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Today's Rundown

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As Pfizer's first COVID-19 vaccine doses roll across the U.S., analysts size up the hurdles ahead

After a “historically eventful” few days for Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 shot, a massive immunization program kicked off Monday. What's next in the worldwide vaccine effort? Persuading reluctant recipients, handling supply challenges and bringing follow-up shots from Moderna, AstraZeneca, J&J and more to market.

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Top Stories

It's official: Pfizer, BioNTech COVID-19 shot grabs emergency FDA nod, clearing way for first U.S. vaccinations

That was fast. Just over 24 hours after an FDA advisory panel recommended emergency use of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, the agency responded, making the candidate the first pandemic shot to score emergency use authorization in the U.S.

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CureVac starts late-phase clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine

CureVac has begun a phase 2b/3 clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate CVnCoV. The study will enroll 36,500 participants in Europe and Latin America with a view to generating data to support approval of the mRNA vaccine next year.

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Optum: Why COVID-19 could significantly change the drug development pipeline

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were fears it could hinder drug development. However, those concerns didn't prove to be entirely founded; although clinical trials did slow, they didn't stop, a new report from Optum shows.

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With Pfizer shot spoken for, U.S. snaps up 100M more Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses

The U.S. government snapped up 100 million more doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, boosting supplies ahead of a potential FDA authorization later this week—and after officials struck out in procuring additional shots from Pfizer before next summer. The mRNA specialist plans to deliver all 200 million doses now pledged to the U.S. by the second quarter of next year.

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Moody's: Not-for-profit hospitals face major cash constraints, negative outlook for 2021

Hospitals are likely to face major cash constraints next year such as higher expenses and lower patient volumes, a new report from Moody's finds.

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HHS rolls $250M ad campaign with Fauci, science focus front and center

The nation's top infectious disease expert and leading scientific voice during the pandemic, Anthony Fauci, stars in the first phase of the government’s $250 million campaign to build public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine. The "Tell Me More" digital video campaign is the first rollout of the delayed and restarted HHS effort bid out in September.

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Hospitals in New York, Michigan and Massachusetts among the first to receive COVID-19 vaccines

Boxes of the first COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer were expected at distribution sites starting Monday.

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Healthcare roundup: Feds lay out plan for distributing Moderna vaccine

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

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Biopharma roundup: Moderna sells 100M more vaccine doses to U.S.; With Pfizer OK locked down, analysts warn of pandemic hurdles ahead

The U.S. purchased an additional 100 million vaccine doses from Moderna. Pfizer's vaccine authorization won't resolve a number of U.S. immunization hurdles ahead, analysts wrote. Eli Lilly's Olumiant plus Veklury seems to work better in hospitalized COVID patients than Veklury alone. Plus, Eureka's antibody nasal spray protected mice against the virus.

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COVID-19 nasal spray from Eureka Therapeutics protects mice against infection

The respiratory airway, as the primary entry point of the novel coronavirus, could be a good target for delivery of drugs that aim to protect people against the disease. An antibody nasal spray designed by Eureka Therapeutics protected mice against the virus for at least 10 hours, even at the lowest concentrations tested.

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Oura study shows its smart ring can detect the earliest fevers linked to COVID-19

A proof-of-concept study funded by smart ring maker Oura found its finger-worn sensor could reliably detect an oncoming fever before a person feels it set in.

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Novacyt develops new tests for COVID-19, bird flu, launches pandemic mink strain test

Parisian diagnostics company Novacyt, which like so many other pandemic med tech firms has seen its shares jump this year, is working on a series of new tests for COVID-19 and bird flu.

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