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Today's Rundown

Top vaccine players Sanofi, GSK win $2.1B Warp Speed funding for COVID-19 shot
Mental health issues among workers are spiking due to COVID-19. Here's how employers can step in
House Democrats say Trump administration took Philips’ first offer, overpaying for ventilators by $500M
Gilead banks on blockbuster remdesivir with sunnier 2020 outlook
Vizient, providers urge greater transparency, redundancy along PPE supply chain
Merck, via its Themis buy, to move first COVID-19 vaccine into clinical development in Q3
Pfizer, BioNTech keep COVID vaccine deals rolling with 120M-dose Japan pact
Shafer says COVID-19 pandemic has driven 'burst of innovation' at Cerner
U.K. antibody test approved to support government's free coronavirus screening efforts
Immunology launches buoy AbbVie sales as COVID-19 swamps ex-Allergan aesthetics biz
Merck’s cancer meds keep churning amid COVID-19, but vaccines stumble
Healthcare roundup: HHS watchdog plans to investigate CARES Act funding to providers
Biopharma roundup: Moderna targeted by Chinese hackers; Warp Speed's Slaoui touts vaccine data

Featured Story

Top vaccine players Sanofi, GSK win $2.1B Warp Speed funding for COVID-19 shot

By Angus Liu

Sanofi, already working with BARDA on a GlaxoSmithKline-partnered COVID-19 vaccine, has won further support from the U.S. government—this time, to the tune of $2.1 billion for clinical development and delivery of 100 million doses. It's a hefty bet, but on a proven vaccine technology from two of the biggest vaccine makers in the business.

Mental health issues among workers are spiking due to COVID-19. Here's how employers can step in

By Paige Minemyer

COVID-19 is having a massive impact on employees’ mental health, according to a new report.

House Democrats say Trump administration took Philips’ first offer, overpaying for ventilators by $500M

By Conor Hale

Their report says HHS neglected to enforce a contract already on the books—a 2014 purchase order from the Obama administration for Philips to develop and provide 10,000 ventilators for the national emergency stockpile by 2019, at a price of $3,280 per unit.

Gilead banks on blockbuster remdesivir with sunnier 2020 outlook

By Angus Liu

Gilead is part of a long list of drugmakers that have suffered from business slowdowns caused by COVID-19. But the Big Biotech has elevated its full-year outlook anyway now that it has an unexpected source of revenue—remdesivir—which one analyst figures could bring in $3.5 billion in the second half of 2020.

Vizient, providers urge greater transparency, redundancy along PPE supply chain

By Robert King

Providers call for massive improvements to the personal protective equipment supply chain to combat unprecedented demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including changes to the Strategic National Stockpile.

Merck, via its Themis buy, to move first COVID-19 vaccine into clinical development in Q3

By Ben Adams

Merck was purposely cautious during the start of the pandemic when it came to vaccine development but is now slowly but surely ramping up its efforts into the clinic.

Pfizer, BioNTech keep COVID vaccine deals rolling with 120M-dose Japan pact

By Fraiser Kansteiner

Pfizer and BioNTech recently snared $1.95 billion from the U.S. to deliver 100 million doses of their leading COVID-19 vaccine candidate, and before that, the partners inked a supply pact with the U.K. Now, they've agreed to deploy 120 million shots to Japan by the first half of 2021, in that country's first major vaccine pre-purchase.

Shafer says COVID-19 pandemic has driven 'burst of innovation' at Cerner

By Heather Landi

Cerner's second-quarter revenue fell 7% from $1.43 million in the second quarter of 2019 to $1.33 million as the COVID-19 pandemic had a slightly bigger topline impact than the company expected. Find out why the revenue shortfall didn't impact the company's earnings in the second quarter.

U.K. antibody test approved to support government's free coronavirus screening efforts

By Conor Hale

A coalition of U.K. research institutions and diagnostic developers backed by the British government has secured regulatory clearance to move ahead with their hand-held antibody blood test for COVID-19.

Immunology launches buoy AbbVie sales as COVID-19 swamps ex-Allergan aesthetics biz

By Kyle Blankenship

Only months into its massive merger with Allergan, AbbVie has been forced to contend with a pandemic challenge to its brand-new aesthetics business. But thanks to new launches that are outperforming expectations—namely Skyrizi and Rinvoq—AbbVie is holding steady.

Merck’s cancer meds keep churning amid COVID-19, but vaccines stumble

By Eric Sagonowsky

Earlier this year, Merck warned investors that COVID-19 would take a multbillion-dollar bite out of its revenue expectations for 2020. And in the second quarter, that prediction took shape as the company reported a $1.5 billion loss in revenues from the pandemic.

Healthcare roundup: HHS watchdog plans to investigate CARES Act funding to providers

By Healthcare Staff

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

Biopharma roundup: Moderna targeted by Chinese hackers; Warp Speed's Slaoui touts vaccine data

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

Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline scored $2.1 billion from the U.S. to test and manufacture their vaccine candidate. Pfizer and BioNTech committed 120M doses to Japan. Moderna confirmed that it was the target of hacking attempts. Moncef Slaoui thinks an approved shot could be 90% effective. And the DOD will join the CDC in vaccine distribution.

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