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Today's Rundown

Russia skips ahead in COVID vaccine race, triggering outcry over unproven 'Sputnik V' shot
Kaiser Permanente reports $4.5B in Q2 net income as COVID-19 drives down operating costs
Novavax aims for billions of COVID-19 vaccine doses in 2021—more than enough to supply U.S.
LabCorp COVID tests free for three months to aide plasma donations
Biopharma roundup: Sanofi, Takeda, Lilly execs call for ongoing vax funding; Leerink analyst questions timelines
Healthcare roundup: CVS Health launches COVID podcast with health experts
Study finds reprocessing N95 masks one time is acceptable alternative if supplies low
How Adaptive Biotechnologies and Microsoft are working to 'decode" our immune response to COVID-19
Samsung Biologics plots $2B 'super plant' as COVID-19 sends sales through the roof
Charles River Laboratories ‘weathers COVID challenges’ to see healthy growth

Featured Story

Russia skips ahead in COVID vaccine race, triggering outcry over unproven 'Sputnik V' shot

By Eric Sagonowsky

As global players rush to deliver COVID-19 vaccines, Russia shocked the world Tuesday with news that it had approved a locally developed inoculation, provocatively named "Sputnik V." But that approval was based on skimpy data, and experts characterized the move as a risky political stunt.

Kaiser Permanente reports $4.5B in Q2 net income as COVID-19 drives down operating costs

By Paige Minemyer

Kaiser Permanente earned $4.5 billion in net income in the second quarter after a "challenging" Q1 as deferred procedures under the pandemic drove down operating costs.

Novavax aims for billions of COVID-19 vaccine doses in 2021—more than enough to supply U.S.

By Eric Sagonowsky

Some of the world’s largest companies are working to deliver safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, but at the same time, a much smaller biotech has laid out its own big ambitions in the field. Novavax will have billions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine capacity next year and could single-handedly meet U.S. demand, executives said.

LabCorp COVID tests free for three months to aide plasma donations

By Ben Adams

Leading testing company LabCorp is offering a “no charge” antibody COVID-19 testing program in the hope it will boost blood plasma donations.

Biopharma roundup: Sanofi, Takeda, Lilly execs call for ongoing vax funding; Leerink analyst questions timelines

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

Top pharma executives from Sanofi, Takeda, Eli Lilly and Cipla are asking governments to invest upfront in the industry's efforts against COVID-19. An SVB Leerink analyst questions the much-touted timeline of having a vaccine available for general use in less than two years.

Healthcare roundup: CVS Health launches COVID podcast with health experts

By Healthcare Staff

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

Study finds reprocessing N95 masks one time is acceptable alternative if supplies low

By Robert King

A new study found that reprocessing and sterilizing N95 masks once didn't lead to them being less effective at filtering out COVID-19 particles.

How Adaptive Biotechnologies and Microsoft are working to 'decode" our immune response to COVID-19

By Heather Landi

Adaptive Biotechnologies and tech giant Microsoft teamed up in 2018 to “decode” the immune system. The biotech company is using Microsoft's cloud computing and machine learning muscle to map out how the adaptive immune system responds to COVID-19. The aim is to advance vaccine development and new diagnostics.

Samsung Biologics plots $2B 'super plant' as COVID-19 sends sales through the roof

By Kyle Blankenship

The COVID-19 pandemic has sent shockwaves across the pharmaceutical industry, cutting into sales and disrupting the supply chain. But the crisis hasn't been a bad thing for everyone: South Korea's Samsung Biologics, for instance, is swimming in new orders, and it's planning to build a long-awaited facility to celebrate.

Charles River Laboratories ‘weathers COVID challenges’ to see healthy growth