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☆ Online sales of Plan B and birth control are surging after Trump's election, retailer says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-10 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Wisp, an online pharmacy, said sales of birth control surged after Donald Trump's election win. AdvertisementWisp, an online pharmacy focused on sexual and reproductive health, says sales of birth control and emergency contraception have surged in the United States in the last week. Wisp, which serves over 1.2 million patients nationwide, reported a 1,000% increase in emergency contraception purchases from November 5 to November 6. In the 24 hours after Election Day, Wisp said it saw a 1,650% increase in new patients purchasing emergency contraception. There was a 600% increase in medication abortion sales and a 50% increase in birth control sales.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Trump, —, Donald Trump, Monica Cepak, Cepak, Roe, Wade, Wisp, Amy Hagstrom Miller, Hagstrom Miller, Kimberly Inez McGuire Organizations: Service, Business, Democrats, Reproductive, Gender Equity, White Locations: United States, Texas , Indiana, Oklahoma, California, New York

☆ FDA proposes ending use of decongestant found in many cold, allergy medicines
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-07 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday proposed ending the use of a common ingredient found in many popular over-the-counter cold and allergy medications. The agency said an extensive review of available data determined that the ingredient, oral phenylephrine, doesn't actually relieve nasal congestion. The FDA said the proposed order is not based on safety concerns and not final yet, which means companies can still market over-the-counter drugs containing oral phenylephrine for now. Last year, CVS said it has already moved to pull certain medicines containing oral phenylephrine. The designation, typically used for older medicines, allows drugmakers to include an ingredient in over-the-counter products without the need to file an FDA application.

Persons: doesn't, Patrizia Cavazzoni, Johnson, Kenvue, Phenylephrine, Pseudoephedrine Organizations: Drug Administration, FDA, FDA's Center, Drug, Research, CVS, Procter, Gamble, Bayer, Walgreens, University of Florida, Consumer Healthcare Products Association Locations: Hawthorne , California, U.S

All four drugs are in a class of wildly popular weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s. In the United Kingdom, authorities last year seized hundreds of counterfeit Ozempic pens — insulin pens that had been relabeled as Ozempic. Counterfeit weight loss drugs have serious health risks, according to the pharmaceutical companies and federal officials. Counterfeiters are already trying to cash in on a weight loss drug that the company hasn't even put on the market yet: retatrutide. But it's also one of the epicenters of the lucrative counterfeit drug trade, according to U.S. authorities who track counterfeit drugs.

Persons: It's, —, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, they've, Laver, Andy Morling, CNBC Morling, Eli Lilly, Daniel Skovronsky, Eli Lilly's, we'll, Skovronksy, John F, Sal Ingrassia, Ingrassia, Customs isn't, we've, Yoav Keren, GLP, TikTok, Keren, BrandShield, it's, Nicole Johnson, CNBC Johnson, Johnson, Mike Doustdar, Doustdar, Direnc Bada Organizations: CNBC, U.S, Laver Beauty, DHL, Novo Nordisk, Laver, Medicines, Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Lilly Research Labs, Kennedy International, JFK International Mail Facility, U.S . Customs, Border Protection, JFK, CBP, Protection, CNBC CNBC, FDA, Customs, Meta, Facebook, World Health Organization, U.S ., Intellectual, Coordination Center, National, Turkish National Police, Novo Nordisk's, CNBC Counterfeiters, CNBC FDA Locations: BOULDER, COLO, Boulder, Ozempic, Shijiazhuang, China, Beijing, Englewood Cliffs , New Jersey, United Kingdom, London, New York City, U.S, Turkey, Europe, South America, United States, India, Mexico, Istanbul, Zurich

☆ CVS is under pressure and considering a breakup. Here's why that could be risky
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | Annika Kim Constantino Covers The Biotech | Pharmaceutical Industry For Cnbc Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +13 min

It’s time for a wellness check at CVS Health. But Caremark, in some cases, also funnels drug prescriptions to CVS retail pharmacies, he said. He said a spinoff of CVS’ retail pharmacies would be more likely. A general view shows a sign of CVS Health Customer Support Center in CVS headquarters of CVS Health Corp in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, U.S. October 30, 2023. Those actions will help the company achieve its target of 100- to 200-basis-points margin improvement in its Medicare Advantage business, CVS executives said in August.

Persons: Caremark, ”, eMarketer, Rajiv Leventhal, Karen Lynch, Lynch, Brian Kane, “, ” Jefferies, Brian Tanquilut, Elizabeth Anderson, Anderson, it’s, eMarketer’s Leventhal, ” Tanquilut, Ann Hynes, Tanquilut, “ they’re, they’re, Michael Cherny, Cherny, Faith Ninivaggi, Reuters Cherny, CVS, Tom Cowhey Organizations: CVS Health, CVS, CNBC, Aetna, Monday, Glenview Capital, Glenview, Evercore ISI, UnitedHealth, Humana, Walgreens, Street Health, Oak, Health, Mizuho, Amazon, Walmart, Oak Street, Leerink Partners, Affordable, Medicare, CVS Health Corp, Reuters, Centers, Medicaid Services Locations: U.S, Caremark, Aetna, Texas and Illinois, Woonsocket , Rhode Island

☆ CVS is under pressure and considering a break up. Here's why that could be risky
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

In this article CVS Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA sign outside of a CVS pharmacy store on February 07, 2024 in Miami, Florida. That means Caremark also sits at the intersection of CVS' retail pharmacy operation and its Aetna insurer, boosting the competitive advantage of both of the businesses. A workers stocks the shelves in a CVS pharmacy store on February 07, 2024 in Miami, Florida. An Oak Street Health clinic stands in a Brooklyn neighborhood on February 08, 2023 in New York City. A general view shows a sign of CVS Health Customer Support Center in CVS headquarters of CVS Health Corp in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, U.S. October 30, 2023.

Persons: Joe Raedle, Caremark, Rajiv Leventhal, Karen Lynch, Lynch, Brian Kane, Jefferies, Brian Tanquilut, Elizabeth Anderson, Anderson, it's, eMarketer's Leventhal, Tanquilut, Ann Hynes, Spencer Platt, they're, Michael Cherny, Cherny, Faith Ninivaggi Organizations: Getty, CVS Health, CVS, CNBC, Aetna, Monday, Glenview Capital, Glenview, UnitedHealth, Humana, Walgreens, Street Health, Oak, Health, Mizuho, Oak Street Health, Amazon, Walmart, Oak Street, Leerink Partners, Affordable, Medicare, CVS Health Corp Locations: Miami , Florida, U.S, Aetna, Caremark, Brooklyn, New York City, Texas and Illinois, Woonsocket , Rhode Island

☆ CVS is working with advisors on strategic review, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CVS Health 's board has engaged advisors to conduct a strategic review of its business, according to people familiar with the matter, as the company contends with potential activist pressure and a severely depressed stock price. The review has been ongoing for some time, said the people, but there is no certainty on what actions, if any, the company will take. CVS management, including CEO Karen Lynch, met with major shareholder Glenview Capital Monday to discuss the company's lagging prospects and Glenview's plans to revive the stock, CNBC previously reported. In a statement, CVS spokesman David Whitrap told CNBC: "CVS Health's management team and Board of Directors are continually exploring ways to create shareholder value. CVS shares rose around 2.5% in after-hours trading Monday on the news, which was first reported by Reuters.

Persons: Karen Lynch, Lynch, David Whitrap, Brian Kane, —, Bertha Coombs Organizations: Washington DC, CVS, Glenview Capital, CNBC, Reuters Locations: Washington, United States

☆ Goldman Sachs names the Japanese stocks to buy right now — and gives 2 over 50% upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In a note on Aug. 7, Goldman's analysts revealed a number of top picks, including three buy-rated Japanese stocks with over 40% upside potential over the next 12 months. Year-to-date, Asics shares are up 99.5%. Goldman has a target price of 3,100 Japanese Yen ($21.07) on the stock, giving it around 50% upside potential at the time of the note. Goldman has a target price of 6,900 Japanese Yen on the stock, or 37% potential upside. Goldman has a target price of 4,850 Japanese Yen on the stock, giving it around 54% upside potential at the time of the bank's note.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, U.S . Asics Corporation Goldman, Sho Kawano, Asics, Goldman, Suntory Beverage & Food Goldman, Takashi Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Ryo Harada, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Nikkei, Tokyo Stock Exchange, U.S . Asics Corporation, Asics Corp, Suntory Beverage & Food, Asia Pacific, Suntory, Yen, Hitachi Locations: U.S, Japan, Europe, Asia

☆ Novo Nordisk's Wegovy weight loss drug wins UK approval for use as a heart treatment
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON — The U.K.'s health regulator on Tuesday approved the use of Novo Nordisk 's Wegovy weight loss drug to reduce the risk of overweight and obese adults suffering from serious heart problems or strokes. The new approval from the U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) makes the Danish pharmaceutical giant's GLP-1 obesity drug the first in the country to be prescribed for prevention of cardiovascular events in people with obesity. It follows similar label expansion by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March. Shares of Novo Nordisk were up after the announcement, trading 1.46% higher by 4:10 p.m. London time after pushing higher for much of the session. The MHRA's deputy director of innovative medicines, Shirley Hopper, said the decision marked an "important step forward" in combatting the effects of obesity.

Persons: Shirley Hopper Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, U.S . Food, Drug Administration Locations: London

☆ A simple options trade on a steady health care stock benefitting from an aging population
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Michael Khouw | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. population is getting older and per capita health care spending has been rising — other than the pandemic blip — very steadily for half a century. We'll detail a simple trade on a resilient health care industry stock that stands to benefit from that long-term trend. Becton Dickinson (BDX) has a large array of healthcare products and consequently doesn't exhibit the volatility that some other health care companies have like biotech. Unsurprisingly, when we look at the health care sector, we also see consistent long-term growth. The Health Care Select Sector Index (IXV) includes more than 60 companies in pharmaceuticals, biotech, equipment, managed care, service providers and distribution.

Persons: Becton Dickinson Organizations: Moderna Inc

A sign is pictured outside an Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical manufacturing plant at 50 ImClone Drive in Branchburg, New Jersey, March 5, 2021. Incretins are peptide-based drugs such as Mounjaro that mimic gut hormones to suppress appetite and stimulate insulin secretion. Lilly said it had announced investments of more than $11 billion in global manufacturing in the past three years. Major production sites that Lilly runs outside of its U.S. home market are in Ireland, France, Spain, Italy and China. The new Alzey site will employ up to 1,000 highly skilled workers such as engineers, technicians and scientists, said Lilly.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Mike Segar, Lilly, Karl Lauterbach, Lauterbach, generics, Patrick Wingrove, Matthias Williams, Jason Neely, David Evans Organizations: Company, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, U.S ., Novo Nordisk, European Union, pharma, The U.S ., Thomson Locations: Branchburg , New Jersey, Germany, Alzey, U.S, United States, Danish, Berlin, Fegersheim, France, European, Indiana , North Carolina, Limerick, Ireland, Spain, Italy, China, The U.S

☆ UK regulators approve medical treatment involving CRISPR gene editing in world first
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The United Kingdom has become the first country to give regulatory approval to a medical treatment involving the revolutionary CRISPR gene editing tool. The treatment, made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, is administered by taking stem cells out of a patient’s bone marrow and editing a gene in the cells in a lab. “Modifying the stem cells from the bone marrow of the patient avoids the problems associated with immune compatibility, i.e. The release from the MHRA did not say how much the treatment would cost, but it’s likely to be expensive. CRISPR-Cas9 has had a major impact on biomedical research, clinical medicine and agriculture and is widely used in labs around the world.

Persons: —, ”, Julian Beach, “, — Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jennifer A, Doudna —, Casgevy, Alena Pance, ” Pance, Cas9, Jiankui Organizations: CNN, country’s Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Beta, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, US Food and Drug Administration, University of Hertfordshire, Science Media Centre Locations: United Kingdom, South Asian

☆ British health agency warns of fake Ozempic pens linked to hospitalizations
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Amanda Musa | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Britain’s health agency is warning the public not to buy pre-filled pens claiming to contain the weight loss drugs Ozempic and Saxenda without a prescription, after a small number of people were hospitalized. Ozempic is used to treat adults with type 2 diabetes, and is used off-label for weight loss. More than 350 potentially fake Ozempic pens have been seized since January of this year, according to the MHRA. The agency has also received reports that patients have obtained fake Saxenda pens in the UK through “through non-legitimate routes.”No fake weight-loss pens were seized before January 2023, the agency says. The maker of both drugs, Novo Nordisk, told CNN Thursday that it is aware that counterfeit pens are being circulated.

Persons: Ozempic, ” Allison Schneider, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Alison Cave, ” Ozempic, “, Meg Tirrell Organizations: CNN, Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Novo Nordisk, “, “ Novo Nordisk, General Pharmaceutical Council, Get CNN, CNN Health, European Medicines Agency, European Union Locations: Ozempic, “ Novo, Novo, Germany, Europe

Homeland Security, as well as companies that help identify counterfeit products such as Israel’s BrandShield. Fake weight-loss drugs will be a key focus in the agency’s annual counterfeit medicines report, due next year, the official said. “We have counterfeit products and stolen products,” the official said. "We will look online and if we find something that infringes (obesity drug trademarks) we'll get it taken down,” said Yoav Keren, BrandShield CEO. When a consumer buys those fakes, “what you get are expired drugs, counterfeit drugs, or nothing,” he added.

Persons: George Frey, Eli Lilly, BrandShield, Novo’s Ozempic, ”, Jim Mancuso, Mancuso, Europol, Novo, Lilly, “, Ozempic, Yoav Keren, MHRA, Eli, Mounjaro, Patrick Wingrove, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, REUTERS, Novo Nordisk’s, Pharmaceutical Security Institute, drugmakers Novo Nordisk, Europol, Interpol, U.S . Homeland Security, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, U.S . Department of Homeland, Coordination Center, PSI, Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Health Organization, Ireland’s, Products Regulatory Authority, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, America, Europe, Germany, Egypt, Russia, North America

☆ The rise and fall of pharma bigwig Rite Aid, which couldn't keep up with rivals Walgreen and CVS
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Nidhi Pandurangi | Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Rite Aid filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday following slumping sales and a series of lawsuits. Rite Aid, which has over 47,000 employees, has struggled in recent years to compete against larger peers like CVS and Walgreens Boots Alliance, as well as Amazon. Rite Aid has faced growing competition from direct-to-consumer pharmacy startups as well as medication deliveries from the likes of Amazon and Uber. Rite Aid also experienced supply chain challenges after changing supplier for many of its perishable consumer goods and shrink "continued to be a significant headwind," Burr said. Representatives for Rite Aid did not immediately respond for Insider's request for further comment beyond sending statements about Stein's appointment and its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

Persons: it's, —, Jeffrey S, Stein, Elizabeth Burr, Heyward Donigan, Donigan, Burr, there'd Organizations: Service, Rite, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Rite Aid, pharma, Aid, Discount, Rite Aid Corporation, PayLess, Walgreens, Albertsons, New York Times Locations: New Jersey, Scranton , Pennsylvania

☆ Rite Aid files for bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“It was always a matter of when, not if, Rite Aid would file for bankruptcy,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, in a note to investors. As part of the bankruptcy plan, Rite Aid appointed a new CEO, Jeff Stein, who will also serve as the head of restructuring and a board member. The government accused Rite Aid of missing “obvious red flags” when it filled the prescriptions for addictive pain killers. Rite Aid is a distant third-largest nationwide standalone pharmacy chain in the United States — and the seventh largest pharmacy overall, when taking into account big box chains. Ultimately, in 2017, the companies agreed to a smaller, $4.4 billion deal, in which Walgreens bought just under 2,000 Rite Aid locations, leaving Rite Aid diminished in stature and unable to compete at the scale of its bigger rivals.

Persons: —, ”, Neil Saunders, GlobalData, Jeff Stein, Stein, “, Aid’s, General Merrick Garland, — CNN’s Nathaniel Meyersohn, Juliana Liu Organizations: New, New York CNN — Rite, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, Costco, US Securities and Exchange Commission, ”, Aid, Rite Aid, Solutions, “, Justice, US Justice Department, US Centers for Disease Control, ., United States — Locations: New York, United States

☆ Insider Today: Amazon's secret search plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementThe retail giant is overhauling its search bar with ChatGPT-like features that'll act as a sort of concierge for customers, offering expert answers and product suggestions. Dubbed Project Nile, Amazon's top leaders, including CEO Andy Jassy, view the new search bar as a top priority. AdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, Amazon's overhauled search bar will arguably be the most impactful implementation of generative AI from Big Tech for US consumers thus far. insider intelligenceIn reading Eugene's piece, three follow-up questions immediately came to mind:How will Amazon sellers try and game the new search bar? However, Joseph Sirosh serves as VP of Amazon Search and Alexa Shopping, suggesting Alexa could get a much-needed boost from the new search bar.

Persons: —, Mike Blake, Alyssa Powell, Amazon's, Andy Jassy, Eugene Kim, Joseph Sirosh, Alexa, TikTok, Ben Sun, Anu Duggal, Susan Lyne, Josh Wolfe, Matt Harris, Jillian Williams, Melissa Kwan, Sergey Brin, Brin, Hugo Herrera, Sam Bankman, Fried, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Reuters, Nile, Microsoft, Big Tech, Alexa, Amazon Search, Getty, Wall Street, BBG Ventures, Lux Capital, Apple, Bain Capital Ventures, Cowboy Ventures, Prosecutors, BET, MLB, American League and National League, Houston Astros Locations: Atlanta, Sonoma , California, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

☆ Inside Project Nile: Amazon's secret AI-powered plan to change the way you shop online.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

"Project Nile is a confidential initiative wherein we're building a conversational shopping agent for Retail customers," one internal document explained. Wearing that "I love AI" t-shirt, Sirosh, VP of Amazon Search and Alexa Shopping, introduced Project Nile as a "super confidential" project. Project Nile isn't the only move Amazon has made in the popular generative AI space. For Amazon's retail side, Project Nile is one of the most important projects. Sirosh has told his team he's "staffing up very rapidly" as Project Nile is the "absolute top priority."

Persons: Joseph Sirosh, Sirosh, Stephen Lam, It's, they're, Andy Jassy, Doug Herrington, Jassy, Rohit Prasad, ChatGPT, Microsoft's Bing, Google's Bard Organizations: Amazon, Microsoft, Retail, Amazon Search, Alexa, Nile, ChatGPT, Google Locations: Anthropic, OpenAI

☆ Cough syrup deaths overseas prompt US crackdown on toxic testing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Defendants and lawyers attend a court hearing in the case of child deaths linked to contaminated cough syrups, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan August 16, 2023. Cough syrups made in India and Indonesia have been linked to deaths of more than 300 children globally. The medicines were found to contain high levels of DEG and EG, leading to acute kidney injury and death. IMPORT ALERTSThe FDA warning letters give manufacturers an opportunity to fix quality control problems or face penalties. In addition, 13 U.S. makers of consumer products like earwax removers, nasal spray, hand soap and shampoo, including Lex, were threatened with possible seizures and injunctions by the FDA.

Persons: Stringer, Paul Hastings, Peter Lindsay, syrups, Lex, Charlene Paz, Greg Landry, Patrick Wingrove, Rishika, Joyce Lee, Michele Gershberg, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, FDA, Drug Administration, EG, Reuters, South, South Korea's LCC, LCC, Daxal Therapeutics, Herbals, South Korea’s KM Pharmaceutical, Sangleaf Pharma, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Thomson Locations: Tashkent, Uzbekistan, U.S, India, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada, Egypt, Washington ,, Indonesia, United States, Florida, South Korea's, South, New York, Rishika Sadam, Hyderabad, Seoul

☆ Decongestant found in many cold, allergy medicines doesn’t actually work, FDA advisors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The main ingredient used in many popular over-the-counter cold and allergy medications doesn't actually work to get rid of nasal congestion, an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration declared Tuesday. The FDA typically follows the advice of its advisory committees but it is not required to do so. Pulling phenylephrine from the market could also affect retail pharmacy chains, which rake in revenue from selling over-the-counter cold and allergy pills. Retail stores in the U.S. sold 242 million bottles of drugs containing phenylephrine last year, up 30% from 2021, according to data compiled by FDA staff. Yet FDA staff, in briefing documents posted ahead of the meeting this week, concluded that oral formulations of phenylephrine don't work at standard or even higher doses.

Persons: Johnson, Scott Melville Organizations: Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Procter, Gamble, Consumer Healthcare Products Association, CVS, Walgreens, University of Florida Locations: U.S

The advisers also told the FDA that studying phenylephrine at higher doses was not an option because it can push blood pressure to dangerous levels. This time, the 16 members of the FDA panel unanimously agreed that current evidence doesn't show a benefit for the drug. Additionally, three larger, rigorously conducted studies published since 2016 showed no difference between phenylephrine medications and placebos for relieving congestion. Those studies were conducted by Merck and Johnson & Johnson and enrolled hundreds of patients. Like many other over-the-counter ingredients, phenylephrine was essentially grandfathered into use during a sweeping FDA review begun in the 1972.

Persons: Allegra, Dayquil, ”, Mark Dykewicz, Johnson, Paul Pisaric, “, Jennifer Schwartzott, Peter Starke, drugmakers, Theresa Michele Organizations: WASHINGTON, Food and Drug Administration, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, FDA, Bayer, Archwell Health, University of Florida, Merck, Johnson, Consumer Healthcare Products Association, Congress, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Oklahoma

☆ Your cold pills could be yanked off the shelf. An FDA panel just ruled some of them don't work.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Associated Press | Haley Tenore | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Food and Drug Administration panel said phenylephrine, a commonly used decongestant, doesn't work. Phenylephrine is found in dozens of over-the-counter cold medications to relieve sinus congestion. Phenylephrine versions — sometimes labeled "PE" on the packaging — make up the rest. Several other commonly purchased cold and congestion relief medications also contain phenylephrine, according to The Wall Street Journal. This time, the 16 members of the FDA panel unanimously agreed that current evidence doesn't show a benefit for the drug.

Persons: Phenylephrine, Allegra, Dayquil, Mark Dykewicz, Johnson, Jennifer Schwartzott, drugmakers Organizations: Drug Administration, Food and Drug Administration, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, FDA, Bayer, Wall Street, Allergy, University of Florida, Consumer Healthcare Products Association, Congress

☆ A Decongestant in Cold Medicines Doesn’t Work at All, an F.D.A. Panel Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Christina Jewett | More About Christina Jewett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Every cold and flu season, millions of Americans reach for these products, some over decades. The decongestant is in at least 250 products that were worth nearly $1.8 billion in sales last year, according to an agency presentation. Among the products: Sudafed Sinus Congestion, Tylenol Cold & Flu Severe, NyQuil Severe Cold & Flu, Theraflu Severe Cold Relief, Mucinex Sinus Max and others. The ingredient has long been considered safe and effective under an old, outdated agency standard, and the F.D.A. The agency also may give the drug companies a grace period to swap ingredients in products, if required.

Persons: Leslie Hendeles, Hendeles, ”, Marcia D, Howard Organizations: Staples, Medicine Cabinet, University of Florida, Consumer Healthcare Products Association, White

☆ Moderna, Pfizer say updated COVID shots generate strong response vs newer variant
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Moderna said its shot generated an 8.7-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies against BA.2.86 compared with an untreated natural antibody response in clinical trials in humans. Pfizer said its updated vaccine with partner BioNTech (22UAy.DE) elicited a strong antibody response against BA.2.86 in a preclinical study in mice. Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech and relative newcomer to the COVID vaccine market Novavax (NVAX.O) have created versions of their shots aimed at the XBB.1.5 subvariant, the dominant variant through most of 2023. Moderna shares were down 1.6% and Pfizer shares were off nearly 3% in afternoon trading. The Omicron offshoot carries more than 35 mutations in key portions of the virus compared with XBB.1.5, the target of the updated shots.

Persons: Moderna, Jacqueline Miller, BioNTech, Cowen, Tyler Van Buren, Dado Ruvic, Patrick Wingrove, Michael Erman, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Pfizer, World Health Organization, WHO, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, ” Moderna, Moderna, REUTERS, CDC, Omicron, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Britain's Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Switzerland, South Africa, Israel, Denmark, U.S, Britain, New York, New Jersey

☆ Moderna says updated COVID vaccine is effective against newer variant
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A vial and sryinge are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken January 11, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - Moderna (MRNA.O) on Wednesday said clinical trial data showed its updated COVID-19 vaccine will likely be effective against the highly-mutated BA.2.86 subvariant of the coronavirus that has raised fears of a resurgence of infections. The Omicron offshoot carries more than 35 mutations in key portions of the virus compared with XBB.1.5, the dominant variant through most of 2023 and the target of the updated shots. Moderna said it had shared the new finding on its vaccine with regulators and submitted it for peer review publication. European regulators have since backed the Pfizer/BioNTech shot, with Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approving the vaccine on Tuesday, but have yet to make any announcements on Moderna’s updated vaccine.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jacqueline Miller, Moderna, COVID, BioNTech, Patrick Wingrove, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, World Health Organization, WHO, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, ” Moderna, CDC, Omicron, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Pfizer, Moderna, Britain's Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Reuters, Thomson Locations: The Massachusetts, Switzerland, South Africa, Israel, Denmark, U.S, Britain, New York

☆ England to rollout world-first seven-minute cancer treatment jab
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Boxes of Tecentriq from Genentech are seen at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., July 22, 2022. REUTERS/George Frey/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 29 (Reuters) - Britain's state-run national health service will be the first in the world to offer an injection that treats cancer to hundreds of patients in England which could cut treatment times by up to three quarters. The treatment is currently offered by transfusion to NHS patients with a range of cancers, including lung, breast, liver and bladder. NHS England said it expected the majority of around 3,600 patients starting the treatment of atezolizumab every year in England to switch onto the time-saving injection. But added that patients receiving intravenous chemotherapy in combination with atezolizumab may remain on the transfusion.

Persons: George Frey, Dr Alexander Martin, atezolizumab, Marius Scholtz, Genentech, Roche, Farouq Suleiman, Sandra Maler Organizations: Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, REUTERS, Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Foundation Trust, Roche Products, Thomson Locations: Genentech, Salt Lake City , Utah, U.S, England, West Suffolk

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