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Today's Rundown

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President-elect Biden picks California attorney general to lead HHS

The president-elect also named a successor from Massachusetts General Hospital to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Pairing CRISPR with a smartphone camera, this COVID-19 test finds results in 30 minutes

Researchers in California aim to develop a new CRISPR-based test for COVID-19 that can be read anytime, anywhere, by turning a basic smartphone camera into a microscope capable of detecting the coronavirus’ genetic material.

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Pick the Commish: Voting begins on our likely, possible and longshot candidates for FDA chief

The FDA commissioner chosen by President-elect Joe Biden faces a uniquely challenging tenure from day one. Before Biden announces his selection, we'd like Fierce Pharma readers to weigh in on the best man or woman to serve as the nation’s next top drug regulator.

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UnitedHealth, Eli Lilly partner to study COVID-19 antibody drug

UnitedHealth Group and Eli Lilly are teaming up to further study the effects of the drugmaker's antibody therapy bamlanivimab in high-risk COVID-19 patients.

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FDA authorizes Quest's home test kit for the flu and COVID-19

While the seasonal flu is seeing lower activity than usual for this time of year in the U.S., daily counts of cases and deaths from COVID-19 are at an all-time high—and the FDA is continuing to prepare for the dangerous intersection of these two infectious diseases.

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Biopharma roundup: Biden names pick for HHS Secretary

Biden pegged California's Attorney General as his choice for HHS Secretary. The FDA OK'd its first at-home test for detecting COVID-19 and influenza. Qiagen launched a blood test to track T-cell activity. Californian researchers are plotting a CRISPR-based COVID test that works on a smartphone. And the U.K. will kick off its vaccination drive Tuesday.

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Healthcare roundup: Trump administration announces $523M incentive for nursing homes

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

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AbCellera, tapped by Lilly for its COVID-19 antibody therapy, sets IPO terms with $5B valuation

Canada’s speedy R&D engine AbCellera, now world-renowned for its tech producing the Eli Lilly COVID-19 drug authorized by the FDA, has set terms for a monster IPO.

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Finally, some good COVID-19 news: Survey finds many Americans adapting to realities of COVID-19

While the continued climb of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is pushing many Americans' resiliency to the limits, there are signs that some are adapting to the challenging circumstances, a new study from Cigna shows.

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Qiagen launches coronavirus T-cell test for long-term immunity research

Qiagen has launched a new COVID-19 blood test designed for researchers trying to uncover the intricacies of the body’s immune response to the novel coronavirus.

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