(Reuters) – The European Union drugs regulator is set to authorise the use of two monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 patients in coming days, two EU sources told Reuters, in its first approvals of such therapies.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
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EUROPE
* Health workers in England will have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by April 1, Health Minister Sajid Javid said, making it a mandatory condition of employment for those on the frontline of the National Health Service (NHS).
* A group of hospitals in the southern Dutch province of Limburg called for the government to take new measures to stem rising cases, saying they have no space or staff to handle more coronavirus patients.
* France’s public health authority has recommended people under 30 be given Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccine when available instead of Moderna’s Spikevax jab, which carried comparatively higher risks of heart-related problems.
* Germany’s infection rate has risen to its highest level since the start of the pandemic, and doctors warned they will need to postpone scheduled operations to cope.
AMERICAS
* The U.S. government will buy another $1 billion worth of the COVID-19 pill made by Merck & Co Inc and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, the companies said.
* Canada authorized the use of Pfizer/BioNTech’s, COVID-19 vaccine as a booster shot for people 18 years of age and older.
* The Biden administration told a court on Monday it has clear authority to impose a vaccine rule on employers with at least 100 staff and that a court’s order on Saturday blocking the rule could cost dozens or even hundreds of lives daily.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* AstraZeneca’s antibody cocktail against COVID-19 received its first nod for registration in Australia, the country’s medical regulatory body said.
* New Zealand beefed up security measures at its parliament as thousands of people gathered to protest against vaccine mandates and government lockdowns.
* A Singapore court stayed the execution of a Malaysian convicted of drug smuggling for reasons of “common sense and humanity” after confirming he had tested positive for COVID-19, a day before he was due to be hanged.
MIDDLE EAST
* Israeli health officials will decide behind closed doors on whether to allow child COVID-19 vaccinations.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Moderna Inc applied for European authorization of its vaccine in children aged 6-11 years, weeks after it delayed a similar filing with U.S. regulators.
* Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had lifted a partial clinical hold on late-stage trial of its COVID-19 vaccine within the country.
* A Bangladeshi drugmaker will soon begin selling the world’s first generic version of Merck’s COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir, which has been touted as a potential game-changer in the fight against the pandemic.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Boosted by a $1 trillion U.S. infrastructure bill, global stock markets held the line on all-time highs on Tuesday but investors were reluctant to commit further to the rally before getting a clearer picture of the surge in U.S inflation. [MKTS/GLOB]
* U.S. consumers are spending more and once again ramping up credit card balances, reversing a shift that happened during the crisis when consumers scaled back spending and substantially paid down credit card debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
* Norwegian banks are well-equipped if faced with a new downturn and the economic recovery has improved the outlook for financial stability, but risks remain, the central bank said in an annual report.
(Compiled by Anita Kobylinska and Federico Maccioni; Editing by Ed Osmond and Matthew Lewis)
