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Today's Rundown

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Pfizer, Moderna urge calm as they launch tests of vaccines against mutated COVID-19

Pfizer and Moderna are launching new studies designed to prove their mRNA-based shots will fend off the new coronavirus strain that recently emerged in the U.K., while simultaneously expressing confidence this new vaccine technology is ideal for protecting against rapidly mutating viruses.

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Lyft, Anthem, JPMorgan team to provide transportation to COVID-19 vaccinations

Lyft has launched a nationwide campaign that aims to ensure people can access COVID-19 vaccines.

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'We will not return to the old ways of working': Drugmakers weigh in on returning to work, post-COVID-19 life

As COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out in different parts of the world, perhaps it’s finally time to talk about life after the pandemic. But biopharma companies believe it’s too early to put a specific timeline on turning that page now—or ever, at least in terms of how business is conducted.

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Love 'em or hate 'em, virtual medical meetings are here to stay—even after live ones return

If you didn’t fall in love with virtual medical meetings in 2020, let’s just say you’re not alone. But while the industry is eager to get back to live conferences, some aspects of the virtual experience will follow us into 2021 and beyond—even after in-person meetings resume.

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COVID-19 vaccine rollouts: What's next for Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA shots, and which vaccines might come next?

It’s been a tough year for humanity, but, with COVID-19 vaccines rolling out, 2021 might look significantly different. That'll all depend on how the launches go, of course, but with multiple shots already shipping—and more in various stages of testing—there's reason to finally be optimistic.

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Some doctors are Zooming with improv actors to get better at delivering bad news. Here's why

Telling a patient she has cancer over Zoom is not ideal, but it's becoming the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic. Turns out, most doctors aren't good at delivering bad news via telehealth. A new training program uses improv actors to help docs convey compassion to patients, even when they are miles apart.

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After 2020, telehealth use accelerates from 'digital PPE' toward mainstream care

The promise of a digital revolution in healthcare has been described as “just a few years away” for the better part of a decade, but the spread of COVID-19 in 2020 has spurred that transformation’s slow trot into a full gallop.

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Looking ahead to 2021: Hope for life beyond COVID-19 but shaped by the pandemic

The global pandemic has put the spotlight on the life science industry, and, for the most part, it has stood up to the intensity of its glare.

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From COVID-19 to retail health: Fierce Healthcare's biggest stories of 2020

Here's a look at some of the topics that made headlines this year.

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COVID-19 tracker: BioNTech CEO confident in vaccine against new variant; U.S. to study Pfizer shot reactions

The emergence of a new coronavirus variant in England has triggered travel restrictions and fresh fears worldwide, but BioNTech's CEO said the company's vaccine should work against the new strain. Plus, U.S. officials plan to investigate reactions to the shot.

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Targeted delivery, oral vaccines and mRNA 2.0: The next generation of drugs and prophylactics in the fight against COVID-19

As the chapter closes on the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, drugmakers are hard at work bolstering the defenses mounted in 2020—and they're looking at new formulations and delivery methods to bring vaccines and therapies to more people around the world.

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Up for FDA review? Don't hold your breath if COVID-19 continues to delay site inspections

Bringing a therapy to market requires years in the clinic and reams of cash. But when push comes to shove, a drug's commercial hopes must eventually pass the FDA's withering eye—and those inspections aren't happening fast enough for agency approvals to come in on time. Even worse, the backlog could continue to grow.

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