for screening only for long-time or heavy smokers who had given up cigarettes less than 15 years earlier. The new guidance from the influential organization says the need for screening should no longer be determined in part by how much time has passed since smokers quit.

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.

Activist investor Politan Capital nominates candidates to Azenta's board

Activist investor Politan Capital Management had nominated candidates to Azenta's board last month and was working with the biotechnology company to address certain issues, a company filing disclosed on Wednesday. Politan, run by veteran fund manager Quentin Koffey, said in September that it had increased its ownership in Azenta to 7.5%.

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.

(With inputs from agencies.)