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Vaccine Makers Prep Bird Flu Shot for Humans ‘Just in Case’; Rich Nations Lock in Supplies
Some of the world’s leading makers of flu vaccines say they could make hundreds of millions of bird flu shots for humans within months if a new strain of avian influenza ever jumps across the species divide.
One current outbreak of avian flu known as H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b has killed record numbers of birds and infected mammals. Human cases, however, remain very rare, and global health officials have said the risk of transmission between humans is still low.
Executives at three vaccine manufacturers — GSK Plc (GSK.L) Moderna Inc. (MRNA.O) and CSL Seqirus, owned by CSL Ltd (CSL.AX) — told Reuters they are already developing or about to test sample human vaccines that better match the circulating subtype, as a precautionary measure against a future pandemic. Others, like Sanofi (SASY.PA), said they “stand ready” to begin production if needed, with existing H5N1 vaccine strains in stock.
There has also been a push among companies to develop a bird flu vaccine for poultry, a market potentially far larger than that for humans.
Eli Lilly CEO Racked up $21.4 Million in 2022 Pay as Stock Price Hit All-Time High
Under David Ricks’s leadership, Eli Lilly’s stock price reached a record high in 2022. But the CEO’s pay decreased slightly last year. Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly granted its CEO a pay package worth $21.4 million in 2022, marginally down from $21.5 million in the prior year, according to a securities filing.
For the first time since he became Lilly’s helmsman in 2017, Ricks realized no additional value from his pension plan last year, compared with a $2.4 million gain in 2021. The lack of pension value growth weighed on Ricks’s 2022 compensation despite big increases in his stock and cash awards.
Ricks nabbed nearly $17 million in stock awards in 2022, his highest award so far in that category and around $2 million more than his equity pay in 2021. His cash bonus grew 9% to $2.7 million, while his salary remained the same at $1.5 million.
Older Americans Reject More Vaccines, Opt Instead for ‘Natural Healing,’ Says Report
Many adults age 40 and older are opting to skip vaccine immunizations despite their general concerns about virus infections, as revealed in research that AARP has just published.
Among all adults who had not received a flu vaccine, only 32% said they would get the vaccination even if their doctor advised them to do so. Among those who had not gotten the pneumonia vaccine, only 49% would get it if their doctor recommended it.
The study, conducted on AARP’s behalf by Alan Newman Market Research Consultants (ANR), collected data from an online survey sent to 1,546 older U.S. adults between Oct. 3, 2022, and Oct. 12, 2022.
It also found that less than half of unvaccinated older adults would get vaccines for pertussis, hepatitis, monkeypox, tetanus, smallpox and diphtheria if recommended by a healthcare provider.
California Moves to Cap Insulin Cost at $30, Start Manufacturing Naloxone
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Saturday that the state will cut insulin costs by 90% and that it will start manufacturing naloxone, a nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdoses.
The lower insulin cost results from a collaboration between CalRx, a California Department of Health Care Services program, and the non-profit drug manufacturer Civica Rx, according to a news release from the governor’s office. A 10-milliliter vial of insulin will be available for no more than $30, pending approval by the US Food and Drug Administration, says the release.
Though insulin was discovered more than a century ago and costs little to make, brand-name insulin is often sold for roughly $300 per vial, CNN has reported. The high cost has forced many people with diabetes to ration or skip drug doses, which help the body manage blood sugar.
In addition to the new insulin contract, Newsom also announced that California would seek to manufacture its own naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan. The drug can reverse the effects of opioids like fentanyl and heroin and help restore a person’s normal breathing.
The High Price of Ozempic Is Pushing Many to Unregulated, Copycat Drugs for Weight Loss
When Robin Langois, 58, was prescribed the weight-loss drug Wegovy last year, she couldn’t afford the high price tag after her insurance wouldn’t cover it.
But she later discovered on TikTok that people could get their hands on what appeared to be the drug’s active ingredient, semaglutide, from compounding pharmacies for a fraction of the price.
Either due to cost or ongoing shortages, people are seeking alternatives to the brand-name medications Ozempic and Wegovy, both of which contain the active ingredient semaglutide.
But compounded drugs — while they contain FDA-approved ingredients — are not themselves approved by the FDA, meaning they are not regulated, monitored or tested by the agency, said Benjamin Jolley, a pharmacist and owner of Jolley’s Compounding Pharmacy in Salt Lake City.
‘Skinny Jab’ Drug Firm Facing Fresh Inquiries After ‘Serious Breaches’ of Industry Code
The maker of slimming jab Wegovy was facing crises on multiple fronts this weekend, with the U.K. medicines regulator announcing a review of its operations at the same time as an investigation is underway into the approval of its injections for NHS use.
In the last few days, Novo Nordisk has also been suspended from its pharmaceutical trade body and seen the loss of a key partnership with the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), which said on Friday that it had cut ties with the company after breaches of industry code.
The Danish manufacturer behind the weight-loss injections that have been hailed as a blockbuster new obesity treatment has recently enjoyed a wave of publicity before the arrival of Wegovy in England.
But amid concern over the lasting effectiveness of the treatment, the company is facing scrutiny over its activities in the U.K., including its payments to obesity experts and the “disguised promotion” of its weight-loss drugs via medical training courses.
What to Know About the Antibiotic-Resistant Shigella Bacteria
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month warned about an increase in cases of the drug-resistant bacterial infection Shigella.
Driving the news: There are an estimated 450,000 infections in the U.S. each year. The percentage of shigellosis that were resistant to antibiotic treatments increased from 0% in 2015 to 5% in 2022, per the CDC.
The CDC called the diarrhea-causing bacteria Shigella a “serious public health threat,” noting that it can spread easily.
“Clinicians treating patients infected with XDR strains have limited antimicrobial treatment options,” the CDC said. The first case of extensively drug-resistant Shigella was discovered in the U.S. in 2016.
BioNTech Signs Deal to Co-Develop OncoC4’s Cancer Drug
Germany’s BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) said on Monday that it signed a deal with privately held OncoC4 Inc to co-develop and commercialize its cancer antibody drug candidate.
OncoC4 will get a $200 million upfront payment and is eligible to receive development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments as well as double-digit tiered royalties.
The companies said they will co-develop the candidate, ONC-392, as a monotherapy or as a combination therapy in various cancer indications.
