To view this email as a web page, click here

   Home

Subscribe

Advertise

 

 

 

 

April 23, 2020___

Today's Rundown

Featured Story

Did Gilead's remdesivir flop a Chinese trial? Analysts beg to differ

The World Health Organization accidentally revealed data from a study in China showing that the treatment neither improved patients’ condition nor tamped down on the amount of virus in their blood, Financial Times reported, calling the trial a “flop.” But was it really a flop?

Top Stories

Ex-BARDA chief decries science taking back seat to politics, demands investigation into Trump administration

Ex-BARDA chief Rick Bright has launched an astonishing attack against “politics and cronyism” days after being kicked out of the agency leading the government’s push for a COVID-19 vaccine.

One COVID-19 opportunity for pharma? A chance to bolster its reputation, Lilly CEO says

Pharma companies are a popular target for politicians, activists and critics in general. But with the world in dire need of COVID-19 drugs and vaccines, the industry has a "once in a generation" opportunity to revamp its reputation, Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks said Thursday.

Farzad Mostashari talks COVID recovery: 'It's not a light switch you turn on or off'

FierceHealthcare spoke with Farzad Mostashari, M.D., a physician, entrepreneur, and former infectious disease epidemiologist, about the current health crisis, how it's impacting physician practices and the Trump administration's recent guidelines to reopen the country.

AstraZeneca's fast-rising diabetes med Farxiga jumps into the COVID-19 fray

AstraZeneca's high-profile SGLT2 diabetes med Farxiga is looking at a bright future with big FDA decisions in heart failure and kidney disease right around the corner. Now, the British drugmaker is testing it as a potential coronavirus therapy, too.

Healthcare roundup: White House to release telehealth toolkit for states; Cuomo announces major contact tracing program

FierceHealthcare's ongoing coverage of how the coronavirus is impacting the healthcare industry.

Biopharma roundup: Gilead's remdesivir reportedly flops first COVID-19 trial; Could a crisis redeem pharma's rep?

Gilead Sciences' remdesivir reportedly flopped its first randomized trial to treat patients with severe COVID-19, but the drugmaker said the results were mischaracterized and that the trial ended earlier due to enrollment shortages. 

Half of physicians now using telehealth as COVID-19 changes practice operations

Close to half of doctors are now using telehealth to treat patients as the COVID-19 pandemic changes how physicians deliver care. That's up from 18% in 2018. Find out how the current health crisis is changing practice patterns.

Humana, NQF argue COVID-19 spotlights need for population health evolution

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting a spotlight on why it’s critical for population-based models to consider the impacts of patients’ social needs, experts say.  

Medtronic details COVID-19 impacts, with 60% drop in U.S. sales

As hospitals redirect resources toward COVID-19 and patients put off less-urgent medical procedures and trips to the doctor, Medtronic has seen serious impacts on its bottom line—including a 60% drop in weekly revenue from the U.S., where the medtech giant does most of its business.

Scientists explore using CAR-T and other engineered immune cells to target COVID-19

CAR-T and TCR-T therapies that involve engineering a patient’s own immune cells with antigen-specific receptors have revolutionized blood cancer treatment. Now, scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School are exploring the possibility of turning the approach against COVID-19.

COVID-19 drained 8% of market value from Big Pharma in Q1, but Gilead and Regeneron soared: report

As the COVID-19 pandemic trounced markets around the world, most of biopharma's biggest companies saw their market capitalizations fall in the first quarter. There were a few exceptions, including Gilead, Regeneron and Roche, all of which gained on a combination of COVID-19 innovations and strength in their core businesses.

BCBSA to Congress: Bring back COBRA subsidies

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has outlined its list of demands for Congress’ next package targeting the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Sanofi CEO Hudson continues crusade for European pandemic muscle

Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson would like to forge BARDA-like projects on Sanofi's home continent—but Europe has no BARDA equivalent to fund R&D or help scale up manufacturing. And he's calling on authorities there to set one up, stat.

Icon to slash costs amid pandemic as 65% of its trial sites disrupted by COVID-19

As CROs report their first-quarter financials, Icon has issued some grim warnings about how much COVID-19 and the resultant lockdowns are hitting its business.