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Today's Rundown

Pilot launch complete: GlaxoSmithKline's malaria shot scores WHO backing for wider rollout in Africa
Pfizer's development leader becomes 2nd executive to retire in early 2022
Ginkgo Bioworks ‘a hoax for the ages’, says activist short seller firm
How many employees have hospitals lost to vaccine mandates? Here are the numbers so far
Buyers clamor for Merck's COVID-19 antiviral molnupiravir, but pricing is already controversial
Intermountain, Presbyterian and SSM Health announce new digital transformation company
Medtronic expands two Class I recalls of MiniMed insulin pumps, spanning nearly 500K devices
Lightship lures in $40M, Slope snags $20M for virtual, decentralized clinical trials
CMMI director hints at shift away from payment models for every episode of care, specialties

Featured Story

Pilot launch complete: GlaxoSmithKline's malaria shot scores WHO backing for wider rollout in Africa

By Eric Sagonowsky

GlaxoSmithKline has spent many years developing and testing its world-first malaria vaccine, but even after a positive recommendation from European regulators in 2015, the shot still isn't widely deployed. That's set to change with the World Health Organization's blessing for the vaccine.

Pfizer's development leader becomes 2nd executive to retire in early 2022

By Kyle LaHucik

Rod MacKenzie will leave Pfizer early next year after heading up clinical development and as the company seeks expanded use of its COVID-19 vaccine. The 35-year Pfizer veteran will retire around the same time as the Big Pharma's group president John Young.

Ginkgo Bioworks ‘a hoax for the ages’, says activist short seller firm

By Conor Hale

Calling its business model “hocus-pocus” and “a colossal scam,” the activist short seller firm Scorpion Capital has stung Ginkgo Bioworks—the synthetic biology company that went public less than a month ago through a $1.6 billion SPAC deal.

How many employees have hospitals lost to vaccine mandates? Here are the numbers so far

By Dave Muoio

Reports are trickling out on firings and voluntary resignations as some provider organizations reach their first deadlines for partial or full COVID-19 vaccination for their workers.

Buyers clamor for Merck's COVID-19 antiviral molnupiravir, but pricing is already controversial

By Kevin Dunleavy

Less than a week after Merck and Ridgeback released data on the effectiveness of experimental COVID-19 drug molnupiravir, the rush is on to secure supplies. At least three countries have secured deals with Merck and the company is said to be in discussion with several others.

Intermountain, Presbyterian and SSM Health announce new digital transformation company

By Anastassia Gliadkovskaya

The nonprofit is called Graphite Health, and it intends to build a standardized data platform for members as well as a marketplace that will feature accessible software and digital tools for health systems and patients.

Medtronic expands two Class I recalls of MiniMed insulin pumps, spanning nearly 500K devices

By Andrea Park

Years after initiating a pair of Class I recalls for various models of its MiniMed insulin pumps—one due to a faulty locking component and the other because of cybersecurity issues with a remote controller—Medtronic has expanded the safety alerts to include even more devices.

Lightship lures in $40M, Slope snags $20M for virtual, decentralized clinical trials

By Kyle LaHucik

Venture capital appears to love virtual clinical trials. Lightship and Slope add $40 million and $20 million, respectively, to the pile of hundreds of millions already bankrolling Medable, Science 37, Castor, ObvioHealth and a bevy of other virtual trial startups.

CMMI director hints at shift away from payment models for every episode of care, specialties

By Robert King

The head of CMMI shared that the center wants to largely move away from value-based care payment models that focus on specific episodes of care and specialty groups, opting instead for a more total cost of care approach.

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