What to know about the COVID variant that may cause ‘razor blade' sore throats
The COVID-19 variant that may be driving a recent rise in cases in some parts of the world has earned a new nickname: 'razor blade throat' COVID.
That's because the variant — NB.1.8.1. or 'Nimbus' — may cause painful sore throats. The symptom has been identified by doctors in the United Kingdom, India and elsewhere, according to media outlets in those countries.
Other COVID-19 symptoms of any variant include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or loss of taste or smell.
Experts say there isn't major cause for concern with the Nimbus variant, but here 's what else you need to know about it.
Here's where the variant causing 'razor blade throat' is spreading
The rise in cases late last month is primarily in eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions, the World Health Organization said May 28. The new variant had reached nearly 11 per cent of sequenced samples reported globally in mid-May.
Airport screening in the United States detected the new variant in travelers arriving from those regions to destinations in California, Washington state, Virginia and New York.
You aren't likely to get sicker from this variant than others
Not so far, anyway.
The WHO said some western Pacific countries have reported increases in COVID cases and hospitalizations, but there's nothing so far to suggest that the disease associated with the new variant is more severe compared to other variants.
COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the Nimbus variant
Yes.
The WHO has designated Nimbus as a 'variant under monitoring' and considers the public health risk low at the global level. Current vaccines are expected to remain effective.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced last month that COVID-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by public health experts.
___
Devi Shastri, The Associated Press
AP Health Writer Carla Johnson contributed to this story.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- Globe and Mail
2 Undervalued Healthcare Stocks Poised to Dominate the Next Decade
Key Points Pfizer and Novo Nordisk have underperformed the market over the past year. But both should remain major players in important areas within the pharma industry. Investors could see the two drugmakers' shares beat the market over the next decade. 10 stocks we like better than Pfizer › Pharmaceutical giants Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) have lagged the market over the past year, although Pfizer's poor performance dates back much further. Though these companies have encountered challenges, there are good reasons to be bullish on their long-term prospects. Pfizer could become an even bigger player in the oncology market (the largest therapeutic area in the industry by sales) over the next decade, while Novo Nordisk will be a major player in diabetes and the fast-growing weight management space. Both could produce excellent results along the way. Here's the rundown. 1. Pfizer Pfizer's financial results haven't been great in recent years. To make matters worse, the company will face important patent cliffs by the end of the decade. One of them will be for Eliquis, an anticoagulant that is still one of its best-selling medicines. However, Pfizer has prepared for that eventuality. The company made several acquisitions and licensing deals that significantly boosted its pipeline, especially in oncology. Pfizer spent $43 billion to acquire Seagen, a smaller cancer specialist whose lineup and pipeline were impressive for a company of its size. With the financial and strategic backing of the larger company, it should yield even more key approvals in the field in the coming years. Pfizer also recently made an up-front payment of $1.25 billion to China-based 3SBio for the rights to SSGJ-707, an investigational bispecific antibody, a portion of the oncology market that's gaining traction these days. 3SBio will be eligible for commercial and regulatory milestone payments of up to $4.8 billion, not including royalties. These moves should eventually pay off for Pfizer and strengthen its position in oncology. The drugmaker plans to have eight blockbuster cancer medicines on the market by 2030, up from its current five, while doubling its reach from the current 1 million patients it serves. Of course, Pfizer isn't just a cancer play. The company's extensive pipeline should enable it to launch products in other areas and ultimately get back on track. While its shares have been lagging the market significantly, that could change in the next decade as financial results rebound thanks to its innovative efforts. Pfizer's shares look especially attractive when considering its valuation. Its forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 8.7, much lower than the healthcare sector 's 15.8. From their current levels, Pfizer's shares could go on to generate excellent returns through 2035. 2. Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk pioneered the market for weight management medicines. However, Eli Lilly seems to have taken the lead in that field, at least for now. Novo Nordisk has faced some clinical setbacks, leading to a poor performance over the trailing-12-month period. Can the company rebound and perform well in the next decade? In my view, it can, and the market may be significantly undervaluing its potential. Its sales of Wegovy, one of the top-selling anti-obesity medications, continue to grow rapidly. Novo Nordisk recently requested approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for oral semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy). That's good for patients who want a non-injected option, and helps counter Lilly's up-and-coming oral GLP-1 medicine, orforglipron. Elsewhere, Novo Nordisk recently started phase 3 studies for amycretin, a next-gen weight loss candidate. Amycretin is being investigated in both oral and subcutaneous formulations, and both are currently in late-stage clinical trials. The company also enhanced its pipeline through licensing deals, including one with United Biotechnology, a subsidiary of the China-based company United Laboratories International Holdings, for UBT251. This potential anti-obesity medicine mimics the actions of three gut hormones: GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon. The transaction cost Novo Nordisk an up-front payment of $200 million and up to $1.8 billion in milestone payments. Thanks to all these developments, Novo Nordisk should remain a leader in weight management in the next decade. Even though competition is mounting, no drugmaker not named Eli Lilly has a lineup or a pipeline as deep as Novo Nordisk's. Furthermore, the Denmark-based pharmaceutical leader will also continue to dominate the diabetes market, as it has done for decades. Novo Nordisk generates consistent revenue and earnings that typically grow faster than those of similarly-sized peers. Yet the stock's forward P/E is 16.7, which is slightly above the industry average. In my view, that's a bargain for a company that generates better-than-average results and has a deep pipeline in a fast-growing area -- not to mention two of the world's top 20 best-selling drugs, in Wegovy and Ozempic. For investors willing to stay the course, Novo Nordisk's future still looks incredibly bright. Should you invest $1,000 in Pfizer right now? Before you buy stock in Pfizer, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Pfizer wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $652,133!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,056,790!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,048% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025
Globe and Mail
7 days ago
- Globe and Mail
Obesity Pipeline Appears Robust With 80+ Key Pharma Companies Actively Working in the Therapeutics Segment
DelveInsight's ' Obesity Pipeline Insigh t 2025 ' report provides comprehensive insights about 80+ companies and 100+ pipeline drugs in Othe besity pipeline landscape. It covers the Obesity pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and nonclinical stage products. It also covers the Obesity therapeutics assessment by product type, stage, route of administration, and molecule type. It further highlights the inactive Obesity pipeline products in this space. Stay ahead with the latest insights! Download DelveInsight's comprehensive Obesity Pipeline Report to explore emerging therapies, key Obesity Companies, and future Obesity treatment landscapes @ Obesity Pipeline Outlook Report Key Takeaways from the Obesity Pipeline Report In July 2025, Carmot Therapeutics Inc. announced a study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CT-388 at low, middle, and high doses in participants who are overweight or obese with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In July 2025, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. conducted a study is a multicenter, randomized, partially double-blind (double-blind in both the IBI362 group and the placebo group, with the tirbopeptide group open), placebo and active drug controlled design study. In July 2025, Zealand Pharma organized a study is to compare dose levels of petrelintide versus placebo with regards to effect on body weight, safety, and tolerability. Obesity is a chronic disease with a rapidly increasing prevalence associated with significant comorbidities. Petrelintide is a long-acting amylin analog in development for weight management. In July 2025, Eli Lilly and Company conducted a study is to determine if combining tirzepatide with mibavademab will result in more weight loss in adult participants than tirzepatide alone. The study will last about 74 weeks and may include up to 19 visits. In July 2025, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals Inc. organized a Phase 3 Multiple Independent Sub-studies of Setmelanotide in Patients With POMC/PCSK1, LEPR, NCOA1(SRC1), or SH2B1 Gene Variants in the Melanocortin-4 Receptor Pathway. DelveInsight's Obesity pipeline report depicts a robust space with 80+ active players working to develop 100+ pipeline therapies for Obesity treatment. The leading Obesity Companies such as Zealand Pharma, Sciwind Biosciences, Genexine, Sirnaomics, Sparrow Pharmaceuticals, Shionogi, Regor Pharmaceuticals, Innovent Biologics, Pfizer, NodThera Limited, Boehringer Ingelheim, Fractyl Health, TransThera, Clearmind Medicine, PegBio, Biolingus, and others. Promising Obesity Therapies such as APHD-012, Bimagrumab, Semaglutide, CT-868, GLY-200, Bremelanotide, and others. Discover how the Obesity treatment paradigm is evolving. Access DelveInsight's in-depth Obesity Pipeline Analysis for a closer look at promising breakthroughs @ Obesity Clinical Trials and Studies Obesity Emerging Drugs Survodutide: Zealand Pharma Survodutide (BI 456906) is a long-acting glucagon/GLP-1 receptor dual agonist for once-weekly subcutaneous administration that activates two key gut hormone receptors simultaneously and may offer better efficacy than current single-hormone receptor agonist treatments. Survodutide is targeting the treatment of obesity and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Boehringer Ingelheim is advancing survodutide into three global Phase III trials in people living with overweight or obesity. Ecnoglutide: Sciwind Biosciences Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogs are effective therapies in managing type 2 diabetes, obesity, and have demonstrated clinical potential as a treatment for NASH. Ecnoglutide (XW003) is a novel, cAMP signaling biased, long-acting GLP-1 analogue optimized for improved biological activity, cost-effective manufacturing, and once weekly dosing. Currently, the drug is in Phase III stage of its clinical trial for the treatment of Obesity. CT-868: Carmot Therapeutics CT-868 is a dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor modulator with a unique pharmacological profile optimized for improved tolerability at the GLP-1 receptor. The combined action of GLP-1 and GIP results in greater body weight loss and glucose control. CT-868 is dosed once daily to maximize efficacy and tolerability. CT-868 dual agonist candidate was discovered using the chemotype evolution technology as a peptide-small molecule hybrid compound, able to mimic the native GLP-1 hormone. In the Phase I trial, CT-868 demonstrated compelling pharmacodynamic activity across several clinical measures in overweight and obese healthy individuals a safe and generally well-tolerated profile. Carmot Therapeutics is now expanding the observations in overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes to demonstrate CT-868's effects on glycemic control, weight loss, and tolerability. Currently, the drug is in the Phase II stage of development to treat obesity. DD01: D&D Pharmatech DD01 is a proprietary, imbalanced dual agonist of GLP-1 and glucagon receptors with a half-life of 11 days in non-human primates. DD01 is being developed as a potential disease-modifying agent for obesity and liver fatty disease. Treatment with DD01 caused weight loss, reduced liver fat, and improved glucose tolerance in preclinical obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver models. In preclinical models of diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), DD01 could reduce weight and blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity and lipid and fat metabolism, which could ameliorate NASH. DD01 demonstrated greater efficacy in preclinical models than semaglutide, an approved GLP-1R receptor agonist; from a mechanical perspective, the effect of DD01 persisted after cessation of treatment. It is currently being evaluated in Phase I clinical trial to investigate the safety, tolerability, PK, and PD of DD01 administered by subcutaneous (SC) injection in overweight/obese subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The Obesity pipeline report provides insights into The report provides detailed insights about companies that are developing therapies for the treatment of Obesity with aggregate therapies developed by each company for the same. It accesses the Different therapeutic candidates segmented into early-stage, mid-stage, and late-stage of development for Obesity Treatment. Obesity Companies are involved in targeted therapeutics development with respective active and inactive (dormant or discontinued) projects. Obesity Drugs under development based on the stage of development, route of administration, target receptor, monotherapy or combination therapy, a different mechanism of action, and molecular type. Detailed analysis of collaborations (company-company collaborations and company-academia collaborations), licensing agreement and financing details for future advancement of the Obesity market. Get a detailed analysis of the latest innovations in the Obesity pipeline. Explore DelveInsight's expert-driven report today! @ Obesity Unmet Needs Obesity Companies Zealand Pharma, Sciwind Biosciences, Genexine, Sirnaomics, Sparrow Pharmaceuticals, Shionogi, Regor Pharmaceuticals, Innovent Biologics, Pfizer, NodThera Limited, Boehringer Ingelheim, Fractyl Health, TransThera, Clearmind Medicine, PegBio, Biolingus, and others. Obesity pipeline report provides the therapeutic assessment of the pipeline drugs by the Route of Administration. Obesity Products have been categorized under various ROAs such as Oral Parenteral Intravenous Subcutaneous Topical Obesity Products have been categorized under various Molecule types such as Recombinant fusion proteins Small molecule Monoclonal antibody Peptide Polymer Gene therapy Download DelveInsight's latest report to gain strategic insights into upcoming Obesity Therapies and key Obesity Developments @ Obesity Market Drivers and Barriers, and Future Perspectives Scope of the Obesity Pipeline Report Coverage- Global Obesity Companies- Zealand Pharma, Sciwind Biosciences, Genexine, Sirnaomics, Sparrow Pharmaceuticals, Shionogi, Regor Pharmaceuticals, Innovent Biologics, Pfizer, NodThera Limited, Boehringer Ingelheim, Fractyl Health, TransThera, Clearmind Medicine, PegBio, Biolingus, and others. Obesity Therapies- APHD-012, Bimagrumab, Semaglutide, CT-868, GLY-200, Bremelanotide, and others. Obesity Therapeutic Assessment by Product Type: Mono, Combination, Mono/Combination Obesity Therapeutic Assessment by Clinical Stages: Discovery, Pre-clinical, Phase I, Phase II, Phase III Which companies are leading the race in Obesity drug development? Find out in DelveInsight's exclusive Obesity Pipeline Report—access it now! @ Obesity Emerging Drugs and Major Companies Table of Contents Introduction Executive Summary Obesity Overview Obesity Pipeline Therapeutics Obesity Therapeutic Assessment Late Stage Products (Phase III) Survodutide: Zealand Pharma Drug profiles in the detailed report….. Mid Stage Products (Phase II) CT-868: Carmot Therapeutics Drug profiles in the detailed report….. Early Stage Products (Phase I) DD01: D&D Pharmatech Drug profiles in the detailed report….. Preclinical and Discovery Stage Products Drug name: Company name Drug profiles in the detailed report….. Inactive Obesity Products Obesity Key Companies Obesity Key Products Obesity Unmet Needs Obesity Market Drivers Obesity Market Barriers Obesity Future Perspectives and Conclusion Obesity Analyst Views Obesity Key Companies Appendix About Us DelveInsight is a leading healthcare-focused market research and consulting firm that provides clients with high-quality market intelligence and analysis to support informed business decisions. With a team of experienced industry experts and a deep understanding of the life sciences and healthcare sectors, we offer customized research solutions and insights to clients across the globe. Connect with us to get high-quality, accurate, and real-time intelligence to stay ahead of the growth curve. Media Contact Company Name: DelveInsight Business Research LLP Contact Person: Yash Bhardwaj Email: Send Email Phone: 09650213330 Address: 304 S. Jones Blvd #2432 City: Las Vegas State: NV Country: United States Website:
CTV News
7 days ago
- CTV News
WHO asks more countries to accept Gaza patients
The World Health Organization on Wednesday called on more countries to accept and treat patients from the Gaza Strip after the medical evacuation of a group of mostly children to Jordan. 'Today, WHO led the medical evacuation of 35 patients, mostly children, from Gaza to Jordan, accompanied by 72 family members,' the UN health agency's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X. 'We are grateful to the government of Jordan for its continued support and for providing specialised care to critically ill patients. 'More than 10,000 people in Gaza still need medical evacuation. We urge more countries to step forward to accept patients for medical evacuations -- lives depend on it. There are many more waiting.' The agency has long called for expanded medical corridors, including the full resumption of the pre-war traditional referral pathway to hospitals in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It has also said that at current rates, it would take years to evacuate all Gaza patients needing treatment. The WHO says that in Gaza, airstrikes and a lack of medical supplies, food, water and fuel have 'virtually depleted' the under-resourced health system, with many hospitals out of operation and others barely functioning. The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed 58,573 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
