Google Joins the Pharmaceutical Industry
Story Highlights Google, the world’s most widely used internet search engine, restructured itself to give semi-independence to its many subsidiary organizations under a new umbrella entity called Alphabet. Two of the divisions are focused on the business of medicine and operate in partnership with some of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies that develop and […]
MMR Vaccine Sales Boost Merck’s 2019 Revenues
After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publicized measles outbreaks in several states beginning in January 2019, on May 1 Merck & Co. announced that it had increased production of its live attenuated (weakened) virus MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine in response to an increasing demand for the product in the United States. […]
Lyme Disease Vaccines: Past and Future
Story Highlights A new Lyme disease vaccine candidate approved by the FDA using the fast track process is currently in its second phase of clinical trials. In 1998, the FDA granted licensure for a Lyme disease vaccine called LYMErix. Following reports of severe adverse reactions to LYMErix, GlaxoSmithKline (formerly SmithKline Beecham) withdrew the vaccine from […]
Former FDA Commissioner Gottlieb Joins Pfizer
Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD has joined the board of directors of Pfizer, Inc.—the world’s largest pharmaceutical company and second largest manufacturer of vaccines. Pfizer, which posted total revenues of $53.7 billion in 2018, announced Dr. Gottlieb’s election to the board on June 27, 2019.1 2 3 4 Dr. Gottlieb, […]
HPV Vaccine Mandated for All 10-Year-Old Girls in Costa Rica
In October 2017, the government of Costa Rica added the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to the country’s national vaccination program. The decision to do so was based on the recommendation of the Costa Rican Ministry of Health’s National Commission on Vaccination and Epidemiology (CNVE), which is the Costa Rican government’s equivalent of the U.S. Centers […]