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March 17, 2020___

Today's Rundown

Welcome to Fierce’s daily coronavirus roundup. In order to bring you the most comprehensive and up-to-date information relating to the pandemic, we are publishing additional stories and all of the day’s coronavirus-related news in a PM edition. If you would prefer not to receive this newsletter, you may opt out at any time by clicking here

Featured Story

Tennessee's 'patient zero,' a Biogen employee, comes forward to discuss 'hysteria' and 'human kindness at its very best'

Behind each COVID-19 case is a story, and a Biogen employee has come forward with his experience following the company's meeting in Boston in late-February. Tennessee's self-described "patient zero" discussed hysteria, plus gestures of kindness, following his diagnosis.

Top Stories

6 ways to prepare your medical practice for coronavirus

Depending on their location in the country, many physician practices are starting to see the impact of the coronavirus. As the highly contagious virus is only likely to spread in the weeks ahead, now is the time for leaders to prepare for how they will help diagnose and treat patients and keep their practices running, says Debra A. Cooper, R.N., a senior risk management specialist with Coverys, a medical liability insurer.

Grounded by the pandemic, pharma reps turn to digital tools to reach docs

As COVID-19 spreads worldwide, drugmakers are enacting stay-at-home policies for sales reps, subbing digital tools and virtual meetings for face-to-face visits. The novel virus is accelerating a yearslong trend—and, in the end, it may shift pharma to digital detailing permanently.

AbbVie, Allergan merger may face regulatory delay due to COVID-19: report

With the final hurdle for their $63 billion merger cleared in the EU, AbbVie and Allergan were in the home stretch to close the deal. Then the novel coronavirus took off, and now that merger could be further out of reach as regulatory bodies prepare to pump the brakes.

Fears grow over federal ventilator supply as coronavirus cases mount

Questions are swirling around whether the federal government has stockpiled enough ventilators to meet demand from the coronavirus.

Biopharma roundup: AbbVie, Allergan deal may face delay; Verily releases testing website

AbbVie and Allergan's merger may face a delay if U.S. antitrust authorities seek a review extension. Google's Verily released its testing website, but ran into capacity constraints. Plus, updates from Pfizer, Roche, Bayer, Novartis and more.

Healthcare roundup: Teledoc reports 50% spike in visits; Pence asks construction firms to donate N95 masks

FierceHealthcare's ongoing coverage of how the coronavirus is impacting the healthcare industry.

Verily's COVID-19 testing website quickly reaches capacity: NYT

A new pilot project designed to guide people toward local coronavirus testing developed by Google’s health-focused sister company, Verily, hit its capacity for test appointments within a few hours of its unveiling, according to a report from The New York Times.

New (old) CureVac CEO on non-COVID-19 medical leave as plot thickens

CureVac’s embroilment in a crazy story just got a lot weirder: It lost its CEO two weeks back, who was without warning replaced by its old CEO. Now, he’s out for the foreseeable future with an undefined (but not COVID-19-related) medical issue suddenly stopping him from being chief.

Roche begins shipping 400,000 coronavirus test kits per week in the U.S.

Roche Diagnostics said that it has begun deploying its newly authorized cobas coronavirus diagnostic to hospitals and reference laboratories, with a wave of 400,000 swab-testing kits expected to arrive this week.

Trump administration opens up access to telehealth services during coronavirus outbreak

The Trump administration announced major changes today to open up access to telehealth services during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is waiving certain Medicare restrictions to enable telehealth services to be provided in all settings, including a patient's home. 

J&J warns doctors not to count on Prezista as a COVID-19 treatment

Drugmakers are looking at all options for a possible therapeutic for COVID-19 as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues its spread. One area with some promise? Repurposed HIV meds—but one drugmaker is tamping down hopes in that arena based on a lack of supporting data. 

FDA opens the gates to commercial coronavirus testing without agency review

In the face of urgent need, the FDA has opened its floodgates to commercial coronavirus testing. The agency is now allowing companies to proceed with their diagnostic tests without first submitting them for federal review or obtaining an official emergency clearance.

COVID-19 outbreak prompts Provention to pause diabetes trial

As the race toward a drug for COVID-19 heats up, some biopharma companies are feeling the heat from the outbreak. Provention Bio is one of them—the autoimmune disease player has hit the brakes on a phase 3 study for its diabetes treatment “out of an abundance of caution.”