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March 23, 2020___

Today's Rundown

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Roche CEO Schwan says COVID-19 diagnostics still aren't meeting sky-high demand: CNBC

Since its coronavirus diagnostic received the first emergency green light from the FDA 10 days ago, Roche has delivered over 400,000 kits to laboratories across the U.S.—but CEO Severin Schwan said it could take weeks or even months for the industry as a whole to catch up to the widespread need for testing.

Top Stories

CMS works with CDC to identify next COVID-19 hot spot to better target infection control surveys

The Trump administration is aiming to conduct targeted infection control inspections in areas likely to be the next hot spots for a COVID-19 outbreak.

PhRMA, BIO campaign champions members' determination to beat COVID-19

Together is better, especially when it comes to fighting COVID-19. That’s how pharma and biotech companies are working—and the PhRMA and BIO trade groups want everyone to know. The two have launched a print and digital campaign to lay out the six key steps biopharma companies are taking to combat the novel coronavirus.

AbbVie gives up patent rights to HIV med Kaletra amid COVID-19 tests: report

With international scrutiny focusing on a narrowing set of drugs currently in tests to treat the symptoms of the novel coronavirus, drugmakers are already facing shortages that could threaten global supply. To counter that demand—and quash accusations of profiteering—Abbvie has reportedly taken a drastic step to open its COVID-19 candidate to competition. 

How to fairly allocate ventilators? As question becomes more real, experts weigh the answer

How to fairly allocate ventilators? With the question becoming increasingly pertinent, experts offered six recommendations to help guide providers in an analysis published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Monday. 

Healthcare roundup: GAO releases scam tracker; CVS to hire 50K; Harvard Pilgrim offers $3M in grants

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

Biopharma roundup: Bristol Myers pauses new trial starts; NY to begin plasma study

Bristol Myers Squibb is the latest drugmaker to disclose R&D interruptions due to the pandemic. In a unique move, AbbVie is dropping patent enforcement of HIV drug Kaletra, which is being investigated as a potential treatment. Plus more news from Monday.

Lilly slashes clinical trial activities in response to COVID-19

Eli Lilly is slashing its clinical trial activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the novel coronavirus putting healthcare systems under tremendous strain, Lilly has decided to delay most trial starts and pause enrollment in most ongoing studies.

FDA clamps down on at-home coronavirus testing, citing fake products and bad actors

As the agency combats genuinely fake tests being shipped to the U.S. from overseas, telehealth companies just starting to offer home-based kits could be facing new hurdles.

FDA frees India’s Ipca from import ban so it can ship unproven COVID-19 treatments 

When it comes to serious quality issues at India’s Ipca Laboratories, the FDA is letting bygones be bygones in its effort to get more of promising but untested treatments for COVID-19 to the market. Ipca Laboratories says the FDA is lifting a ban on products from two plants so it can ship hydroxychloroquine sulphate and chloroquine phosphate APls along with hydroxychloroquine sulphate tablets to the U.S.

Geisinger, UPMC among health systems fast-tracking tech, telehealth projects for COVID-19

Health IT leaders at hospitals and health systems are fast-tracking major technology projects—some in a manner of days. "We've never experienced anything like this," said a CIO at one major health organization.

Gilead halts emergency access to COVID-19 contender remdesivir amid 'overwhelming demand'

Since the early days of the current coronavirus outbreak, Gilead Sciences’ experimental antiviral drug remdesivir has been hailed as a leading hope. That halo has apparently overwhelmed the Big Biotech, which has temporarily stopped granting patients emergency access to remdesivir due to an “exponential increase” in requests.

FDA greenlights first 45-minute, point-of-care coronavirus diagnostic test

The FDA has authorized its first rapid, point-of-care diagnostic for the novel coronavirus—allowing physicians in hospitals, clinics and emergency rooms to test a sample for the disease in about 45 minutes.

AlloVir, Baylor ally to develop COVID-19 T-cell therapy

AlloVir and Baylor College of Medicine have teamed up to develop T-cell therapies against the novel coronavirus behind the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The alliance builds on existing work to create off-the-shelf cell therapies that identify and eliminate specific viruses.