Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Shareholder Case Over AstraZeneca Covid Shot Research Dismissed
Reuters: AstraZeneca Beats U.S. Shareholder Lawsuit Over COVID Vaccine Disclosures
AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L) on Monday won the dismissal of a U.S. shareholder lawsuit claiming that it concealed problems in developing its COVID-19 vaccine, making it unlikely the treatment would win regulatory approval in the United States. (Stempel, 9/12)
More on the global fight against covid —
AP: EU Regulator Clears Pfizer-BioNTech's Tweaked COVID Booster
The European Medicines Agency has recommended the authorization of a tweaked booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine that includes protection against two of the latest versions of omicron, as countries look to bolster their immunization programs ahead of winter. (9/12)
Bloomberg: Afrigen Biologics Covid Vaccine Candidate Human Trials To Start By May
Afrigen Biologics & Vaccines plans to start human trials of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate by May, part of a World Health Organization-backed plan to develop locally-made inoculations in the developing world. (Sguazzin, 9/13)
The Washington Post: Stuck In China's Covid Lockdown, People Plead For Food, Medical Care
Frantic appeals for food and medical care are spreading across China in a grim deja vu, as tens of millions of people are put under weeks-long coronavirus lockdowns ahead of a key meeting of the ruling Communist Party. While much of the world is moving past the pandemic, China remains stuck, with leader Xi Jinping continuing orders to maintain “zero covid.” These lockdowns are keeping localized outbreaks from spreading but are taking an enormous economic and psychological toll on the population. (Dou and Chiang, 9/12)
In other health news from Ukraine and Syria —
Houston Chronicle: Houston Doctors Helping Ukraine Diagnose, Treat Brain Injuries
Dr. Kenneth Podell, a neuropsychologist who is the director of the Houston Methodist Concussion Center, and Dr. Mary Rose Newsome, a cognitive neuroscientist and associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine, are among a half-dozen American doctors who are providing medical and financial aid to their counterparts in Ukraine. (MacDonald, 9/12)
Reuters: Cholera Outbreak In Syria Poses Serious Threat
A cholera outbreak in several regions of Syria presents "a serious threat to people in Syria and the region", the United Nations representative in the country said, calling for an urgent response to contain its spread. (9/13)
