With the construction starting for BioNTech’s new plant in Kigali, Rwanda, Africa is finally getting its first mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility. Lower- and middle-income nations have not received enough COVID-19 vaccines since they’ve become available, especially nations in Africa. This new […]
Enanta Sues Pfizer over Alleged Paxlovid Patent Infringement
Enanta Pharmaceuticals has filed a lawsuit against the pharma giant Pfizer over claims of patent infringement involving its COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid. The company claims Pfizer’s use of nirmatrelvir, a protease inhibor that makes up one half of Paxlovid, is in violation of several patents. Instead […]
14 Million May Lose Health Insurance When Public Health Emergency Ends
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 helped provide coverage to millions who lost their employer-provided health insurance during the pandemic. However, with the end of the public health emergency looming over the horizon, those citizens are set to lose the coverage provided by the […]
Pharma Facing Pressure to Renegotiate COVID-19 Vaccine Contracts with EU Govts
As the demand for COVID-19 vaccines dwindle in Europe, many EU nations’ governments look to renegotiate their vaccine deals with manufacturers to reduce the doses they will purchase in the upcoming months. Manufacturers have resisted such requests, with Pfizer describing a letter from […]
Breaking: US FDA Approves Moderna and Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccines for Children 5 and Under
The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) vaccine advisory committee (Adcomm) voted unanimously (21-0) to approve Moderna and Pfizer’s mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 and under. The anticipated approval was urged by many in the healthcare community due to the increasing numbers of […]
FDA Vocalizes Support for Moderna and Pfizer Vaccines for Children Under 5 One Day Before Advisory Committee
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has signalled support for authorizing the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of 5 just one day before the agency’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) is set to meet. The recommended authorization […]
Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Awaits FDA Review of Manufacturing Data
On Tuesday, outside experts at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted 21 – 0 to give emergency approval to Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine. Unlike every other approved COVID-19 vaccine, however, the company’s vaccine has yet to be formally approved by the agency two days later. The other […]
Call for Abstracts: Health Affairs Article Cluster: COVID-19 – Lessons For Public Health And Practice
Health Affairs is seeking submissions for its March 2023 journal focusing on the lessons that can be gleaned from changes public health policy and practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the journal requests papers examining the effect of public health policy through comparative […]
Emergent and J&J Butt Heads Over Breaches of Contract
On Monday, June 6th, Emergent BioSolutions informed Johnson & Johnson that it will owe $420 million if the company terminates their COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing contract. A representative from J&J contested these claims, stating that Emergent breached its end of the contract when it made […]
The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Systems
A recently posted preprint systematic review in medRxiv has assessed the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare systems and society worldwide. The researchers filtered over 10,000 papers, selecting 41 of them for economic analysis. Data from several countries and provinces showed […]
