CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield told a Senate panel today that the federal government should have enough coronavirus vaccine for Americans to resume “regular life” by the third quarter of 2021, according to a report by CNBC. Redfield said vaccinations could begin November or December of 2020 and that it could take 6 to 9…
Drug companies agree not to release COVID-19 vaccine until it’s ready
Executives from nine different drug companies today announced a pledge to ensure safety with a potential COVID-19 vaccine. The CEOs of AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN), BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX), GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Merck (NYSE:MRK), Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA), Novavax (NSDQ:NVAX), Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Sanofi (NYSE:SNY), all of whom are developing vaccine candidates, all signed the pledge, which vows to “uphold the integrity of the scientific process” as…
Nestlé to acquire peanut allergy drugmaker for $2.6B
Nestlé (VTX:NESN) announced today that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire food allergy treatment developer Aimmune Therapeutics (NSDQ:AIMT). Under the agreement, Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) would acquire Aimmune with a cash offer for $34.50 per share, totaling approximately $2.6 billion. The per-share price for Aimmune represents a 174% premium to the company’s closing share…
AstraZeneca denies it’s seeking an EUA for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate
AstraZeneca has denied news reports that it’s involved in talks with U.S. authorities about an emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The denial comes after recent news reports claiming the Trump administration is eyeing a plan to fast-track the vaccine candidate, AZD1222, before the Nov. 3 presidential election. “AstraZeneca has not discussed emergency…
European initiative launched to develop COVID-19 treatment
The Corona Accelerated R&D in Europe (CARE) consortium today announced its launch to accelerate the development of COVID-19 treatments. Supported by the Innovative Medicines Initiative, the new consortium has collected $92.7 million (€77.7 million) in grant funding in an effort to conduct a 5-year project, bringing together 37 partners from Belgium, China, Denmark, France, Germany,…
Novartis, Alexion charged with FPCA violations
Novartis (NYSE:NVS) and Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:ALXN) were charged with violations of the books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that the pharmaceutical companies both committed violations and both agreed to pay millions of dollars to settle the charges. Novartis settled to…
Respira Technologies seeks drug candidates for its nebulizer
Respira Technologies (West Hollywood, Calif.) announced the launch of a pharmaceutical-focused commercial development program for its RespiRx drug-delivery device platform. RespiRx is a portable, handheld vibrating mesh nebulizer designed for local and systemic treatment and can operate in any position held by the patient. Current-generation nebulizers are gravity-fed, which limits usage and can lead to…
FDA clears Propeller Health sensor to work with Symbocort inhaler
Propeller Health announced that it received FDA 510(k) clearance for connecting patients using its Symbicort Inhaler to its digital health platform. The Madison, Wis.-based company’s digital health platform already connects to inhalers used by asthma and COPD patients, including ones manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Orion, along with other generic equivalents. Propeller sensors…
Fountain secures $6m to fund anti-aging research
Fountain Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company building a pipeline of therapeutics to treat age-related diseases by reversing cellular age, closed on an additional $6 million in a Series A, bringing its total to $11 million. Khosla Ventures led the round that drew capital from Nan Fung Life Sciences, the provider of initial $5 million in 2018.…
Phlow lands $354m government contract for COVID-19 medications
Phlow announced today that it received $354 million in U.S. government funding to manufacture essential medicines at risk of shortage, including those involved in the COVID-19 pandemic response. Richmond, Va.-based Phlow’s manufacturing is being funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the office of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response…
Johnson & Johnson pharma booms, medtech sinks in COVID-19-affected Q1
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) shares dipped today despite first-quarter results that topped the consensus forecast. The New Brunswick, N.J.-based company posted profits of $5.8 billion, or $2.17 per share, on sales of $20.7 billion for the three months ended March 29, 2020, for a 54.6% bottom-line gain on sales growth of 3.3%. Get the full story…
Clara Health, tech leaders form COVID-19 clinical trial initiative
Clara Health, a company connecting patients to clinical trials, is partnering with two Silicon Valley tech leaders to create a free public health initiative that connects people with clinical trials targeting COVID-19. World Without COVID will help COVID-19-positive and -negative people find trials testing new diagnostics, treatments and vaccine discovery. Raj Kapoor, chief strategy officer…
Vascular Therapies closes $17.3m financing
Vascular Therapies announced that it closed an upsized private funding round worth more than $17 million with contributions from new and existing investors. The Cresskill, N.J.–based clinical-stage biopharma company originally targeted $15 million for the financing, but finished with a total of $17.3 million raised. Get the full story at our sister site, MassDevice.
ASLS wins Frost & Sullivan bioprinting award
Advanced Solutions Life Sciences announced that it won the Frost & Sullivan 2019 Bioprinting Value Leadership Award for demonstrating best-in-class biofabrication, hardware, software and consulting services. Last month’s award highlights global consultancy firm Frost & Sullivan’s view that ASLS develops unique and cost-effective solutions to advance the development of life-saving drugs by way of 3D bioprinting,…
Dyve Biosciences hires new chief scientific officer
Transdermal drug therapy developer Dyve Biosciences announced that it appointed longtime Pfizer executive Chuck Harbert to the role of chief scientific officer. Harbert spent three decades at Pfizer, serving as the company’s VP of U.S. exploratory development and strategic planning, among other senior positions with Pfizer Central Research. He is the inventor and co-inventor of 35 pharmaceutical…
Drug or device? FDA loses this argument for now
This article has been updated with comments from an attorney for Genus Medical Technologies. A federal judge has temporarily blocked an attempt by the FDA to regulate a barium sulfate product ingested before imaging as a drug. The decision counts as at least a partial win for Genus Medical Technologies (St. Louis), maker of the Vanilla SilQ line of…
Propeller Health offers access to CVS, other pharmacies with Propeller app
Propeller Health announced today that users of its Propeller app are now able to access pharmacy services from CVS, Walmart, Kroger and Rite-Aid directly through that app. The Madison, Wis.–based company launched the app in January 2019, giving Walgreens patients the option to manage their asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medication regimen within the mobile app.…