Recon: France, Italy and Belgium halt hydroxychloroquine use for COVID-19; Novavax buys Praha vaccines for $167M to boost capacity

• Fauci: Hydroxychloroquine not effective against coronavirus (Politico)
• Moderna execs have cashed out $89M in shares this year, as stock soared on vaccine hopes (STAT)
• Trump administration to take action to cap insulin costs for seniors (Washington Post) (STAT) (NPR)
• Quest Diagnostics launches coronavirus testing for employees returning to work (Reuters)
• Novavax aims at make one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses after buying plant (Reuters)
• Big Pharmacy Chains Also Fed the Opioid Epidemic, Court Filing Says (NYTimes)
• Venture capital found its footing in biotech. Then came the virus. (BioPharmaDive)
• Experts push for a ‘seal of approval’ to improve the quality of medicines (STAT)
• Questions about COVID-19 test accuracy raised across the testing spectrum (NBC)
• Finding, and Curing, Cancers May Be Another Casualty of Coronavirus (NYTimes)
• Gilead pens $2B Arcus pact for immuno-oncology targets of the past and future (Fierce) (Endpoints)  (Press)

• A pharma effort to work with European officials to develop needed drugs is a ‘failure’ (STAT)
• WHO expects hydroxychloroquine safety findings by mid-June (Reuters)
• France, Italy, Belgium act to stop use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 on safety fears (Reuters)
• Drug wars: how AstraZeneca overtook GSK in UK pharma (Financial Times)
• Roche, Novartis highlight intensifying rivalry in eye disease, MS (Reuters)
• French consortium steps up plans for saliva-based COVID-19 screening test (Reuters)
• Antibody drug tech firm AbCellera raises $105 million as it works on COVID-19 (Reuters) (Endpoints)
• Sanofi CEO has $23B burning a hole in his pocket. Here are some hints on how he plans to spend it (Endpoints)
• Vertex angers UK CF patients with a delay in submitting data for its newest therapy (STAT)
• NICE approves Roche’s Tecentriq in TNBC after revising deal (PMLive)
• NICE issues final guidance on NHS use of Bayer's Vitrakvi (PharmaTimes)

• He experienced a severe reaction to Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate. He’s still a believer (STAT)
• Coronavirus Vaccine Update, May 26 (In The Pipeline)
• COVID-19 vaccine development (GAO)
• Experts decry FDA’s halting of a high-profile Covid-19 study over approvals (STAT)
• To Fight Covid-19, Don’t Neglect Immunity and Inflammation (NYTimes)
• After shortages, Britain opens new protective equipment supply lines (Reuters)
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup May 26, 2020 (FDA)

• The Steps Drug Makers Must Take Now To Avoid A Post-COVID-19 Manufacturing Crisis (Pink Sheet)
• COVID-19 Will Have Long Lasting Impact on Biopharma Manufacturing (GEN)
• In latest cancer deal, Bristol Myers Squibb's new BD chief bets $65M in search for more targets like PARP (Endpoints)
• For a post-Soliris world, Atlas-backed Q32 Bio outlines $46M next-gen complement play (Endpoints)
• CRISPR: A New Break in the GPCR Drug Development Pipeline (GEN)
• Dupixent clears PhIII trial in new disease as blockbuster looks to expand past Regeneron-Sanofi split (Endpoints)
• GSK adds to its trove of positive data for multiple myeloma contender as rivals continue to command the spotlight (Endpoints)
• GSK's asthma drug Nucala gets speedy review for rare blood disorder (Endpoints)
• Bristol Myers Squibb finally gets in the frontline NSCLC game dominated by Merck, adding a second Opdivo/Yervoy-based option (Endpoints)
• Financial Transparency and Efficiency of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, Biosimilar User Fee Act, and Generic Drug User Fee Amendments; Public Meeting (FDA)
• Novartis Kisqali® shows overall survival benefit in HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer with consistent findings in patients with more aggressive disease (Press)
• Bristol Myers Squibb Receives European Commission Approval for Zeposia (ozanimod) for the Treatment of Adult Patients with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis with Active Disease (Press)

• FDA Breakthrough Devices Program nears 300 designations (MedtechDive)
• AstraZeneca spins up new partnership with Propeller Health to add smart features to its Symbicort inhaler (Fierce)

• Suit Over 'Illegal' CBD Products Paused To Await FDA Rules (Law360)
• HHS watchdog vows independence amid Trump actions (Politico)
• Democratic Congressman Calls for Probe Into Former White House Official’s $3 Million Mask Deal (ProPublica)
• Ex-biotech chief pleads guilty in college admissions scandal, faces a 10-month prison stretch in plea deal (Endpoints)
• Patent Owners Would Get Better Shot At Quashing IPR Petitions Under USPTO Rule (Pink Sheet)
• Recent Developments in Humira (adalimumab) Antitrust Suit (Big Molecule Watch)
• Ninth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Breast Implant Manufacturing Defect Claim (Drug & Device Law)
• Mallinckrodt Wants More Cuts To Seizure Drug Price Suit (Law360)
• Shkreli, Vyera Look To Duck Monopolization Claims (Law360)
• High Court Won't Review GE, Teva Patent Appeals (Law360)
• Drug Cos. Seek To Exit Chicago Opioid Case (Law360)
• Pfizer, Mylan Can't Quickly Appeal EpiPen RICO Class Cert (Law360)