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Today's Rundown

AstraZeneca, others send newly private Cellular on its immuno-oncology path with $120M
Labor shortages in healthcare expected to rise as demand grows, report finds
Apple Watch's built-in ECG could detect multiple heart arrhythmias, follow-up analysis finds
Pharma's 'painful' social media start morphs into refined content strategies across even hipster channels: experts
Laurent's COVID-19 pill fails phase 2, but data helps narrow down patients who may benefit
Poll: Majority of U.S. voters approve of giving Medicare drug price negotiation authority
Fujifilm completes construction of Netherlands production facility, enters validation stage
Artificial heart maker SynCardia beamed up by newcomer Picard Medical in VC-engineered deal
Researchers unravel the genetic cause of a childhood disorder and a potential way to prevent it with drugs
Nurses say hospitals rarely in compliance with OSHA's new COVID-19 protections
Fierce Pharma awards best-in-class marketing campaigns in 3rd annual contest—and first live event

Thank you to IQVIA Biotech for sponsoring Fierce Biotech's
2021 Fierce 15 editorial feature.

Featured Story

AstraZeneca, others send newly private Cellular on its immuno-oncology path with $120M

By Kyle LaHucik

Novartis-backed Cellular Biomedicine Group is hitting the ground running as a newly private company with $120 million from AstraZeneca and others after delisting from the Nasdaq in February.

Labor shortages in healthcare expected to rise as demand grows, report finds

By Anastassia Gliadkovskaya

The pace of healthcare workers exiting multiple specialties is expected to outpace hiring over the next several years, leading to labor shortages nationwide, Mercer projects.

Apple Watch's built-in ECG could detect multiple heart arrhythmias, follow-up analysis finds

By Andrea Park

Apple first earned an FDA clearance in 2018 for the electrocardiogram function embedded in the Apple Watch.

Pharma's 'painful' social media start morphs into refined content strategies across even hipster channels: experts

By Beth Snyder Bulik

From drab to fab, pharma social media promotions and campaigns are not only getting better but have gotten up to speed with the rest of the marketing world. That’s according to a panel of digital experts at Digital Pharma East this week. While pharma was once hesitant to even try the consumer-driven channels, brands today have adopted sophisticated social strategies along with test-and-learn models across platforms—including even the newest “cool” channels like TikTok and Clubhouse.

Laurent's COVID-19 pill fails phase 2, but data helps narrow down patients who may benefit

By Annalee Armstrong

Another small biotech trying to make a play in COVID-19 treatment has hit a brick wall in clinic trials. This time it’s Laurent Pharmaceuticals, which reported that an oral candidate for hospitalized patients was unsuccessful in a mid-stage trial.

Poll: Majority of U.S. voters approve of giving Medicare drug price negotiation authority

By Robert King

A new poll found a slight majority of U.S. voters approve of giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices as negotiations in Congress heat up.

Fujifilm completes construction of Netherlands production facility, enters validation stage

By Joseph Keenan

Fujifilm, which has been on a manufacturing construction tear with the rest of the CDMO industry, has completed building its facility in the Netherlands and now enters the validation stage of the project. Finalization is expected in the coming months.

Artificial heart maker SynCardia beamed up by newcomer Picard Medical in VC-engineered deal

By Conor Hale

The company takes its inspiration from the eponymous captain of the starship Enterprise, who is known to carry an artificial heart of his own.

Researchers unravel the genetic cause of a childhood disorder and a potential way to prevent it with drugs

By Kyle LaHucik

A UCSD-led team reported a potential way to prevent a newly discovered genetic condition called Zaki syndrome, which impacts the prenatal development of the eyes, brain, hands, kidneys and heart. The researchers found that children born with Zaki had genetic mutations that, in preclinical models, could be successfully targeted with a drug.

Nurses say hospitals rarely in compliance with OSHA's new COVID-19 protections

By Dave Muoio

A national survey of 5,000 hospital nurses highlighted infrequent PPE and testing during the summer, when OSHA's workplace safety rules went live for front-line workers treating COVID-19 patients.

Fierce Pharma awards best-in-class marketing campaigns in 3rd annual contest—and first live event