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Today's Rundown

The 22 most influential people in the fight against COVID-19
CVS' Merlo: Pharmacists can play a key role in easing patients' COVID-19 vaccine fears
FDA won't require manufacturing inspections for emergency COVID-19 vaccine use: Bloomberg
Sorry, Santa Claus: HHS nixes vaccine-for-promos deal, sidelining North Pole influencers
Trump admin updates reporting requirements, grows eligibility for provider relief funds
Biopharma roundup: Emergency vaccine nod could scupper ongoing trials; FDA waives site inspections for vaccine OKs
Healthcare roundup: UnitedHealth sending out flu season kits to MA members
British pharmacy chain sells LumiraDx 12-minute COVID test for consumer use in those without symptoms
Insurers taking 'wait and see' approach to COVID-19 in 2021 ACA exchange rates: experts
Sanofi, SK flu shots halted in Singapore as South Korea post-vaccination deaths climb to 59
Helix grabs boosted FDA emergency usage for COVID-19 test, can seek out asymptomatic carriers
Celltrion nabs emergency use for rapid COVID-19 test from FDA
FiercePharmaPolitics—WH chief of staff Meadows says U.S. can't 'control' COVID, but will focus on drugs and vaccines

Featured Story

The 22 most influential people in the fight against COVID-19

By Eric Sagonowsky

For the pharma world, the pandemic has been a crisis with a purpose. Scientists, regulators, biotech companies and drugmakers large and small have taken center stage as they hunt for drugs, vaccines, diagnostic tests and other aids in halting the pandemic. We've chosen 22 of the people who hold our COVID-19 future in their hands.

CVS' Merlo: Pharmacists can play a key role in easing patients' COVID-19 vaccine fears

By Paige Minemyer

With large numbers of Americans skeptical of a COVID-19 vaccine, CVS views its pharmacists as playing a key role in assuaging fears, CEO Larry Merlo said Friday.

FDA won't require manufacturing inspections for emergency COVID-19 vaccine use: Bloomberg

By Eric Sagonowsky

As the leading COVID-19 vaccines move closer to potential emergency use, the research and regulatory processes have been intensely scrutinized. But there’s one area that hasn’t seen as much attention so far—manufacturing facility inspections.

Sorry, Santa Claus: HHS nixes vaccine-for-promos deal, sidelining North Pole influencers

By Beth Snyder Bulik

Official Santa stand-ins had been set to participate in the HHS' $250 million pandemic advertising campaign, in exchange for early access to a COVID-19 vaccine, The Wall Street Journal reported. But the agency's deal with the jolly old elf—and Mrs. Claus and the elves, too—collapsed like a snowman in the sun.

Trump admin updates reporting requirements, grows eligibility for provider relief funds

By Paige Minemyer

The Trump administration has updated its reporting requirements for COVID-19 provider relief funds following pushback.

Biopharma roundup: Emergency vaccine nod could scupper ongoing trials; FDA waives site inspections for vaccine OKs

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

If the FDA allows emergency use of a vaccine, that could pose challenges for ongoing vaccine trials, experts warned. The agency won't require pre-approval vaccine manufacturing inspections. Diagnostics maker Helix grabbed an expanded OK to offer unsupervised, self-collection of samples and asymptomatic screening.

Healthcare roundup: UnitedHealth sending out flu season kits to MA members

By Healthcare Staff

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

British pharmacy chain sells LumiraDx 12-minute COVID test for consumer use in those without symptoms

By Ben Adams

Testing company LumiraDx is selling its pandemic virus rapid test across the U.K. targeting individuals without any COVID-19 symptoms.

Insurers taking 'wait and see' approach to COVID-19 in 2021 ACA exchange rates: experts

By Robert King

Most insurers on the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges aren’t factoring COVID-19 into their 2021 rates or believe the pandemic will have a negligible effect, according to several experts.

Sanofi, SK flu shots halted in Singapore as South Korea post-vaccination deaths climb to 59

By Angus Liu

Deaths after flu vaccination keep rising in South Korea. But as health authorities there work to calm concerned citizens by refuting a connection between the two, Singapore has taken the precautionary measure of suspending two of the vaccines given to people who later died.

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