Health News Roundup: U.S. FDA declines to approve Spectrum’s lung cancer drug; Clashes in Shanghai as COVID protests flare across China and more
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
U.S. FDA declines to approve Spectrum’s lung cancer drug
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Friday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declined to approve its experimental lung cancer drug due to inadequate data, prompting the drugmaker to cut jobs. The company said it will no longer focus on developing the drug, poziotinib, for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a rare genetic mutation that affects 2%-4% of the cancer patients. It will instead explore strategic alternatives for it, such as partnerships with other drugmakers.
China reports fourth straight daily record of new COVID cases
China reported its fourth straight daily record of 39,791 new COVID-19 infections on Nov. 26, of which 3,709 were symptomatic and 36,082 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Sunday. That is compared with 35,183 new cases a day earlier – 3,474 symptomatic and 31,709 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately.
Clashes in Shanghai as COVID protests flare across China
Hundreds of demonstrators and police clashed in Shanghai on Sunday night as protests over China’s stringent COVID restrictions flared for a third day and spread to several cities in the wake of a deadly fire in the country’s far west. The wave of civil disobedience is unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi Jinping assumed power a decade ago, as frustration mounts over his signature zero-COVID policy nearly three years into the pandemic. The COVID measures are also exacting a heavy toll on the world’s second-largest economy.
Uganda’s president extends Ebola epicentre’s quarantine for 21 days
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has extended a quarantine placed on two districts that are the epicentre of the country’s Ebola outbreak by 21 days, adding that his government’s response to the disease was succeeding. Movement into and out of Mubende and Kassanda districts in central Uganda will be restricted up to Dec. 17, the presidency said late on Saturday. It was originally imposed for 21 days on Oct. 15, then extended for the same period on Nov. 5.
China reports third consecutive daily record for new COVID cases
China reported 35,183 new COVID-19 infections on Nov. 25, of which 3,474 were symptomatic and 31,709 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Saturday, setting a new high for the third consecutive day. That compared with 32,943 new cases a day earlier – 3,103 symptomatic and 29,840 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately.
Clitoris reconstruction offers hope to Kenyan women after childhood mutilation
Imagine having no sensation in a body part for most of your life and then being able to feel it at last. That was the transformation being sought by about 60 Kenyan women who had undergone female genital mutilation, or FGM, during childhood and came forward for reconstructive surgery of the clitoris during a recent humanitarian operation in Nairobi.
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