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Today's Rundown

Novartis says it's ready to pitch in on manufacturing rivals' COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics
Docs call on Biden to include medical groups in COVID-19 vaccine distribution
Pfizer and Moderna haven't proven their COVID-19 vaccines shield against new variants: analysts
Scramble for specialty syringes as Pfizer, feds look to extract 6th vaccine doses
Businessman charged with hoarding PPE, price gouging health providers
DOD taps Pharm-Olam for repurposed Humira COVID-19 test
Mammoth Biosciences teams with Agilent to deliver CRISPR-based coronavirus tests
COVID-19 tracker: Germany recommends against AZ shot in 65+ age group; South African variant found in U.S.
Johns Hopkins, Mount Sinai turning to virtual rehab and video games to help patients recover from strokes
Medigene shares sag as it axes TCR-T blood cancer drug, with COVID-19 partly to blame

Featured Story

Novartis says it's ready to pitch in on manufacturing rivals' COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics

By Eric Sagonowsky

Right after Sanofi stepped in to help produce Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccines in Europe, Novartis is exploring whether it can deploy its own manufacturing network to boost COVID-19 supplies. Separately, the U.S. is weighing the Defense Production Act to compel drugmakers to produce Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines.

Docs call on Biden to include medical groups in COVID-19 vaccine distribution

By Tina Reed

Medical practices are largely being left out of the COVID-19 vaccine efforts, the Medical Group Management Association found.

Pfizer and Moderna haven't proven their COVID-19 vaccines shield against new variants: analysts

By Arlene Weintraub

Moderna and Pfizer have been quick to unveil data suggesting their COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have some efficacy against coronavirus mutants emerging in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil. But some pharma watchers have scoured the data, and they're not so convinced.

Scramble for specialty syringes as Pfizer, feds look to extract 6th vaccine doses

By Beth Snyder Bulik,Fraiser Kansteiner

Syringe makers are scrambling to meet demand for so-called low dead space syringes as Pfizer and the U.S. look to squeeze out extra vaccine doses. Physicians and pharmacists discovered the potential extra dose after they began vaccinating patients, but initial enthusiasm has been dampened by the requirement of the now-scarce specialty needles to extract the last bit from each vial.

Businessman charged with hoarding PPE, price gouging health providers

By Tina Reed

A Mississippi man was charged with allegedly attempting a $1.8 million scheme to hoard personal protective equipment and price gouging healthcare providers, including several U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals.

DOD taps Pharm-Olam for repurposed Humira COVID-19 test

By Ben Adams

Pharm-Olam has been handed a Department of Defense contract to run a mid- to late-stage trial of blockbuster autoimmune and inflammation drug adalimumab.

Mammoth Biosciences teams with Agilent to deliver CRISPR-based coronavirus tests

By Conor Hale

CRISPR-wielder Mammoth Biosciences will team up with Agilent Technologies to help launch its upcoming COVID-19 diagnostic test, designed to handle more than 4,000 samples per day.

COVID-19 tracker: Germany recommends against AZ shot in 65+ age group; South African variant found in U.S.

By Fraiser Kansteiner,Eric Sagonowsky,Angus Liu,Conor Hale

German officials have recommended against using AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in people 65 and older, citing a lack of evidence in the age group. Meanwhile, Europe is facing pressure to restrict vaccine exports after the news that AZ won't be able to fulfill its first-quarter order for the bloc.

Johns Hopkins, Mount Sinai turning to virtual rehab and video games to help patients recover from strokes

By Brian T. Horowitz

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought experimentation in all different types of remote care, and that includes neuroscience. Health systems including Mount Sinai and Johns Hopkins are working with digital therapeutics company MindMaze to use video-based therapy and gamification to help stroke victims recover at home.

Medigene shares sag as it axes TCR-T blood cancer drug, with COVID-19 partly to blame