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Today's Rundown

With demand uncertain and its U.S. manufacturing in limbo, AstraZeneca still aims to seek FDA nod for COVID-19 vaccine
Roche culls 2 COVID-19 drug hopefuls amid Q1 clear-out
Anthem says nearly 10M using its digital platforms amid COVID-19
FDA blasts troubled COVID-19 vaccine producer Emergent for quality control and cleanliness issues
FDA unlocks pooled COVID-19 screening for previously authorized tests
First counterfeit Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines surface in Poland and Mexico
The digital mental health market is booming. Here’s why some experts are concerned
Lawmakers launch probe into Emergent's COVID-19 vaccine contracts, manufacturing missteps
Humanigen opens up CMO role, drops AstraZeneca vet to push on with COVID hopeful
Tenet posts $97M in profit in Q1 as hospitals 'exceeded expectations'
Shareholders to push for detailed COVID-19 pricing strategies from Pfizer, J&J at annual meetings
Oxford, Prenetics to take their COVID-19 rapid testing tech to other infectious diseases
COVID-19 tracker: Biden meets goal of 200 million vaccinated; EU turns down 300M J&J, AZ doses

Featured Story

With demand uncertain and its U.S. manufacturing in limbo, AstraZeneca still aims to seek FDA nod for COVID-19 vaccine

By Kevin Dunleavy

AstraZeneca's target window to apply for emergency use authorization of its troubled COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. has passed. But the company still plans to seek approval, a spokesman said.

Roche culls 2 COVID-19 drug hopefuls amid Q1 clear-out

By Ben Adams

Roche has cut a series of experimental lung drugs from its pipeline, including two midstage COVID-19 assets.

Anthem says nearly 10M using its digital platforms amid COVID-19

By Paige Minemyer

Anthem brought in $1.7 billion in profit for the first quarter of 2021, beating Wall Street analysts' projections.

FDA blasts troubled COVID-19 vaccine producer Emergent for quality control and cleanliness issues

By Fraiser Kansteiner

A recent FDA inspection offers a detailed glimpse into the quality control and cleanliness issues that have plagued Emergent BioSolution's Baltimore facility, where the CDMO recently had to scrap up to 15 million J&J COVID-19 doses after an ingredient mix-up.

FDA unlocks pooled COVID-19 screening for previously authorized tests

By Conor Hale

The FDA is making it easier for the makers of authorized COVID-19 tests to have multiple samples tested at once—allowing more people to be screened more regularly, while using fewer resources.

First counterfeit Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines surface in Poland and Mexico

By Kevin Dunleavy

Pfizer uncovered the first fakes of its COVID-19 vaccine—vials of water and anti-wrinkle treatments in Mexico and Poland. The bogus Pfizer vaccines are the latest in worldwide discoveries of counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines and deceptive websites hawking non-existent vaccines.

The digital mental health market is booming. Here’s why some experts are concerned

By Heather Landi

The digital mental health space was growing rapidly even before the COVID-19 pandemic but stress and anxiety brought on by the health crisis has accelerated demand for virtual behavioral health services. But with the market growing rapidly, some experts are concerned about whether digital mental health tools deliver what they promise.

Lawmakers launch probe into Emergent's COVID-19 vaccine contracts, manufacturing missteps

By Fraiser Kansteiner

The House Oversight Committee launched an investigation into Emergent BioSolutions' beefy government contracts to produce COVID-19 vaccines. The company won $628 million to make shots for Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, despite longstanding quality control issues, the committee claims.

Humanigen opens up CMO role, drops AstraZeneca vet to push on with COVID hopeful

By Annalee Armstrong

Humanigen has created a chief medical officer role and has chosen AstraZeneca’s Adrian Kilcoyne, M.D., to fill it. Kilcoyne previously served as vice president of oncology global medical affairs, head of evidence generation and external alliances at the U.K. pharma giant.

Tenet posts $97M in profit in Q1 as hospitals 'exceeded expectations'

By Robert King

Tenet Healthcare posted a $97 million net operating income for the first quarter as higher acuity patients helped offset lingering volume declines.

Shareholders to push for detailed COVID-19 pricing strategies from Pfizer, J&J at annual meetings

By Noah Higgins-Dunn

The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility submitted shareholder proposals requesting Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Merck provide greater detail on how they plan to develop access and pricing strategies for their COVID-19 products given that taxpayers funded much of the R&D, manufacturing and distribution.

Oxford, Prenetics to take their COVID-19 rapid testing tech to other infectious diseases

By Andrea Park

Researchers will work toward advancing Oxford’s existing OxLAMP molecular testing technology so that it can be used for rapid, widescale testing of infectious diseases beyond the pandemic.

COVID-19 tracker: Biden meets goal of 200 million vaccinated; EU turns down 300M J&J, AZ doses

By Noah Higgins-Dunn,Fraiser Kansteiner,Eric Sagonowsky

President Joe Biden says his goal of administering 200 million COVID-19 vaccines in his first 100 days in office has been met. The EU has opted against ordering 300 million additional vaccine doses from J&J and AstraZeneca. The FDA has cited Emergent BioSolutions' Baltimore plant with a number of violations following inspection. And more headlines.

COVID-19 Tracker