Recon: EU agencies recommend mix-and-match COVID vaccines; Biden touts drug pricing plans in social spending bill

• Biden touts drug pricing plan in push for social spending bill (Politico) (NYTimes)
• J&J squares up to Big Pharma rivals with extra RSV vaccine data (Fierce)
• Former Pharma Executive Charged With Embezzling Millions (AP)
• Flagship to launch a new startup focused on neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s (STAT)
• Targeting prices for accelerated approval drugs may have limited impact on overall drug spending (STAT)

• Doubts over efficacy of Chinese vaccines stoke anxiety at home and abroad (FT)
• New data shows GSK-Vir drug works against all Omicron mutations (Reuters)
• EU agencies endorse mix-and-match of COVID-19 vaccines (Reuters) (EMA)
• Mixing Pfizer, AstraZ COVID-19 shots with Moderna gives better immune response -UK study (Reuters)
• WHO advisory group looking at 'mix and match' COVID-19 vaccines (Reuters)
• Novavax COVID-19 vaccine could be approved very soon, says EMA chief (Reuters)
• GlaxoSmithKline, Medicago hit 75% efficacy against delta COVID strain, but omicron muddies waters (Fierce)
• AstraZeneca wagers $200M on Ionis' next chance at a rare disease drug (BioPharmaDive)
• EU may face shortage of key materials for diagnostics, cancer treatments (Reuters)
• Africa needs to make own vaccines but hurdles are high, experts say (Reuters)

• Vaccine mandates 'absolute last resort', WHO Europe head says (Reuters)
• An advocacy group seeks to broaden access to a Pfizer Covid-19 pill (STAT)
• FDA spots 26 tests where omicron detection requires further confirmation (Fierce)

• Robert Califf’s Chance To Make History At The US FDA (Pink Sheet)
• Recursion loops in Roche, Genentech for multibillion-dollar AI drug discovery deal (Fierce)
• US FDA Vaccination Rate Exceeds 96%, But Will It Lead To More In-Office Work? (Pink Sheet)
• Merck pauses 2 more trials of backbone HIV drug over red flag, raising doubts about multipronged R&D strategy (Fierce)
• A serial biotech entrepreneur launches his next startup with high-dollar backing (BioPharmaDive)
• Alvotech, battling AbbVie over its Humira biosim, raises $450M and tees up Nasdaq debut (Fierce)
• Acadia touts late-stage win for its Rett syndrome drug, edging out a lead against its competitors (Endpoints)
• Can a new European biotech make an ADC better than Padcev? Investors are putting up almost $100M to find out (Endpoints)
• 'We're in': Roche and Genentech join forces on a multibillion-dollar discovery pact with a brash AI upstart (Endpoints)
• Icelandic billionare's biosimilar company raises $450M, preps for Nasdaq launch with SPAC merger (Endpoints)

• Tandem Diabetes Care targets 1M customers by 2027 (MedtechDive)
• Cancer treatments lead latest FDA breakthrough device designations (MedtechDive)
• Insulet Omnipod 5 insulin pump clearance delayed to 2022: CEO (MedtechDive)
• Freenome one-ups itself with $300M from GV, Roche and more to expand cancer blood test platform (Fierce)

• Justices Told Fed. Circ. Wrongly Kills Patents PTAB Upholds (Law360)           
• OIG Still Wary Of Anti-Kickback Safe Harbors For Value-Based Arrangements Involving Drugs (Pink Sheet)