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Today's Rundown

Pfizer now expects COVID vaccine sales to reach $33.5B this year, a whopping $7.5B bump from its estimate 3 months ago
Humana execs: COVID represents a $600M headwind this year
Moderna and Novavax grapple with COVID-19 vaccine supply hiccups overseas: reports
CDC brings back mask recommendation for vaccinated people in areas with high COVID-19 spread
COVID-19 tracker: Pfizer doubles down on need for booster shots; Biden to require vaccines for federal workers
'New GSK' shows strength amid investor pressure, but Shingrix still needs to regain its footing
Deep Genomics scores $180M to deliver AI-programmed RNA therapies
Pfizer dumps mid-phase NASH prospect, slew of early efforts in Q2 clear-out

Featured Story

Pfizer now expects COVID vaccine sales to reach $33.5B this year, a whopping $7.5B bump from its estimate 3 months ago

By Kevin Dunleavy

In its second quarter earnings report, Pfizer bumped it estimate for 2021 sales of its BioNTech-partnered COVID-19 vaccine up to $33.5 billion, an increase of $7.5 billion from its first-quarter estimate.

Humana execs: COVID represents a $600M headwind this year

By Paige Minemyer

Humana brought in $588 million in profit for the second quarter of 2021, down 67.8% from its haul in the prior-year quarter.

Moderna and Novavax grapple with COVID-19 vaccine supply hiccups overseas: reports

By Fraiser Kansteiner

Moderna will delay some overseas vaccine shipments after its ex-U.S. production partners were hit with manufacturing lab issues, a company spokesperson said. Separately, 51 million Novavax doses bound for Australia in the back half of the year are now expected to ship in 2022, The Guardian reports.

CDC brings back mask recommendation for vaccinated people in areas with high COVID-19 spread

By Robert King

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance on Tuesday to reflect the new data and increasing spread of the more transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19.

COVID-19 tracker: Pfizer doubles down on need for booster shots; Biden to require vaccines for federal workers

By Noah Higgins-Dunn,Kevin Dunleavy,Fraiser Kansteiner

Pfizer and partner BioNTech are doubling down on their argument that an extra COVID-19 booster shot is needed, citing new research. President Joe Biden is set to require all federal employees to get vaccinated or face strict testing rules, NBC News reports. And more headlines.

'New GSK' shows strength amid investor pressure, but Shingrix still needs to regain its footing

By Fraiser Kansteiner

As activist investor Elliott Management turns up the heat on GlaxoSmithKline, CEO Emma Walmsley’s new vision for the company is showing strength. But while Glaxo’s vaccines business does gangbusters overall, its crown jewel Shingrix has yet to hit its stride.

Deep Genomics scores $180M to deliver AI-programmed RNA therapies

By Conor Hale

With the performance of COVID-19 vaccines making RNA-based medicines a household name, Deep Genomics is reaping some of the buzz—as well as $180 million in new funding for its efforts.

Pfizer dumps mid-phase NASH prospect, slew of early efforts in Q2 clear-out

By Nick Paul Taylor

Pfizer has removed a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) liver disease prospect from its pipeline after wrapping up a phase 2 clinical trial. The ketohexokinase inhibitor PF-06835919 is the latest in a series of NASH prospects that Pfizer has culled from its clinical pipeline.

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