“You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.”
— William Wilberforce
Stephen Hahn, MD, who served as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from Dec. 17, 2019 through Jan. 20, 2021, has been hired by Flagship Pioneering Co.—the venture capital firm that launched biotechnology Moderna, Inc., maker of the experimental mRNA-1273 COVID-19 biologic currently being distributed in the United States under an emergency […]
Moderna, Inc. expects to generate $18.4 billion from sales of its experimental mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine being distributed in the U.S. under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) granted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This will be the first time that the U.S. based pharmaceutical company will make a profit since it was established in […]
Story Highlights On Nov. 9, 2020, Pfizer released preliminary Phase 3 clinical trial data indicating that its experimental mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is 90 percent effective, triggering a big surge in stock price. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla immediately sold 60 percent of his company stock, realizing a gain of $5.6 million in what the company called […]
In a poll conducted for CNN during Oct. 1-4, 2020, the Pennsylvania-based market research firm SSRS found that 51 percent of the 1,205 Americans surveyed said they would try to get a COVID-19 vaccine if it were widely available at a low cost, 45 percent said they would not and four percent had no opinion. Sixty […]
Story Highlights More adults in the U.S. are expressing doubts about the safety of a newly licensed COVID-19 vaccine that might become available this year. The number of poll respondents planning on getting a new coronavirus vaccine as soon as it is FDA approved has fallen from a reported high of 50 to 60 percent […]
Vaccines Europe, a pharmaceutical industry lobbying group, has issued a memo to its member companies saying it would seek liability protection from the European Union (EU) for corporations manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines. The memo, obtained by the Financial Times, expressed concern about the “inevitable risks” of rushing the development and global marketing of COVID-19 vaccines.1 2 3 […]
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. of East Hanover, New Jersey has agreed to pay $678 million to settle a civil fraud lawsuit in which the U.S. government accused the company of illegally providing doctors with cash payments and other gifts for prescribing their cardiovascular and diabetes drugs between 2002 and 2011.1 Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of […]
Story Highlights Human trials for a new COVID-19 immunotherapy candidate (SAB-185) that is derived from genetically engineered cow plasma will begin in July 2020. The cows have been genetically engineered to produce human antibodies to fight off COVID-19. Plasma from the cows is expected to assist COVID-19 patients overcome the infection. SAb Biotherapeutics (SAB), a […]
On Mar. 27, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to pharmaceutical and medical devices company Abbott Laboratories, Inc. of Abbott Park, Illinois for a rapid diagnostic test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus known as ID NOW.1 2 3 “We know how important it is to get point-of-care tests out […]
Drug shortages listed by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are exposing some of the ramifications of responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, including state lockdowns and social distancing regulations.1 Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride), an anti-depressant manufactured by Pfizer and its generic counterparts produced by other drug makers, have been added to the FDA’s list of […]