“You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.”
— William Wilberforce
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 […]
Story Highlights The FDA has reported its first drug shortage as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Many drug ingredients and finished drug products used in the U.S are sourced and manufactured in China. The possibility of potential drug shortages highlights the issue of how the U.S. is heavily reliant on China for […]
China’s National Medical Products Administration has announced that two Chinese pharmaceutical companies, Walvax Biotechnology and Innovax, have been approved to start selling their own version of drugs previously available only through global pharmaceutical giants Pfizer, Merck and GlaxoSmithKline.1 Cecolin, developed by Innovax, will compete in the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) arena against Merck’s Gardasil and […]
In July 2019, drug and French vaccine manufacturer Sanofi signed a deal with Roche Pharmaceuticals to obtain exclusive over-the-counter (OTC) rights for Tamiflu (oseltamivir), an antiviral drug licensed for the treatment of influenza infections. Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, currently sells Tamiflu in the United States only for prescription use.1 Tamiflu is a […]
A recent report by Fortune Business Insights projects the value of the world market for vaccines to reach $93.08 billion by 2026, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.7 percent during the forecast period.1 One of the main drivers of the vaccine market is the need for greater supplies of vaccines, given stricter government […]
Vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) of the United Kingdom has partnered with Viome, a gut microbiome test company in Seattle, Washington to better understand bacteria that live in the digestive tract and the role they play in the body’s immune system response.1 According to Emmanuel Hanon, senior vice president for research and development at GSK Vaccines, […]