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The coronavirus strain nicknamed “eris” was responsible for more than 1 in 5 new infections in recent weeks, according to updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. EG.5, or “eris,” is the top strain circulating in the U.S., causing nearly 22% of cases over the past two weeks, according to CDC data. Its rise in the U.S. comes as COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased for six straight weeks. According to the CDC, BA.2.86 was responsible for less than 1% of infections over the past two weeks in the U.S. The CDC updated its risk assessment for BA.2.86 this week.

Persons: ”, It’s Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, EG, World Health Organization, WHO, CDC, U.S Locations: U.S

☆ When to wear masks as Covid cases rise, new variants emerge in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An uptick in Covid cases and hospitalizations in the U.S., and the emergence of new variants of the virus, are prompting questions about whether Americans should start masking up again. One thing's for sure: People infected with Covid should wear masks around others to prevent the spread of the virus. That includes your personal risk level, Covid rates in your region and who you might make contact with, public health experts said. Newer Covid variants like the now-dominant EG.5, or "Eris," and a handful of XBB strains have fueled the rise. New Covid shots from Pfizer , Moderna and Novavax are slated to roll out in mid-September, and will likely provide robust protection against those variants.

Persons: Michael Nason, Donna Nason, Andrew Pekosz, Francesca Torriani, Pavitra, Axios Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, CNBC, CDC, U.S, Pfizer, Moderna, University of California, University of Washington School of Medicine Locations: Bakersfield, Los Angeles , CA, California, U.S, Covid, San Diego

Coronavirus is on the rise in the U.S., prompting questions about when Americans can roll up their sleeves for the next COVID-19 vaccine. The updated shots target XBB.1.5, which was responsible for less than 5% of new coronavirus infections in recent weeks. But all the strains circulating are still descendants of omicron, so experts believe the shots will still protect against severe COVID-19 from the variants. Historically, vaccine uptake decreases each time a new coronavirus shot is offered. Just 17% of Americans as of May rolled up their sleeves for the latest round of shots offered.

Persons: it’s, Biden, ” Mandy Cohen, Novavax, – Cohen, ” Cohen, Cohen, ” Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Food and Drug Administration, Pfizer, FDA, EG Locations: U.S, COVID, Moderna

☆ Canada detects first case of highly mutated coronavirus variant BA.2.86
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test collection centre is seen at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada February 22, 2021. REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Canada has detected its first case of coronavirus infection from the highly mutated BA.2.86 variant of Omicron in a person in British Columbia who had not traveled outside the Pacific province, health officials said on Tuesday. "It was not unexpected for BA.2.86 to show up in Canada and the province," they said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week the BA.2.86 variant may be more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received preventive vaccines. Canadian health authorities have noted an uptick in COVID infections in recent weeks, though virus activity remains relatively low, Health Canada said in a weekly update earlier on Tuesday.

Persons: Jennifer Gauthier, Bonnie Henry, Adrian Dix, Ismail Shakil, Sandra Maler Organizations: International Airport, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Health, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Thomson Locations: Richmond , British Columbia, Canada, British Columbia, Pacific, Denmark, United States, Switzerland, Israel, Health Canada

☆ Updated Covid-19 vaccines are coming mid-September, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Covid-19 vaccines that have been tweaked to teach the body how to fend off the current crop of circulating variants are now expected to land in drugstores and clinics in mid-September, senior administration officials say. The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to give its nod to the updated vaccines in a few weeks. Officials said ACIP will meet quickly after the FDA decision in order to expedite the regulatory steps and get the vaccines to market. The advisory group is scheduled to meet to discuss Covid-19 vaccines on September 12, meaning the vaccines could become available soon after. The details of the pharmacy program are still being worked out, and there may be a slight lag in getting free vaccines at some stores.

Persons: CNN —, ACIP, Mandy Cohen, ”, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Cohen, There’s Organizations: CNN, US Food and Drug Administration, US Centers for Disease Control, Officials, CDC, Covid, Pfizer, Moderna, FDA, EG, Affordable, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, CNN Health Locations: drugstores, Covid

REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON/CHICAGO, Aug 24 (Reuters) - A highly mutated COVID variant called BA.2.86 has now been detected in Switzerland and South Africa in addition to Israel, Denmark, the U.S. and the U.K., according to a leading World Health Organization official. It has since been detected in other symptomatic patients, in routine airport screening, and in wastewater samples in a handful of countries. That the known cases are not linked suggests it is already circulating more widely, particularly given reduced surveillance worldwide, she said. There have been nine such cases detected as of Aug. 23 and the variant was also found in wastewater in Switzerland. Jha and others, including the European public health agency and COVAX, the global program for getting vaccines to the world's poorest, said COVID surveillance and defenses could be reactivated in the event of a major infection wave.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Maria Van Kerkhove, Kerkhove, ”, Marion Koopmans, Nirav Shah, Van Kerkhove, Tyra Grove Krause, Ashish Jha, Jha, Jennifer Rigby, Julie Steenhuysen, Pratik Jain, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Health Organization, Omicron, WHO, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Pharmacy, Walgreens, Rite, Reuters, Statens Serum, White, Thomson Locations: Harlem, New York City, U.S, CHICAGO, Switzerland, South Africa, Israel, Denmark, COVID, Dutch, Danish, Bengaluru

☆ It may be time to break out the masks against Covid, some experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“And since the masks that are most effective are N95 that are now readily available, that’s the kind of mask you should wear,” he added. But the agency doesn’t make a broad recommendation for everyone to adopt masks. Morris Brown College in Atlanta announced a return to mandated physical distancing and masks just one week after classes started in August. And pediatricians are poised for the typical return-to-school surge in all kinds of respiratory illness, whether colds, flu or Covid. “The virus is always lurking, waiting for openings, so I think Covid is just going to be a bit of a roller coaster, probably forever,” Wachter said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jonathan Reiner, “, ” Reiner, Biden, ”, Reiner, Eric Topol, ” Topol, ” What’s, Robert Wachter, ” Wachter, haven’t, Peter Chin, Topol, Dr, Sara Bode, Bode, It’s, ‘, ” Chin, Hong, You’ve, you’ve, Amanda Musa, Brenda Goodman, Deidre McPhillips, Meg Tirrell Organizations: CNN, George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Scripps, Research, Covid, Department of Medicine, University of California San, University of California, Morris Brown College, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, American Academy of Pediatrics ’, School Health, Internal Locations: Covid, Florida, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, Atlanta, Columbus , Ohio, Washington

☆ US CDC says new COVID lineage could cause infections in vaccinated individuals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CDC said it was too soon to know whether this might cause more severe illness compared with previous variants. But due to the high number of mutations detected in this lineage, there were concerns about its impact on immunity from vaccines and previous infections, the agency said. Scientists are keeping an eye on the BA.2.86 lineage because it has 36 mutations that distinguish it from the currently-dominant XBB.1.5 variant. The agency had earlier this month said it was tracking the highly mutated BA.2.86 lineage, which has been detected in the United States, Denmark and Israel. CDC said on Wednesday the current increase in hospitalizations in the United States is not likely driven by the BA.2.86 lineage.

Persons: Pratik Jain, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Science, Trinity College, Reuters, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Thomson Locations: Dublin, Wuhan, United States, Denmark, Israel, hospitalizations, Bengaluru

☆ Novavax shares surge after drugmaker says new Covid vaccine was effective against Eris variant
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Novavax jumped more than 13% on Tuesday after the biotech company said its new Covid vaccine generated a broad immune response against the now-dominant Eris variant and another fast-spreading strain of the virus in small animal trials. But the trial results suggest that the shot may still be effective against newer Covid variants gaining a greater foothold in the U.S. That includes Eris and XBB.1.16.6, both of which are also descendants of omicron. "We have a lot of confidence in our updated Covid vaccine and are working diligently with global regulatory bodies to ensure our protein-based vaccine is available this fall," Filip Dubovsky, Novavax's president of research and development, said in a release. The World Health Organization designated Eris a "variant of interest," meaning it will be monitored for mutations that could make it more severe. XBB.1.16.6 is also beginning to surge, accounting for 8% of all cases nationwide as of Saturday, the CDC said.

Persons: Novavax, Filip Dubovsky Organizations: Pfizer, Moderna, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, EG, Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, CDC Locations: U.S, hospitalizations

☆ Covid vaccine stocks jump as new variants emerge ahead of fall shot rollout
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Covid vaccine makers' shares rose Monday as new variants of the virus emerge in the U.S. ahead of the rollout of updated shots this fall. Shares of BioNTech , which jointly develops Covid vaccines with Pfizer , popped nearly 7%. It's been a rocky few months for those stocks as sales of Covid shots and treatments plummet in the U.S.: Shares of all four companies are down more than 20% for the year. But Wall Street's enthusiasm for Covid vaccine makers is getting a fresh boost with the upcoming launch of brand-new shots this fall and the emergence of new variants of the virus. So far, there is no evidence that BA.2.86 spreads faster or causes more serious infections than previous versions.

Persons: Novavax, It's Organizations: Pfizer, EG, U.S . Health, CNBC, Moderna, Novavax, World Health Organization, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention Locations: U.S, Denmark, Israel

☆ Biden administration to urge Americans get new COVID-19 boosters
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A 50-year-old and immunocompromised resident receives a second booster shot of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine in Waterford, Michigan, U.S., April 8, 2022. On Thursday, Moderna (MRNA.O) said initial data showed its updated COVID-19 vaccine is effective against the "Eris" and "Fornax" subvariants in humans. Moderna and other COVID-19 vaccine makers Novavax (NVAX.O), Pfizer (PFE.N) and German partner BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) have created versions of their shots aimed at the XBB.1.5 subvariant. Pending approval from health regulators in the United States and Europe, the companies expect the updated shots to be available in the coming weeks for the autumn vaccination season. "We will be encouraging all Americans to get those boosters in addition to flu shots and RSV shots," the official said, referring to the Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Persons: Emily Elconin, Biden, BioNTech, Steve Holland, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, White, for Disease Control, Pfizer, Thomson Locations: Waterford , Michigan, U.S, Moderna, United States, Europe

Scientists are keeping an eye on the new lineage, named BA.2.86, because it has 36 mutations that distinguish it from the currently-dominant XBB.1.5 variant. So far there is no evidence that BA.2.86 spreads faster or causes more serious illness than previous versions. COVID infections and hospitalizations have been rising in the U.S., Europe and Asia, with more cases in recent months attributed to the EG.5 "Eris" subvariant, a descendant of the Omicron lineage that originally emerged in November 2021. But many countries have drastically reduced testing of patients and their efforts to analyze the genomes of the viruses causing new COVID cases. Updated COVID booster shots now being developed have been designed to target the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5.

Persons: Emily Elconin, Wesley Long, Eric Topol, Topol, Long, Moderna, Eris, Deena Beasley, Nancy Lapid, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Moderna Inc, Pfizer, World Health Organization, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, CDC, EG, Omicron, Houston Methodist Hospital, Scripps Research, COVID, U.S, Pfizer Inc, Thomson Locations: Waterford , Michigan, U.S, Europe, Asia, United States, Israel, Denmark, La Jolla , California

☆ Scientists race to understand highly mutated coronavirus variant spotted in four countries, including the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A highly mutated new variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 has countries on alert as scientists scramble to understand how far it has spread and how well our immunity will defend against it. The World Health Organization designated BA.2.86 a “variant under monitoring” on Thursday, a designation that encourages countries to track and report the sequences they find. SSI scientists stressed that it’s still too early to say anything about the severity or contagiousness of the new variant. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team. The XBB descendant EG.5 is currently the dominant variant in the US, causing an estimated 20% of all new Covid-19 cases in this country.

Persons: Jesse Bloom, ” Bloom, ”, Morten Rasmussen, Mandy Cohen, we’ve, “, ” Cohen, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, Omicron, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, World Health Organization, EG, WHO, Statens Serum Institut, US Centers for Disease Control, UK’s Health Security Agency, CNN Health, University of Michigan, White House Locations: Seattle, Israel, Denmark, United States, United Kingdom

☆ US CDC tracks new lineage of virus that causes COVID
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Deena Beasley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The lineage is named BA.2.86, and has been detected in the United States, Denmark and Israel, the CDC said in a post on messaging platform X. "As we learn more about BA.2.86, CDC's advice on protecting yourself from COVID-19 remains the same," the agency said. The WHO said that, so far, only a few sequences of the variant have been reported from a handful of countries. The new lineage, which has 36 mutations from the currently-dominant XXB.1.5 COVID variant "harkens back to an earlier branch" of the virus, explained Dr. S. Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist. https://slides.com/jbloom/new_2nd_gen_ba2_variant?ftag=YHF4eb9d17#/12The Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is the strain targeted by vaccines in upcoming COVID booster shots.

Persons: Wesley Long, Jesse Bloom, Fred Hutch, Dr, Long, Shivani Tanna, Himani Sarkar, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Science, Trinity College, Reuters, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, CDC, World Health Organization, WHO, Houston Methodist, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Thomson Locations: Dublin, Wuhan, United States, Denmark, Israel, Bengaluru

☆ New Covid vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax will likely protect against Eris variant
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

New Covid vaccines from Pfizer , Moderna and Novavax will likely provide protection against the new "Eris" variant, now the dominant strain of the virus in the U.S. The drugmakers designed their updated vaccines to target the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, which is slowly declining nationwide. Eris accounted for 17.3% of all cases in the U.S. as of earlier this month, according to the latest data from the CDC. The World Health Organization earlier this month designated Eris a "variant of interest," meaning it will be monitored for mutations that could potentially make it more severe. It's also not expected to cause a huge wave of Covid cases like other strains have in previous years.

Persons: Dr, Mark Mulligan, It's Organizations: Chicago Department of Public Health, Southwest Senior Center, Pfizer, Moderna, U.S, EG, NYU, Vaccine, CNBC, Food and Drug Administration, Disease Control, CDC, World Health Organization Locations: Covid, Chicago , Illinois, Novavax, U.S

☆ Moderna says new Covid vaccine was effective against Eris variant in early trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Moderna's new Covid vaccine generated a robust immune response against the now-dominant Eris variant and another rapidly spreading strain of the virus in an early clinical trial, the biotech company said Thursday. The updated shot is designed to target omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, but the results suggest that the jab may still be effective against newer variants of the virus that are gaining ground nationwide. That includes Eris and another variant nicknamed Fornax, both of which are also descendants of the omicron virus variant. The World Health Organization designated Eris a "variant of interest," meaning it will be monitored for mutations that could make it more severe. A Pfizer spokesperson on Thursday said the company's own updated Covid shot effectively neutralized XBB.1.5 and Eris, among other variants, in a recent trial on mice.

Persons: Eris Organizations: omicron, Pfizer, Novavax, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, EG, Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, CDC Locations: U.S

☆ Pfizer's updated COVID shot effective against 'Eris' variant in mice study
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Pfizer, along with its German partner BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE), as well as other COVID-19 vaccine makers Moderna (MRNA.O) and Novavax (NVAX.O) have created versions of their shots, which are aimed at the XBB.1.5 subvariant. EG.5, nicknamed by some as "Eris", is similar to the XBB.1.5 subvariant and a sub-lineage of the still-dominant Omicron variant. EG.5 accounted for about more than 17% of COVID-19 cases in the United States, according to the latest government data. In the United States, COVID-19 related hospitalizations are up more than 40% off of recent lows hit in June, but are still more than 90% below peak levels hit during the January 2022 Omicron outbreak. Reporting by Pratik Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi MajumdarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chris Aluka Berry, BioNTech, Pratik Jain, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Dekalb Pediatric Center, REUTERS, Pfizer, Pfizer Inc, Moderna, EG, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: Dekalb, Georgia, Decatur , Georgia, U.S, United States, China, South Korea, Japan, Canada, Bengaluru

☆ Moderna's updated COVID vaccine effective against 'Eris' variant in humans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Vials of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are seen at Apotex pharmaceutical company as Humber River Hospital's mobile vaccine clinic vaccinate employees as part of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination campaign, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada April 13, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies BioNTech SE FollowModerna Inc FollowNovavax Inc Follow Show more companiesAug 17 (Reuters) - Moderna (MRNA.O) said on Thursday an initial study data showed its updated COVID-19 vaccine to be effective against the "Eris" and "Fornax" subvariants in humans. Moderna and other COVID-19 vaccine makers Novavax (NVAX.O), Pfizer (PFE.N) and German partner BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) have created versions of their shots aimed at the XBB.1.5 subvariant. Earlier on Thursday, Pfizer reported that its updated COVID-19 shot, co-developed with BioNTech, showed neutralizing activity against the Eris subvariant in a study conducted on mice. Eris, the nickname for EG.5, is similar to the XBB.1.5 subvariant and a sub-lineage of the still-dominant Omicron variant.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, BioNTech, Pratik Jain, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Moderna, REUTERS, Pfizer, EG, Omicron, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: Humber, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, United States, Europe, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ New Covid vaccines are on the way as 'Eris' variant rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Michael Erman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Some public health experts hope that Americans will welcome the new shot as they would a flu jab. In the fall of 2022, by which time most people had either had the COVID virus or the vaccine, fewer than 50 million people got the shots. Its biggest rival, Moderna, conceded demand could be as few as 50 million shots. POST PANDEMIC VACCINEThe COVID public health emergency ended in May and the government has handed much of the duty of vaccinating America to the private sector. As with the flu, Pfizer (PFE.N)/BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE), Moderna (MRNA.O) and Novavax (NVAX.O), have created versions of the COVID vaccine to try to match the variant they believe will be circulating this fall.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ashley Kirzinger, Kirzinger, BioNTech, Jefferies, Michael Yee, " Yee, Mandy Cohen, William Schaffner, Schaffner, David Boulware, Michael Erman, Caroline Humer, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, CVS Health, Family, Reuters, Pfizer –, Moderna, Pfizer, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, EG, Vanderbilt University, University of Minnesota, Thomson Locations: U.S, America, United States, COVID, CDC's

☆ Covid Eris: What to know about new variant EG.5 dominating U.S. cases
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Michael Erman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Aug 14 (Reuters) - COVID infections and hospitalizations are on the rise in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Health officials are pointing at the EG.5 "Eris" coronavirus, a subvariant of the Omicron lineage that originally emerged November of 2021. EG.5 had been found in more than 50 countries as of August 8, according to the WHO. It is the most common and fastest growing COVID-19 subvariant in the U.S., estimated to be responsible for around 17% of current COVID cases, according to the CDC. EG.5 is similar to XBB.1.5 although the newer subvariant carries one mutation to its spike protein, the part of the virus targeted by the vaccine.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, Cohen, Michael Erman, Caroline Humer, Diane Craft Organizations: Health, EG, Omicron, World Health Organization, WHO, CDC, Pfizer, Thomson Locations: U.S, Europe, Asia

☆ What to Know About the New Dominant Covid Variant
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The variant was identified in China in February 2023 and was first detected in the United States in April. It is a descendant of the Omicron variant XBB.1.9.2 and has one notable mutation that helps it to evade antibodies developed by the immune system in response to earlier variants and vaccines. That advantage may be why EG.5 has become the dominant strain worldwide, and it could be one reason Covid cases have started to rise again. Diagnostic tests and treatments such as Paxlovid continue to be effective against it, Dr. Pekosz said. “My main concern is for the people at high risk,” Dr. Topol said.

Persons: Pekosz, Eric Topol, Topol, ” Organizations: EG, Scripps Research Locations: China, United States, La Jolla, Calif

☆ New Covid variant: EG.5 is on the rise as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations go up
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —There’s a new coronavirus variant topping the leaderboard in the United States: EG.5. And it represents another incremental tweak to the virus rather than a major evolutionary leap like the original Omicron strain. This mutation has appeared in other coronavirus variants before. EG.5 also now has its own offshoot, EG.5.1, that adds a second mutation to the spike. Topol says the US can’t afford to delay its Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

Persons: CNN —, it’s, David Ho, ” Ho, ”, Eric Topol, Anne Hahn, Dan Barouch, virologist, ” Topol, Mandy Cohen, Topol, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, EG, US Centers for Disease Control, Columbia University, Scripps, Research, World Health Organization, Yale School of Public Health, Harvard University, US Food and Drug Administration, CDC, CNN Health, FDA Locations: United States, Northeast, FL, Ireland, France, Japan, China, Boston

☆ With Eris on the rise, US CDC sees no major shift in COVID variants
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Updated vaccines should be available by mid- to late September, she said. The vaccines still need to be authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the CDC needs to make its recommendations, she said. "We are likely to see this as a recommendation as an annual COVID shot just like we have an annual flu shot," she said. Pfizer (PFE.N)/BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE), Moderna (MRNA.O) and Novavax (NVAX.O) have all said they expect to have supplies of the updated vaccine ready for the roll out this autumn. Eris is the fasting-growing COVID-19 subvariant in the U.S., estimated to be responsible for around 17% of current COVID cases, according to the CDC.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, Biden, Andy Slavitt's, we've, Cohen, Michael Erman, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: EG, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Pfizer, World Health Organization, CDC, Thomson Locations: United States, China, U.S, New York

☆ Novavax posts quarterly profit on COVID vaccine sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Novavax Inc FollowAstraZeneca PLC FollowBioNTech SE Follow Show more companiesAug 8 (Reuters) - Novavax (NVAX.O) reported a second-quarter profit on Tuesday, helped by strong revenue from its COVID-19 vaccines, but still trimmed its annual forecast for sales of the shot. As part of the agreement, Novavax will issue 6.5 million shares to SK Bioscience at $13 per share. Following the agreements, Novavax now owes SK Bioscience $65 million in cash. The company reported revenue of $424 million, compared with analysts' estimates of $240 million, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Novavax lowered the sales forecast for its COVID-19 vaccines to between $1.3 billion and $1.5 billion this year, compared with a previous outlook of $1.4 billion to $1.6 billion.

Persons: Novavax, Leroy Leo, Michael Erman, Varun H, Maju Samuel, Shounak Organizations: AstraZeneca, SK Bioscience, South Korean, South, Thomson Locations: KS, South Korean, United States, Bengaluru, New York

REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File PhotoFRANKFURT, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Germany's BioNTech (22UAy.DE), Pfizer's (PFE.N) partner on COVID-19 vaccines, cut its drug development budget for this year after quarterly revenues were hurt by a plunge in pandemic-related demand. The quarterly net loss was 190 million euros, down from a COVID-19-fuelled profit of 1.67 billion euros a year earlier. The company said it cut its projected research and development (R&D) budget for this year to between 2 and 2.2 billion euros, down from between 2.4 and 2.6 billion euros previously forecast. R&D expenditures were 1.54 billion euros last year. BioNTech reaffirmed its outlook for COVID-19 vaccine revenues to reach about 5 billion euros in 2023, down from 17.2 billion euros last year, expecting a renewed sales boost from an inoculation campaign in the fall.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Jens Holstein, BioNTech, Ludwig Burger, Miranda Murray, Friederike Heine, Louise Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Pfizer, Thomson Locations: Mainz, Germany

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