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Business

US coronavirus: Antiviral pill could be a game changer, but vaccines are still America’s way out of the pandemic, experts say

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Yet, the average number of people getting vaccinated — at 270,531 — is the lowest it’s been since August 15, according to Friday’s data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A little over 65% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated, the data shows.
At the same time, the US hit a grim milestone Friday by surpassing 700,000 deaths from Covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins University’s data. The US tops the world for Covid-19 deaths, followed by Brazil with nearly 600,000 fatalities, according to the data.
The news from Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics on Friday that they created an antiviral pill that can reduce Covid-19 hospitalization and death by 50% was hailed by health experts, although they cautioned it wasn’t a replacement for vaccinations.

“This can be used in conjunction with the vaccine. And it’s not an alternative to vaccination. We still have to try to get more people vaccinated,” Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, told CNN on Friday.

Gottlieb acknowledged that the antiviral medicine could be effective for those who choose not to get vaccinated as well as those who catch the virus while fully vaccinated.

“This is the most impactful result that I remember seeing of an orally available drug in the treatment of a respiratory pathogen, perhaps ever,” Gottlieb told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “I think getting an oral pill that can inhibit viral replication — that can inhibit this virus — is going to be a real game-changer.”

Merck said Friday it will seek FDA emergency use authorization for its molnupiravir medication “as soon as possible.” If permitted, it would become the first oral medicine that fights viral infection for Covid-19.

“If approved, I think the right way to think about this is this is a potential additional tool in our toolbox to protect people from the worst outcomes of Covid,” White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said Friday.

Zients echoed Gottlieb’s stance on vaccination, underscoring inoculation remains “far and away our best tool against Covid-19” because the shots can prevent people from getting infected in the first place.

“And we want to prevent infections, not just wait to treat them once they happen,” Zients said.

Meanwhile, Louisiana reported Friday that a child at or under the age of four died from Covid-19. It was the state’s 17th pediatric death from the virus.

“We owe it to ourselves, our children and everyone around us to take advantage of the best protection we have, and that is the vaccine and wearing a mask,” Louisiana State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter said.

The Delta variant of the coronavirus has made child infections much more common than during the onset of the pandemic.

More booster talks to come

Americans who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines can expect to hear next steps for booster shots this month.

The FDA will meet with its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on October 14 and 15 to discuss those boosters for those vaccines, which have only been authorized for emergency use in those 18 and older. The committee will also consider data on “mix and match” use of boosters, the agency said Friday.

Only Pfizer’s Covid-19 two-dose vaccine has been fully approved by the FDA for people 12 and older. Pfizer’s booster shot is authorized for emergency use in people 65 and older, people at high risk of severe disease and people whose jobs put them at risk of infection.

More than 4.03 million people have received an additional dose of Covid-19 vaccine — or booster — since August 13.

The FDA vaccine committee is also slated to discuss Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 on October 26. Pfizer has started submitting data about this age group to the agency but has not yet formally requested emergency use authorization.

The committee of independent advisers typically discusses and makes recommendations to the FDA on vaccine authorizations and approvals. Then, the agency makes the final decision.

Vaccine mandates continue coming into play

As federal health officials consider booster shots, vaccine mandates are being implemented more widely — and some are not happy with the move.

On Friday, American Airlines told its US workers that they must follow the Biden administration’s requirement to be vaccinated against Covid-19. The airline noted that its business with the federal government means it will be covered under the mandate but fell short of saying when the requirement takes effect.

Religious and disability-related exemptions will be available, but there will be no “provision of a regular testing alternative,” the airline said.

“While we are still working through the details of the federal requirements, it is clear that team members who choose to remain unvaccinated will not be able to work at American Airlines,” according to a memo CNN obtained from the airline management sent to employees.

Meanwhile, Ochsner Health in Louisiana said it will charge employees enrolled in their upcoming 2022 health care benefits a fee for spouses and domestic partners who are not vaccinated against Covid-19

“This is not a mandate as non-employed spouses and domestic partners can choose to select a health plan outside of Ochsner Health offerings. As with our employee vaccination policy, spouses and domestic partners with medical and religious objections will be able to file exemption requests,” Ochsner Health President and CEO Warner Thomas said in a statement this week.

CNN’s Naomi Thomas, Virginia Langmaid, Jamie Gumbrecht, Gregory Wallace, Rebekah Riess, Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.

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Business

Strong jobs report is not a game changer for Fed policy: Wells Fargo

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The latest jobs report may not be a game changer for the Federal Reserve’s easy money policies.

According to Wells Fargo Securities’ Michael Schumacher, it’s premature to assume July’s strong numbers will push the Fed meaningfully closer to tapering its monthly bond purchases.

“This report was pretty strong. Not a blockbuster,” the firm’s head of macro strategy told CNBC’s “Trading Nation” on Friday. “If there’s another strong one after it, it’s conceivable the Fed may start talking about tapering in a pretty serious way. Let’s say in October.”

Under Schumacher’s scenario, the Fed could start to implement tapering as soon as this November. The move would likely put upward pressure on the benchmark 10-year Treasury Note yield.

But there’s a wildcard to Schumacher’s forecast: Covid-19 delta variant cases. The surge could put negative pressure on yields.

“It’s an open question just how severely delta turns out to be and also how aggressively governments react to it,” he said.

Schumacher doubts the government will issue dramatic lockdowns, but he warns new constraints on movement would hurt economic activity.

However, his overall worry affecting the bond market is sticker than expected inflation. Schumacher is concerned it would spark a significant jump in yields.

“The thing is no one has really dealt with a pandemic. We haven’t had one in a hundred years,” he said. “So for anyone to say with a lot of confidence that inflation is going to go up and come down pretty dramatically and be back to ‘normal in four months or six months’ or something like that seems a bit foolish to us.”

On Friday, the 10-year yield closed at 1.30%. It rose 5% last week and is up 42% so far this year. Ultimately, Schumacher believes it will rise and end the year between 1.60% and 1.90%, below the forecast he delivered on “Trading Nation” in June.

“As far as the bond market goes, I’d say you want to stay out of trouble,” Schumacher said. “The way to really avoid difficulty there is to stay pretty short maturity. So perhaps three years and in, something like that. No one is going to make a ton of money doing that, but at least they’ll be relatively safe.”

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Entertainment

A Big Night For Netflix, Diversity, And Possible Game Changer For ‘The Trial Of The Chicago 7’ – Deadline

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Netflix inarguably had a very big night at the SAG Awards, both in movies and TV categories taking half of the latter’s eight categories across three shows ( The Queen’s Gambit, Ozark, The Crown), and three of the five big movie categories including both Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom stars Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in the lead acting slots, and for Outstanding Cast The Trial Of The Chicago 7 winning the big award of the evening which is SAG’s equivalent of the Best Picture Oscar. Last year’s win in the latter category likely started a late surge for Parasite leading to its ultimate sweep on Oscar night. Netflix has to be hoping that after some disappointing showings in recent precursor guild awards shows for WGA and PGA that this can represent a turnaround in momentum and put Chicago 7 back in the game in a big way. A loss would be devastating to its Oscar chances particularly since this was such an ensemble actor driven film, but this SAG victory could re-energize the stirring and timely Aaron Sorkin film’s chances to stop presumed front runner Nomadland. That scenario has certainly happened in the past and the Netflix team was thrilled tonight by these results.

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SAG Awards Portraits: Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, Jamie Chung, Jurnee Smollett And More

David Lee/Netflix

For further encouragement Netflix only has to look at the 2005 race where,  exactly like Nomadland has done to date, heavy favorite Brokeback Mountain won the PGA, WGA, Golden Globe Drama, Broadcast Critics Award (now Critics Choice), and also the DGA and BAFTA Best Film awards, the latter pair expected also to go next weekend to the Searchlight film about modern day nomads roaming the country in their vans. Still upstart Crash was able to swoop in and grab the Best Picture Oscar, while also taking Editing and Original Screenplay, an outcome on April 25th that you could definitely imagine happening also for Chicago 7. The plot thickens. Nomadland had come into the SAG contest tonight with a single nomination for star Frances McDormand but came home empty. The lack of a Cast nom might have been due to the fact it is comprised largely on non-actors in key supporting roles.

Mega

Additionally though, the late Boseman was expected to win in the lead actor category and had come into the evening with a record four nominations overall for his work in Ma Rainey’s and Da 5 Bloods. Davis’ lead actress win was thought to be more of a question mark, her genuine whoop of excitement being proof even she had no idea if her name would be in the envelope. This further muddies the outlook for Oscar’s uber competitive Best Actress category. Here’s why. So far in the three major televised awards shows Andra Day has won the Globe, Carey Mulligan has won at Critics Choice, and now Davis has taken it from her peers at SAG (maybe the most reliable indicator). So who wins at BAFTA next Sunday on the last stop before Oscar voting begins and ends?  Well, in this very strange year none of them are nominated there, and in fact only McDormand and Piece Of A Woman’s Vanessa Kirby are even in the BAFTA running in a category heavily favoring native British talent meaning the Oscar race, as it is for the women in Supporting, has become even more competitive and could be anyone’s ballgame.

A24

And speaking of Supporting, Korean veteran actress Yuh-Jung Youn’s popular win for Minari at SAG certainly boosts her already considerable Oscar chances in a very competitive and worthy field that is also wide open and also has been split between the precursor shows (Jodie Foster, not Oscar nominated, won at Globes and Maria Bakalova at Critics Choice).  With the Glenn Close factor vs Olivia Colman still percolating there, that race just got more intriguing with this win for Minari’s feisty irresistible grandma who incidentally joins last year’s Parasite cast as the only Korean actors ever to take SAG prizes.

Warner Bros. Pictures

The male acting categories, on the other hand, now have defined front runners with both Boseman and Judas And The Black Messiah’s Daniel Kaluuya continuing their unbeaten streaks this season at Globes, Critics Choice, and now SAG. Certainly this was a very big night for diversity with a clean sweep in the individual movie acting categories all going to people of color.

Netflix

On the TV side, SAG went more predictably for past winners and nominees with The Crown and Schitt’s Creek respectively taking Cast ensemble awards,  and Mark Ruffalo completing his triple crown of Globe, Critics Choice and SAG for I Know This Much Is True. The Crown and Ozark were familiar winners for their stars in the Drama races too. However some new blood appeared with Jason Sudeikis’ Comedy Actor win for Ted Lasso, and Anya Taylor-Joy for The Queen’s Gambit as Lead Actress in a Movie or Limited Series boding well for their future Emmy chances.

Finally congrats to the Screen Actors Guild for managing to keep this all a secret since taping all these categories via zoom last week. As far as I can see from all the attempted leaks of winners names before tonight’s big reveal none of them were correct, and though totally pre-recorded, the breezy show came in at just one hour. Nice.



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Health

Obesity: Diabetes drug hailed as a ‘game changer’ after trial reveals dramatic weight loss | Science & Tech News

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A drug that suppresses appetite has been described as “gamechanger” in the fight against obesity after research showed it could cut body weight by up to 20%.

The study into the effects of semaglutide on obesity by a University College London (UCL) team found that more than one third (35%) of people who took it lost more than one-fifth of their total body weight.

Researchers say it means that for the first time it is possible to achieve through drugs what was previously only possible through weight-loss surgery.

The negative health implications of obesity have been brought into even sharper focus by the COVID-19 crisis because of its effect on mortality rates.

Semaglutide works by hijacking the body’s own appetite regulating system in the brain, leading to reduced hunger and calorie intake.

The UCL randomised control trial involved 1,961 adults who were either overweight or obese (average weight 105kg/16.5 stone, body mass index 38kg/m2), and took place at 129 sites in 16 countries across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.

Participants took a 2.4mg dose of semaglutide or matching placebo weekly via an injection under the skin.

Overall, 94.3% of participants completed the 68-week study, which started in autumn 2018.

Those taking part also received individual face-to-face or phone counselling sessions from registered dietitians every four weeks to help them adhere to the reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, providing guidance, behavioural strategies and motivation.

In those taking semaglutide, the average weight loss was 15.3kg, with a reduction in BMI of 5.54.

The placebo group observed an average weight loss of 2.6kg (0.4 stone) with a reduction in BMI of 0.92.

Publishing the data in the New England Journal for Medicine, lead author, Professor Rachel Batterham from UCL’s Centre for Obesity Research, said: “The findings of this study represent a major breakthrough for improving the health of people with obesity.

“Three quarters (75%) of people who received semaglutide 2.4mg lost more than 10% of their body weight and more than one-third lost more than 20%.

“No other drug has come close to producing this level of weight loss – this really is a gamechanger.

“For the first time, people can achieve through drugs what was only possible through weight-loss surgery.”

Professor Batterham added that the drug could have major implications for UK health policy for years to come.

Along with the weight loss, the group taking semaglutide saw reductions in risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, such as waist circumference, blood fats, blood sugar and blood pressure, and reported improvements in their overall quality of life.

Semaglutide is already clinically approved for use by patients with type 2 diabetes, though at lower doses than used in the obesity trial.

Evidence from the study has been submitted for regulatory approval as a treatment for obesity to the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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