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Today's Rundown

Pfizer, BioNTech nab fast track tag, prep for major phase 3 COVID-19 vax test this month
Hospitals struggle with PPE shortages amid new COVID-19 surges
Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine could cruise to $5B in sales—or more, analysts say
Senate Democrats demand $25B for widespread COVID-19 vaccine distribution
Hedge fund urges Qiagen to rethink Thermo Fisher's $11.5B takeover offer, as COVID-19 fuels testing demand: FT
Healthcare roundup: Insurers urge Congress to fund COVID-19 testing
Biopharma roundup: FDA to resume U.S. inspections with COVID-19 caveats: Hahn; Junshi taps Lonza for production of Lilly-partnered antibody
FDA complicates 'chaotic' federal COVID-19 response with pledge to resume domestic inspections
10M people likely to drop out of employer coverage this year due to COVID-19: report
Osmotica bucks pandemic trend with in-person sales calls for eye drug launch

Featured Story

Pfizer, BioNTech nab fast track tag, prep for major phase 3 COVID-19 vax test this month

By Ben Adams

Pfizer and German mRNA partner BioNTech have grabbed an FDA fast track label as they look to start a late-stage, 30,000-patient COVID-19 vaccine test before the month is out.

Hospitals struggle with PPE shortages amid new COVID-19 surges

By Robert King

Four months into the COVID-19 crisis, the PPE supply chain has not yet caught up, and hospitals are continuing to reuse protective equipment, especially for those systems in new virus hot spots.

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine could cruise to $5B in sales—or more, analysts say

By Eric Sagonowsky

Moderna has never scored a commercial approval for any of its drugs or vaccines, but analysts with Jefferies think the company has a winner in its COVID-19 shot. The team is projecting around $2 billion in 2021 sales, and $5 billion in sales over the next few years.

Senate Democrats demand $25B for widespread COVID-19 vaccine distribution

By Robert King

Senate Democrats released a plan to facilitate the widespread distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, including a demand of $25 billion to ensure any vaccine is widely distributed.

Hedge fund urges Qiagen to rethink Thermo Fisher's $11.5B takeover offer, as COVID-19 fuels testing demand: FT

By Conor Hale

The world has changed since Thermo Fisher Scientific reached a hard-fought, $11.5 billion agreement to acquire Qiagen, announced in the first days of March after months of negotiations and public rumors.

Healthcare roundup: Insurers urge Congress to fund COVID-19 testing

By Healthcare Staff

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

Biopharma roundup: FDA to resume U.S. inspections with COVID-19 caveats: Hahn; Junshi taps Lonza for production of Lilly-partnered antibody

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

Jefferies analysts expect Moderna's COVID-19 shot candidate to win approval early next year and possibly pull in billions for the company. China's Junshi Biosciences licensed tech from Swiss contract manufacturer Lonza to help produce its Eli-Lilly partnered COVID-19 antibody hopeful. Plus, the WHO's director warned that countries aren't doing enough to stop the virus.

FDA complicates 'chaotic' federal COVID-19 response with pledge to resume domestic inspections

By Kyle Blankenship

The FDA's usual facility inspections have been on hold for months because of COVID-19—and pharma isn't happy. Now, after hearing calls from all levels of the drug industry, the agency says it will kick off inspections again. But it's far from a full-scale restart.

10M people likely to drop out of employer coverage this year due to COVID-19: report

By Paige Minemyer

More than 10 million people could drop out of employer-sponsored health coverage by December thanks to job losses linked to COVID-19, a new report finds.

Osmotica bucks pandemic trend with in-person sales calls for eye drug launch

By Fraiser Kansteiner

With its new FDA approval for Upneeq, Osmotica Pharmaceuticals faces the task of marketing a reformulated nasal spray to millions of people with droopy eyelid, many of whom don't even know it's considered a disorder, much less a treatable one.

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