JPMorgan Finds Five Emerging Economies Among Most Vulnerable to Delta Variant

 Economies of the Philippines, Peru, Colombia, South Africa and Thailand are among the most vulnerable to the COVID-19 Delta variant within emerging markets, mostly due to low vaccination rates, a JPMorgan analysis found on Thursday.

The analysis looks at spread of the virus' Delta variant versus the pace of vaccination, which in some countries is not accelerating enough to offset higher rates of transmission.

Even if the Delta variant is shown to result in lower hospitalization and death rates, the report said, pressure on healthcare systems and a higher absolute number of deaths could occur, likely raising pressure on some governments to extend or re-impose mobility restrictions.

A separate note from Oxford Economics showed strong economic activity rebounds in Latin America on the back of gains in mobility.

The JPMorgan analysis said vaccination thresholds for getting mobility back to normal vary by country, so the results are best taken as relative performance from country to country.

"The model estimates suggest that the Philippines, Peru, South Africa, Thailand, and Colombia face the longest journeys back to pre-pandemic levels of mobility, while Singapore, Turkey, India and Brazil have the shortest journeys."

In Latin America, authorities have been less likely to re-impose or lengthen mobility restrictions, the report said.

"While the region has shown surprising resilience in the face of the virus and other headwinds, downside risks to growth could still manifest through the impact of worsening public health on confidence even if the uptrend in mobility remains in place."

https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2021-07-08/jpmorgan-finds-five-emerging-economies-among-most-vulnerable-to-delta-variant

China's Livzon COVID-19 vaccine appears safe, triggers antibodies - study

 A potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by a subsidiary of China's Livzon Pharmaceutical Group Inc appeared safe and able to elicit antibodies in healthy adults in a mid-stage clinical trial, Chinese researchers said.

Most adverse events after Livzon's shot were mild or moderate, with one severe adverse event that appeared to be related to the vaccine reported, researchers said in a peer-reviewed paper published this week in Chinese Medical Journal.

The result is based on preliminary data from a Phase II trial involving over 800 participants aged over 18.

Those who received two shots of a lower or higher dosage showed antibody levels that were about two to three times higher than those found from recovered COVID-19 patients' blood serum, researchers said.

The lower-dose regimen will be used in a Phase III trial, they said.

The candidate, named V-01, is among 22 vaccines that China has approved to enter clinical trials and is a recombinant protein vaccine, which uses a technique based on the new coronavirus' protein, or part of the virus' protein, replicated by scientists.

China has already approved seven locally developed COVID-19 vaccines and has administered more than 1.3 billion doses so far.

https://news.yahoo.com/livzons-covid-19-vaccine-appears-093434070.html

India's Hetero Labs seeks emergency nod for Merck Covid-19 drug

 Molnupiravir, an experimental oral drug, is being developed by American pharmaceutical companies Merck & Co and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics for treating non-hospitalised Covid-19 patients.

Hetero Labs, a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company, said on Friday that it has sought an emergency use nod from the local regulator for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) drug Molnupiravir, after interim data from a late-stage trial showed that the drug helped in reducing hospitalisations and also speed up the recovery in mildly infected cases of the viral disease, according to news agency Reuters.

Molnupiravir, an experimental oral drug, is being developed by American pharmaceutical companies Merck & Co and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics for treating non-hospitalised Covid-19 patients.

Earlier, Hetero Labs started a phase-III, comparative, randomised and multicentre clinical trial on mildly infected cases. The trial, conducted at dedicated hospitals sites across India, was aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of Molnupiravir plus standard of care (test arm) versus standard of care alone (control arm), in mild Covid-19 patients with a positive RT-PCR test and randomised within five days of onset of symptoms, according to PTI.

“Phase 3 Trial Demonstrates Statistically Significant fewer hospital admissions, faster time to clinical improvement and early negative SARS CoV-2 RT PCR with Molnupiravir treatment in mild Covid-19 patients compared to standard of care alone,” Hetero Labs said in a statement.\

Hetero Labs also said there was no mortality in both the above groups and adverse events were non serious, mild in severity and none of them led to the discontinuation of Molnupiravir. The most common adverse events which were seen during the trial were diarrhoea, headache and nausea, the company added.

In April, Hetero Labs entered into a ‘non-exclusive licensing agreement’ with MSD (the trade name of Merck & Co.), to produce and supply the drug to India and also to over 100 low-and-middle-income countries.

Apart from Hetero Labs, Merch & Co. also gave license to other Indian drugmakers such as Cipla and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories for the manufacture and supply of the drug.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/health/hetero-labs-seeks-emergency-nod-for-covid-19-drug-molnupiravir-101625818610817.html

Philip Morris to buy UK drugmaker in 'beyond nicotine' push

 Marlboro cigarettes maker Philip Morris International agreed on Friday to buy British drugmaker Vectura for 1.05 billions pounds ($1.44 billion) to bolster its portfolio of products that are free from tobacco or nicotine.

The deal, which topped a proposal by investment firm Carlyle Group, means shareholders in the drugmaker that makes about 13 inhaled medicines will get 150 pence per share in cash, 11% higher than its Thursday closing price.

Carlyle’s offer, agreed in May, was 136 pence per share.

Vectura, whose shares rose nearly 13% to 152 pence at 0730 GMT, said it was withdrawing its recommendation for the Carlyle offer in favour of the Philip Morris bid and was adjourning a shareholder meeting it had convened on Monday.

The deal is Philip Morris’ second international acquisition in the past week, after agreeing to buy nicotine gum maker Fertin Pharma from private equity firm EQT for 5.1 billion Danish Krone ($812 million).

The cigarette maker unveiled its ‘beyond nicotine’ strategy in February, as it expects more people to quit smoking in the coming years amid health concerns and regulatory crackdowns.

The U.S.-based company has plans for Vectura to operate as an independent unit at the centre of its inhaled therapeutics business, seeking to use its expertise in inhalation and aerosolization in areas such as respiratory drug delivery.

Philip Morris Chief Executive Jacek Olczak said the Vectura acquisition after buying Fertin Pharma would help the U.S. firm accelerate its ‘beyond nicotine’ strategy “by expanding our capabilities in innovative inhaled and oral product formulations.”\

The deal requires the approval of shareholders, among other conditions.

https://www.reuters.com/article/vectura-grp-ma-philip-morris/update-2-marlboro-maker-philip-morris-to-buy-uk-drugmaker-in-beyond-nicotine-push-idUSL3N2OL1I3

Amazon Reported Turned Down by CVS Health in Effort to Expand In-Home Care Platform

 Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) has reportedly approached CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) in order to expand the coverage of its Amazon Care services, according to a report from Business Insider.

CVS Health is the parent company of the health insurer Aetna, which Amazon has reportedly reached out to, among other insurers.

The move suggests that Amazon is moving along with Amazon Care — its on-demand health service that has at-home care aspirations — quicker than what may have been expected.

“Amazon operates like dog years in reverse,” Robin Gaster, an Amazon expert, recently told Home Health Care News. “One human year is seven dog years, right? Well, one human year is seven Amazon years too. They move quickly.”

Gaster is the author of the book “Behemoth, Amazon Rising: Power and Seduction in the Age of Amazon.” He is also a visiting scholar at George Washington University, an expert on business innovation and the president of the data consulting company Incumetrics.

Amazon’s journey with Amazon Care is not unusual for the company. The process is such: roll out the program to a select group of its own employees, widen the market and then eventually apply its usage to the general public.

Amazon announced in March that it was expanding Amazon Care from just its employees in Washington to the entire country. Months later, it announced it would be expanding mental health services to nearly a million workers, and that it was dipping its toes into diagnostics and pharmaceuticals as well.

Amazon Care works through a mobile app, offering video, text and sometimes in-person visits — even in the home. The fitness manufacturer Precor is among the employers using the service, and others have been rumored.

Amazon Care is also a founding member of Moving Health Home, a Washington, D.C.-based coalition that advocates for more favorable legislation for home-based care.

CVS Health and other insurers — reportedly some Blue Cross affiliates — have not bitten on the offer to pay for Amazon Care yet. Why they did not is still not totally clear.

“The report is largely undefined. It doesn’t say anything about a partnership, so no strategic insight,” Gaster told HHCN, referring to the Business Insider report. “Does that mean it wants to charge more than Aetna wants to pay, that there is something weird about the way it wants to charge? Amazon traditionally operates with a positive cash cycle, but to be honest, I don’t think that’s it.”

But what is clear is why Amazon is approaching them in the first place. Health insurers, especially the large ones like Aetna, have a lot of power in health care. Aetna has nearly 24 million members on its own.

“What does ‘in its efforts to expand coverage’ mean?” Gaster said. “What coverage and whose? If it’s just Amazon offering prescription delivery services, then this is simply Amazon seeking to build out its delivery business in health care.”

Accessing that amount of people, or even a portion of them, would put Amazon Care in an entirely different stratosphere than it is now, where it has access to mostly just its workforce — which still represents nearly a million people in the U.S. alone.

It also seems that Amazon has caught onto the trends, as it’s wont to do. Not only is it focused on the home, but it also reportedly tried to enter into “value-based” arrangements with the insurers, according to Business Insider.

Right now, though, it appears that Amazon Care is not set up in a way that insurers find desirable. It could be that, or it could be that the service and platform is new enough that insurers aren’t convinced yet that they can lower costs in value-based arrangements.

Amazon is one of the worldwide leaders in all things data, but for now, it could be lacking in that care department.

“I think Amazon is going to be a classic disruptor in the space,” Gaster previously told HHCN. “Amazon has made a business out of disintermediating existing businesses and existing markets. And as far as I can see, that’s exactly what they’re going to do here. It just seems that the health care space is pretty well set up for what they want to do, … and businesses are absolutely desperate to try and find cheaper ways to address health issues.”

https://homehealthcarenews.com/2021/07/amazon-reportedly-gets-turned-down-by-cvs-health-in-effort-to-expand-in-home-care-platforms-footprint/

'Misuse Of Government Power': Judge Quickly Denies CDC Appeal To Keep COVID Cruise Curbs

 By Robert McGillivray of CruiseHive

Earlier this week we reported that the CDC had asked for a stay to the injunction on the Conditional Sail Order. It didn’t take Judge Merryday long to ponder the question of whether or not he should grant a stay in the case. The answer from the judge was a clear and definite DENIED.

The injunction of the CSO will remain in place as initially planned and will go into effect on July 18. This ruling does not affect the appeal the government organization has in the US court of appeals in Atlanta.

However,  it is a blow for the CDC, who, according to the judge, has shown no reasoning why the CDC should be able to wield extreme and unnecessary measures over one industry.

It’s Not About Health

While the CDC insists that this case is about the measures the cruise industry needs to follow and about the health and well-being of guests onboard cruise ships while stopping the spread of COVID ashore and onboard, Judge Merryday has some different thoughts on this.

According to the three-page response the judge penned, the CDC is mistakenly taking this as a health issue, where the judge sees the CDC using unwarranted governmental power, according to Fox Business:

“This action is not about what health precautions against COVID-19 are necessary or helpful aboard a cruise ship; this action is about the use and misuse of governmental power.”

The CDC then uses this power to dismiss the ability of local health authorities to deal with any situation that might come up:

“Although CDC invariably garnishes the argument with dire prospects of ‘transmission’ of COVID-19 aboard a cruise vessel, these dark allusions dismiss state and local health authorities, the industry’s self-regulation, and the thorough and costly preparations and accommodations by all concerned to avoid ‘transmission’ and to confine and control the ‘transmission,’ if one occurs,”

Judge Merryday has likely taken into account that he offered the CDC the chance to develop an alternative to the CSO, something the CDC has not been willing to take part in. The government has also not proven that a stay would hurt the CDC, the United States, any third party, or the public materially.

What’s Next?

The ruling from Judge Merryday on the CSO and the request for a stay is not the end of the line for the CSO. Even after July 18, the CSO will remain in place. The difference is that the CSO would become a recommendation instead of a regulation. Meaning cruise lines can act upon it or not at will.

The entire Conditional Sail Order could also be reinstated in Florida if the CDC’s appeal in the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit proved successful. The CSO is in place until November of this year. 

The cruise lines could decide for themselves that they will comply with the rules as most ships will be sailing already in the upcoming month, and preparations are already underway or complete to sail under the CSO.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/about-misues-government-power-judge-quickly-denies-cdcs-appeal-keep-covid-19-cruise

Booster shot after 6 to 12 months likely to provide best protection from COVID-19: Pfizer

 Pfizer and BioNTech have released initial data from a study on booster shots for their COVID-19 vaccine, saying a third dose delivered about six months after the second shot has shown neutralization titers are five to 10 times higher than after two primary doses.

The companies said they expect to publish "more definitive data" soon and submit the Food and Drug Administration "in the coming weeks."

Pfizer said real-world evidence from Israel showed a decrease in efficacy about six months after people were fully vaccinated.

"While protection against severe disease remained high across the full 6 months, the observed decline in efficacy against symptomatic disease over time and the continued emergence of variants are key factors driving our belief that a booster dose will likely be necessary to maintain highest levels of protection," Pfizer said in a statement.

Additionally, the companies are working on materials with a plan to test a new vaccine construct based on the delta variant -- with plans to start clinical trials in August.

"While we believe a third dose of BNT162b2 has the potential to preserve the highest levels protective efficacy against all currently known variants including Delta, we are remaining vigilant and are developing an updated version of the Pfizer-COVID-19 vaccine that uses a new construct based on the B.1.617.2 lineage, first identified in India and also known as the Delta variant," the companies said in a statement.

"The companies are already producing clinical trial material and anticipate beginning clinical studies in August, subject to regulatory approvals," Pfizer and BioNTech added.

Moderna, the maker of the only other authorized mRNA vaccine in the U.S., has made similar statements about the need for booster shots in the past.

"Booster shots will be needed as we believe the virus is not going away," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said during a first-quarter earnings call to investors in early May.

It will be up to the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine if and when booster shots will be allowed, recommended and made available.

"Clearly, the pharmaceutical companies have an economic incentive, particularly the ones who have vaccines that are for profit," Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, told ABC News in late May. "We want the decision to be made based on public health solely and [not] on economic incentives of the companies."

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/booster-shot-12-months-provide-best-protection-covid/story?id=78741334