Recon: China approves Sinovac vaccine for general public; Pfizer expects to speed vaccine production

• Pfizer expects to cut COVID-19 vaccine production time by close to 50% as production ramps up, efficiencies increase (USA Today) (Fierce)
• Fauci looking ahead to more vaccines in March, April (Politico)
• Virus Variant First Found in Britain Now Spreading Rapidly in US (NYTimes)
• White House says it is working to speed early production of J&J COVID-19 vaccine (Reuters)
• Biden’s vaccine ad campaign hits roadblock: Not enough doses (Politico)
• Dueling endorsements emerge for FDA commissioner: Woodcock or Sharfstein? (STAT) (Pink Sheet)
• States Pressure Drugmakers After McKinsey’s $600 Million Opioid Settlement (WSJ)
• FDA approves Bristol-Myers' gene therapy for white blood cell cancer (Reuters) (Endpoints)
• TG Therapeutics scores conditional FDA go-ahead for a drug it's pitching as a safer PI3K (Endpoints)

• Governments support AstraZeneca shot after South Africa halts roll-out (Reuters) (FT)
• South Africa looks to J&J vaccine after disappointing AstraZeneca data (Reuters)
• Germany talking to BioNTech about funding for vaccine capacity (Reuters)
• WTO is urged to ease trade rules so low-income countries can access drugs and vaccines (STAT)
• COVAX bottlenecks need to be urgently addressed, U.N. agency says (Reuters)
• Vaccine diplomacy: India seeks to rival China with broad shipments (Reuters)
• China approves Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccine for general public use (Reuters 1, 2)
• Italian DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate could start clinical trials in March – developer (Reuters)
• New Ebola Outbreak Threatens in Congo (NYTimes) (The Hill)
• International regulators working together to enhance collaboration on COVID-19 observational research (EMAv)

• Biden says challenging for U.S. to reach herd immunity by summer's end (Reuters)
• Biden administration deploys more than 1,000 active-duty troops to aid vaccination efforts (Politico)
• White House Is Lining Up 6 More Contracts To Boost At-Home Coronavirus Tests (NPR)
• FDA alerts health care professionals and compounders of potential risks associated with the compounding of remdesivir drug products (FDA)
• Russian Campaign Promotes Homegrown Vaccine and Undercuts Rivals (NYTimes)
• CanSino vaccine seeks emergency approval in Mexico: foreign minister (Reuters)
• Pfizer applies to register COVID-19 vaccine in Brazil (Reuters)
• Brazil drugmaker seeks contract, regulatory OK for Russian vaccine next week (Reuters)
• Relief Therapeutics says data from COVID drug trial to emerge this month (Reuters)
• Italy's regulator approves conditional use of COVID-19 antibody therapies (Reuters)
• Czech health ministry recommends use of Lilly and Regeneron COVID-19 antibody therapies (Reuters)
• U.S. lawmakers say Trump appointees interfered with COVID-19 testing guidance (Reuters)
• Texas Republican first in U.S. Congress to die from COVID-19 (Reuters)
• CanSinoBIO's COVID-19 vaccine 65.7% effective in global trials, Pakistan official says (Reuters)
• A 'home-grown' Covid-19 vaccine deal is near, says Biovac CEO (Sunday Times)

• How a scientific journal’s ‘grotesque overreaction’ inflamed the contentious debate over Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug (STAT)
• FDA blasts Keytruda data for new breast cancer indication as ‘questionable, immature, and unreliable’ (STAT) (Pink Sheet)
• WHO announces updated critical concentrations for susceptibility testing to rifampicin (WHO)
• Freeline Therapeutics slams the brakes on gene therapy trial plans as FDA seeks more clarity on manufacturing (Endpoints)
• Seqens majority owner looking to sell API maker amid record-high run in healthcare valuations: report (Endpoints)
• Editas names new CEO in latest executive shakeup (BioPharmaDive)
• Regeneron stumbles in PhI Libtayo combo study as safety concerns force suspension (Endpoints)
• Jasper's cell therapy conditioning agent shows promise in small study; ViiV's Rukobia sees approval in Europe (Endpoints)
• A synthetic lethality player emerges in China, armed with lessons on undruggable oncogene from Nobel laureate's lab (Endpoints)
• Two years after investor panic, Avrobio touts 100% response as they look to chart a path toward approval (Endpoints)
• Deerfield and Dana-Farber forge closer ties to launch a new translational cancer research engine (Endpoints)
• 'Can't say no': Kite Pharma taps Frank Neumann as new head of clinical development (Endpoints)
• Ex-Biogen CEO Jim Mullen steps back to the helm of a biotech, and once again he has a critical challenge to confront (Endpoints)
• Novartis receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy designations for investigational STAMP inhibitor asciminib (ABL001) in chronic myeloid leukemia (Press)
• FDA grants Breakthrough Device Designation for Roche's Elecsys Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF-15) assay to help identify patients suitable for innovative treatment addressing unintentional weight loss in cancer patients (Press)

• Medtech earnings season continues to show COVID-19 uncertainty (MedtechDive)
• Zimmer takes electives hit in Q4, to spin off spine, dental units (MedtechDive)
• FDA OKs Signifier neurostim device for snoring, sleep apnea (MedtechDivev) (FDA)
• Orthopedic therapy developer Bioventus returns with 2nd IPO, totaling $125M (Fierce)
• GE Healthcare hands off molecular breast imaging assets to newcomer SmartBreast (Fierce)
• Hologic taps Google Cloud for AI-driven cervical cancer screening collaboration (Fierce)
• Medicare DME competitive bidding in doubt after failed round: analysts (MedtechDive)
• QA/RA Outlook 2021: 4 Hotspots To Watch, From ‘Hybrid’ US FDA Inspections To QSR Harmonization (MedtechInsight)

• Wyden to wield new power on health care, taxes with committee gavel (The Hill)
• Republicans seek to pin California’s Covid-19 problem on Biden’s HHS pick (Politico)
• Former Galena chief Mark Ahn back in hot water as DOJ levels insider trading charges for consultant work (Endpoints)
• 9th Circ. Won't Revive Breast Implant Suits Against J&J Unit (Law360)
• J&J Wins Settlement In Counterfeit Device Row (Law360)
• 5th Circ. Won't Revive Claims Tying Generic Drugs To Disease (Law360)
• Astellas Gets Scientists Cut From Stem Cell Patent After Trial (Law360)