To view this email as a web page, click here

Today's Rundown

Featured Story

Moderna CEO expects to know by November whether coronavirus vaccine works: report

Moderna reached human testing for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in record time, and now with its phase 3 trial moving right along, the company is expecting efficacy data in November—likely after Pfizer and BioNTech, but before everyone else.

read more

Top Stories

CVS aims to have 4,000 drive-thru testing sites open by mid-October

CVS Health is planning to double the number of its drive-thru testing sites by mid-October, the healthcare giant announced on Thursday.

read more

Trials 'unable to bounce back' after COVID-19 chaos: report

Clinical trial firm Phesi’s new report is some grim reading for the life science industry: Despite some forward motion over the summer, studies for new drugs are still suffering.

read more

Eli Lilly, Amgen join forces to scale production of COVID-19 antibody cocktails

Months of fervid research have whittled away most potential options to treat patients with COVID-19, but group of antibody cocktails remain promising. And Eli Lilly believes so strongly in its contender, partnered with the biotech AbCellera, that it's bringing on a major pharma partner to chip in on production. 

read more

Healthcare roundup: AHIP urging Americans to seek flu vaccines amid pandemic

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

read more

Biopharma roundup: Astrazeneca shot 'unlikely' to have caused safety scare

After Moderna unveiled its vaccine's phase 3 trial protocol, Pfizer followed suit Thursday afternoon. Plus, a group of state treasurers asked Gilead to reconsider its price for remdesivir.

read more

Cellex, Gauss aim for smartphone-powered coronavirus test, offering rapid results at home

Diagnostic maker Cellex has announced plans to develop a rapid coronavirus infection test that people can fully perform at home, from sample collection to result—with 15-minute readings double-checked by a personal smartphone app.

read more

BioNTech buys Novartis plant for COVID-19 vaccine, eyes capacity of up to 750M doses

BioNTech and its partner Pfizer have multiple COVID-19 vaccine supply deals in the bag, and a major expansion of production is due. The German biotech has agreed to buy a biologics facility in its home country from Novartis, hoping to boost its annual capacity by up to 750 million doses.

read more

Accolade is teaming up with this growing startup to offer virtual mental health for employees

Employers recognize there is a looming behavioral health crisis stemming from the pandemic and that's driving demand for mental health tools for employees. Health benefits platform Accolade is teaming up with Ginger to provide a health benefits solution that integrates physical and mental healthcare for employees.

read more

Pfizer plans DTC effort to pitch COVID-19 shot safety, joining a fall flurry of vaccine messaging

Vaccine marketing messages are flooding media channels this fall. Pharma companies, industry groups and even the federal government are putting out information about vaccine availability and safety, and Pfizer is set to be the latest to join them.

read more

Kodak execs didn't illegally trade stock while touting big move into pharma: report

Eastman Kodak's pharma ambitions took a hit when insider trading accusations put $765 million in U.S. funding on the skids. But a special committee hired by Kodak's board has now cleared its top brass of wrongdoing—a decision that could clear its path into drug manufacturing.

read more