Recon: J&J to begin coronavirus vaccine clinical trials; Novartis says it will offer ‘no profit’ generics for COVID-19 to 79 countries

• Johnson & Johnson Readies to Start Covid-19 Vaccine Studies (WSJ)
• J&J earnings drop 35% as pandemic delays elective procedures (Financial Times)
• Chief Vaccine Scientist Will Not Be Forced to Disclose Pharmaceutical Stocks (NYTimes)
• Abbott Laboratories Gets Boost From US Covid-19 Testing (WSJ)
• Congress Set to Tackle Vaccine Funding in Next Round of Coronavirus Aid (WSJ)
• US must spend $75 billion to fix flawed Covid-19 testing, report says (STAT)
• How a Struggling Company Won $1.6 Billion to Make a Coronavirus Vaccine (NYTimes)
• House panel probes 'problematic' government contracts for COVID-19 supplies (The Hill)
• Despite safety, efficacy concerns, FDA AdCom narrowly recommends Mallinckrodt drug (Endpoints)
• Fatal overdoses climbed to record high in 2019, reversing historic progress (Politico)

• Novartis to provide 'no profit' COVID-19 drugs to low income countries (Reuters) (STAT)
• UK, US and Canada allege Russian cyberattacks on Covid-19 research centers (CNN) (CNCB)
• China gives the go-ahead for human trials of BioNTech's COVID vaccine candidate (Reuters)
• Chinese executives get ‘pre-test’ injections in vaccine race (AP)
• AstraZeneca Pressure Mounts as Investors Await Oxford Vaccine Data (Bloomberg)
• China's Sinopharm begins late stage trial of COVID-19 vaccine in UAE (Reuters)
• More than 150 countries engaged in COVID-19 vaccine global access facility (WHO)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo Ebola cases rise, surpass previous outbreak (WHO)
• Neglected tropical diseases of the skin: WHO launches mobile application to facilitate diagnosis (WHO)

• Coronavirus Drug and Treatment Tracker (NYTimes)
• Scientists raise questions over lasting immunity from Covid-19 vaccine (Financial Times)
• Scientists call for volunteers to be infected with the coronavirus to test vaccines (CNBC)
• Trump Is Donating Ventilators to Countries That Don’t Need or Can’t Use Them (ProPublica)
• EU Politicians Call For Compulsory Licensing, More Joint Procurement For COVID-19 (Pink Sheet)
• The founder of Adimab believes he can combat Covid-19 — and whatever pandemic comes next (STAT)
• Once a relic of medical history, radiation emerges as an intriguing — and divisive — treatment for Covid-19 (STAT)
• A startup launches with big plans to develop antibody drugs for coronaviruses (BioPharmaDive) (Endpoints)
• UK government orders halt to Randox Covid-19 tests over safety issues (The Guardian)
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup July 15, 2020 (FDA)

• Deep Dive Into Big Pharma AI Productivity: One Study Shaking The Pharmaceutical Industry (Forbes)
• The $1B Merck-Bayer drug that divided cardiologists in March gets priority review (Endpoints)
• AZ unveils detailed data from THALES trial (PharmaTimes)
• How The US FDA Finds Pre-Approval Inspection Alternatives During COVID-19 Pandemic (Pink Sheet)
• Bionova aims to launch commercial manufacturing by 2021 with new biologics plant (Fierce)
• Japan Govt to Push Ahead with Off-Year Survey, Considering COVID-19 Impact to Decide on Re-Pricing (PharmaJapan)
• The pandemic has exposed our broken pharma supply chain. Synthetic biology and brewer’s yeast could fix it (STAT)
• UK's MHRA allows early access to lumasiran for ultra-rare disease (PharmaTimes)
• Orphan Exclusivity: Rarely Used, But Well-Known, Loophole Would Be Closed By House Legislation (Pink Sheet)
• GSK’s Shingrix leader Guillaume Pfefer has jumped on board Flagship to helm a biotech hybrid as Afeyan’s latest CEO-partner (Endpoints)
• Full Brilinta study results show the blood thinner reduces rate of secondary stroke (Endpoints)
• A neurosurgeon spent the past 30 years developing a neoantigen tumor vaccine. Now he has $112M for a pivotal test (Endpoints)
• BioAtla rakes in $72.5M Series D, advancing research for pH-detecting cancer treatments (Endpoints)
• Relay reaps $400M IPO windfall after drawing the curtain on motion-based drug design pipeline (Endpoints)
• Gilead's ex-R&D chief Bischofberger heads back to the biotech giant to pick up a pair of late-stage drugs that had been put aside (Endpoints)
• New biotech Exalys, seeking to prevent postoperative delirium, launches with $15 million in Series A (Endpoints)
• Newly discovered cell could help predict rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups (NBC)

• Medtronic to acquire Medicrea, maker of patient-specific, 3D-printed spine implants (Fierce)
• Thermo Fisher boosts offer for Qiagen (MassDevice)
• Smith & Nephew launches new hand-held robotic tool amid COVID-19 health sector pullback (MedtechDive)
• UK signals Stryker offer to unload ankle replacement product could clear Wright Medical buy (MedtechDive)
• ‘Months Of Activity’ Lost By Notified Bodies: New EU Measures May Be Needed (MedtechInsight)

• Directing advertising exclusively to health professionals (TGA)
• Actual and potential harm caused by medical software: A rapid literature review of safety and performance issues (TGA)
• A Practical example of applying Quality Risk Management in GDP – Transportation Risks (MHRA)
• Looks Like A Slim, But Solid, First Amendment Majority (Drug & Device Law)
• Seema Verma broke federal rules on her publicity contracts, inspector general finds (Politico)
• Pfizer Must Face Claims It Didn't Monitor Chantix Risks (Law360)