Recon: Germany says it won’t delay second COVID vaccine dose; Alexion buys Rhythm PRV for $100M

• Studies to see if Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses can be halved may take two months (Reuters)
• So why is Alexion paying $100M for a PRV as AstraZeneca lines up their $39B buyout? (Endpoints) (Fierce)
• Walgreens Boots to Sell Pharmacy Wholesale Operation to AmerisourceBergen (WSJ)
• Trump administration speeds up plan to deliver Covid shots in pharmacies (Politico)
• CVS, Walgreens to administer COVID-19 vaccines at US nursing homes by Jan 25 (Reuters)
• States struggle for control of chaotic vaccine rollout (Politico)

• How the EU filled its basket in COVID-19 shopping spree (Reuters)
• Moderna COVID-19 vaccine gets the green light in Europe (Reuters)
• Europe prepares for Moderna vaccine rollout as fears grow over virus variants (Reuters)
• After EU approval, Britain's MHRA still assessing Moderna vaccine, says PM's spokesman (Reuters)
• Germany says does not intend to delay second COVID-19 vaccine shot (Reuters)
• Pizza-sized boxes and paying a premium: Israel's COVID-19 vaccine rollout (Reuters)
• EU may soon approve new use of Pfizer vaccine boosting doses by 20% -source (Reuters)
• AstraZeneca applies for emergency use for vaccine in Philippines (Reuters)

• A second coronavirus vaccine developed in India is set to enter phase three clinical trial ‘very, very soon’ (CNBC)
• China plays down WHO concern about delay in coronavirus team's trip (Reuters)
• Australia brings forward COVID-19 vaccine roll-out to early March (Reuters)
• Colombia regulator approves Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use (Reuters)
• Japan’s stagnant vaccine industry falls far behind in COVID-19 race (Asahi Shimbun)
• Criticism mounts over India's 'abrupt' approval of COVAXIN (Reuters)
• Ukrainian firm applies to make Russia's COVID-19 vaccine, sparking political dilemma (Reuters)
• Russia says Bolivia has registered Sputnik V vaccine (Reuters)
• EU should share vaccines with Balkan neighbours, 13 governments say (Reuters)

• CRISPR cures progeria in mice, raising hope for one-time therapy for a disease that causes rapid aging (STAT) (Science)
• US FDA Faces Succession Questions As Hahn’s Departure Nears (Pink Sheet)
• 2020 FDA drug approvals (Nature)
• 5 FDA approval decisions to watch in the 1st quarter (BioPharmaDive)
• Is The Opioid REMS Too Big To Study? (Pink Sheet)
• Growing Pains For US FDA Oversight Of Opioids: Starting Over On Assessment Of REMS (Pink Sheet)
• UK Tests Faster Ethics Review Of Non COVID-19 Trials (Pink Sheet)
• Takeda Closes Sales of 16 Non-Core Meds to Germany’s Cheplapharm (PharmaJapan)
• Allergy Therapeutics launches biomarker study of peanut allergy vaccine candidate (PharmaTimes)
• EU authorises intramuscular administration of Biogen’s Plegridy for MS (PharmaTimes)
• Biogen pushes further into gene therapy for the eye with new deal (BioPharmaDive)
• Genentech Launches $1B+ RNA Collaboration with Ribometrix (GEN)
• AstraZeneca's Farxiga gets rough FDA review date for groundbreaking move into chronic kidney disease (Endpoints)
• AbbVie eyes Humira matching move into psoriatic arthritis for immunology follow-up Skyrizi (Endpoints) (Fierce)
• Opdivo's in small cell lung cancer no more as Bristol Myers pulls out after trial failure (Fierce)
• Autolus buckles down, chopping 20% of staff and seeking partner for a lead CAR-T program (Endpoints)
• Imara attempts to spin weak data into an 'encouraging' result — but investors aren't having it (Endpoints)
• Roche isn’t done lining up new collaborations in the hot field of drugging RNA. Here’s one more (Endpoints)
• News briefing: Dewpoint scores another Big Pharma deal, this time with Pfizer; Kite joins forces with Oxford BioTherapeutics (Endpoints)
• With lessons learned from Vor, Siddhartha Mukherjee takes a different route to target solid tumors with startup Myeloid (Endpoints) (STAT)
• Tim Lu’s quest to break new cell therapy ground with gene circuits gets Bayer’s backing in a big new financing round (Endpoints) (BioPharmaDive)
• After an up-and-down year, Nektar watches development head Wei Lin walk away as it pursues pipeline rebound (Endpoints)

• Stryker acquires digital knee replacement developer OrthoSensor (Fierce)
• FDA Finalizes Guidance On Role Of Mouse Embryos In ART Device Toxicity Testing (MedtechInsight)
• Hologic's M&A march continues with $230M Biotheranostics deal (Fierce)
• Lobbying For A One-Year Delay To The EU IVDR: Solution Or Forlorn Hope? (MedtechInsight)

• Copaxone Legal Fight May Finally Be Over As Court Finds The MS Treatment Is Not A Biologic (Pink Sheet)
• Mylan Urges Fed. Circ. To Keep Hatch-Waxman Venue Limits (Law360)
• CDER’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) Efforts (FDA)
• Merck, Glenmark Fight Zetia Class Cert. At 4th Circ (Law360)