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Today's Rundown

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On heels of U.S. pact, Johnson & Johnson strikes a double-size COVID vaccine deal with Europe

Just one week after inking a COVID-19 vaccine deal with the U.S. for 100 million doses, Johnson & Johnson reached a supply agreement twice that size with the European Union. In a pact unveiled Thursday, J&J agreed to supply the EU with 200 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine candidate—if the program succeeds in testing.

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Roadmap aims to help hospitals continue providing care amid surges of COVID-19 cases

Medical groups released a roadmap to help hospitals balance needed surgeries with combating surges of COVID-19 cases.

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Thermo Fisher’s $12.5B deal for Qiagen falls through, as COVID-19 test demand lights new path forward

While many companies have faltered under the spread of COVID-19, others may be doing a little too well for some tastes—with Qiagen’s investors turning down Thermo Fisher’s multibillion-dollar takeover proposal, following rocketing demand for its testing products.

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AstraZeneca, after prior issues with FluMist, ramps up production in response to pandemic

Ahead of a critical flu season, AstraZeneca is upping its manufacturing efforts to deliver more FluMist doses than previously anticipated, joining the top flu vaccine manufacturers in a push to deliver about 200 million doses.  

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Healthcare roundup: Kroger Health launches COVID-19 testing program for employers

Follow along with the latest COVID-19 news straight from the Fierce Healthcare team.

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Biopharma roundup: Novavax teams up with SK bioscience for shot antigen; J&J taps Biological E for Indian vaccine supply

SK bioscience will help Novavax churn out antigen for its shot hopeful. J&J enlisted Biological E to produce vaccine doses in India. Shot makers should expect around $40 billion in total profits, one analyst predicted. AstraZeneca is boosting FluMist production ahead of a flu season-COVID-19 double whammy. And Qiagen rebuffed Thermo Fisher's $12.5 billion buyout.

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Highmark’s Allegheny Health Network posts $116M in losses in first half of 2020 as volumes skid due to COVID-19 

After eleven straight quarters of reporting positive earnings, Highmark’s Allegheny Health Network saw million in losses in the first half of the year due to COVID-19. 

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AstraZeneca will work with Mexico, Argentina to produce COVID-19 vaccine doses

AstraZeneca's gung-ho effort to lock in national supply deals for its COVID-19 vaccine hopeful has paid off in recent weeks with a series of expensive agreements. Now, the British drugmaker will work with Mexico and Argentina to pump up supply to Latin American countries. 

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One Medical plans to move into North Carolina, Wisconsin amid Q2 membership jumps

One Medical plans to expand into North Carolina and Wisconsin as the primary care providers' membership grows during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's more on the company's financial performance in Q2.

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COVID-19 vaccine players will split $100B in sales and $40B in profits, with Moderna leading the way: analyst

Evercore ISI expects Moderna and Novavax to claim more than half of the market for COVID-19 vaccines, but the firm's predictions of how profitable their efforts will be are raising some eyebrows among investors. Factor in unknowns, like the number of doses needed for protection, and it becomes that much harder to place valuations on vaccine developers, they said.

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