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Today's Rundown

What does it take to supply COVID-19 vaccines across the globe? Here's how the leading players are working it
House health leader calls for permanent Medicare telehealth expansions
GSK, Vir hit as COVID-19 drug hopeful halted on possible weak efficacy in key NIH phase 3
Merck must do a new trial for faltering $425M COVID-19 drug the U.S. government asked it to buy
Novavax was on its last leg pre-COVID. With a promising shot on deck, it's now eying a big 2021
How can Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca fight vaccine misperceptions? Try straight talk
UPDATED Coronavirus tracker: 206K signed up for coverage during special ACA enrollment period
COVID-19 tracker: Fauci says U.S. will stick with 2-dose scheme; Novavax seizes pandemic opportunity
Merck snares $269M in U.S. funding to prep manufacturing for Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine
UPMC generates $1B in earnings for 2020 thanks to strong insurance division

Featured Story

What does it take to supply COVID-19 vaccines across the globe? Here's how the leading players are working it

By Fraiser Kansteiner,Eric Sagonowsky

As COVID-19 gained steam worldwide last spring, little was known about the disease and the havoc it would wreak on the world. A year later, vaccines offer hope in the global effort to end the pandemic, but it will be a monumental task to produce them and deliver them around the world.

House health leader calls for permanent Medicare telehealth expansions

By Heather Landi

House health subcommittee chair Rep. Anna Eshoo said Tuesday it's time to make telehealth flexibilities enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic permanent to help close gaps in care. But some policymakers are concerned that greater telehealth use could lead to duplicative and unnecessary spending, higher rates of fraud and ultimately higher overall costs.

GSK, Vir hit as COVID-19 drug hopeful halted on possible weak efficacy in key NIH phase 3

By Ben Adams

GlaxoSmithKline and partner Vir have seen a key, late-stage test of their experimental COVID drug stopped for new patients amid concerns it may not be working well enough.

Merck must do a new trial for faltering $425M COVID-19 drug the U.S. government asked it to buy

By Ben Adams

It’s already had to give up on any hopes of creating a vaccine against COVID-19, and now Merck is being told that its pandemic drug hopeful will need another trial before it can be issued a green light.

Novavax was on its last leg pre-COVID. With a promising shot on deck, it's now eying a big 2021

By Eric Sagonowsky

Heading into last year, Novavax had just $80 million in cash and a “financial operating horizon” of six months, its CEO said this week. That's all changed. Nowadays, the biotech has a lineup of COVID-19 vaccine orders and capacity expected to reach billions of doses.

How can Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca fight vaccine misperceptions? Try straight talk

By Beth Snyder Bulik

As the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine rolls out this week, public health officials and J&J itself are working to dodge AstraZeneca's European fate. Sputtering EU vaccination efforts—thanks in part to AZ's negative media coverage and patchwork age-group approvals—serve as a roadmap of what not to do as J&J stares down its own perception problems.

UPDATED Coronavirus tracker: 206K signed up for coverage during special ACA enrollment period

By Healthcare Staff

Follow along with the latest COVID-19 news straight from the Fierce Healthcare team.

COVID-19 tracker: Fauci says U.S. will stick with 2-dose scheme; Novavax seizes pandemic opportunity

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

White House chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci said the U.S. will not abandon its two-dose strategy for the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Novavax has seized an opportunity presented by the pandemic. Merck scores $269 in government funding for its vaccine deal with J&J. Plus more.

Merck snares $269M in U.S. funding to prep manufacturing for Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine

By Fraiser Kansteiner

Merck's "wartime" coronavirus tie-up with Johnson & Johnson puts the vaccine giant on deck to support drug substance, formulation and vial-filling work in the U.S. And the government is chipping in with $269 million to equip two Merck manufacturing plants for the work.

UPMC generates $1B in earnings for 2020 thanks to strong insurance division

By Robert King

UPMC posted $1 billion in earnings at the end of 2020 thanks to enrollment increases and lower healthcare utilization in its insurance business.

COVID-19 Tracker