Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

China to promote vaccine development, new medicines

China will prevent and control health outbreaks in a more scientific, precise and efficient way, and upgrade vaccines and develop new medicines to ensure enough supply for the public, Premier Li Keqiang said on Sunday. The country was battered with a surge in COVID-19 cases after it abruptly abandoned its zero-COVID policy in early December, unleashing the virus on its 1.4 billion population. The government put a top priority on getting its most vulnerable vaccinated, including the elderly.

Incyte to discontinue late-stage trial for bone marrow cancer drug combination

Drugmaker Incyte Corp said on Friday it was stopping its late-stage trial of an experimental cancer drug after an interim analysis indicated the drug was unlikely to meet the main goal of the study, dragging its shares 2% lower in after-market trade. The study was aimed at determining the safety and effectiveness of adding parsaclisib to the use of its drug Jakafi, which is approved for the treatment of some types of myelofibrosis – a form of bone marrow cancer.

Exclusive-India may issue alert on Marion cough syrup exports after toxins found

India may issue an alert on cough syrup exported by Marion Biotech, whose products have been linked to deaths in Uzbekistan, after tests showed many of the company’s drug samples contained toxins, a drug inspector said on Saturday. Indian police on Friday arrested three Marion employees and are looking for two directors after tests in a government laboratory found 22 of 36 syrup samples “adulterated and spurious”.