Recon: Merck launches trastuzumab biosimilar in US; Fujifilm boosts Avigan production

• Coronavirus testing hits dramatic slowdown in US (Politico)
• Trump's halt to WHO funding prompts condemnation as coronavirus cases near 2 million (Reuters)
• UN chief says 'not the time' to reduce WHO resources after Trump announcement (Reuters)
• Senate Republicans investigating WHO and China's coronavirus response (NBC)
• Merck Follows Rivals With US Launch of Trastuzumab Biosimilar (The Center for Biosimilars) (Press)
• Gilead takes a hit after a Covid-19 trial of remdesivir is quietly terminated (Endpoints) (Reuters)
• Abbott says new coronavirus antibody test could do 20m screenings in June (CNBC) (Press)
• Pharmacy reimbursement often lags for generics undergoing price hikes, jeopardizing access (STAT)
• Novo Nordisk becomes latest insulin maker seeking to foster goodwill amid Covid-19 (STAT)
• GM begins production of ventilators for US government (Reuters)
• CDC director says 19-20 US states may be ready to reopen May 1 (Reuters)
• US FTC tells firms flogging unproven COVID remedies to halt advertising (Reuters)

• China didn’t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days (AP)
• EU unveils virus exit plan, hoping to avoid more chaos (AP)
• EU to limit export control of virus protection gear to just masks (Reuters)
• Lockdowns should be lifted in two-week stages to stem COVID-19 spread: WHO (Reuters)
• The world will need more than one COVID-19 vaccine, GSK CEO says (Reuters) (Endpoints)
• WHO tasks ex-GSK CEO Witty with hastening COVID-19 vaccine R&D (Fierce) (Endpoints)
• Fujifilm says significantly boosts capacity for COVID-19 treatment Avigan (Reuters)
• India agrees to sell hydroxychloroquine to Malaysia to help fight COVID-19 (Reuters)
• Gilead Launches PIII Remdesivir Trials for COVID-19 in Japan (PharmaJapan)
• MHLW asks drugmakers, wholesalers to reduce staff coming to work by 70%” (PharmaJapan)
• Kyowa Kirin pays $100m upfront for MEI’s blood cancer drug (PMLive) (PharmaJapan)

• Data reporting frustrations peak (Politico)
• Coronavirus Tests Science’s Need for Speed Limits (NYTimes)
• Search for a COVID-19 vaccine heats up in China, US (AP)
• J&J can produce up to 900 million coronavirus vaccine doses by April 2021 if trials go well (CNBC)
• Coronavirus Survivors Hope for Immunity — The Reality Is More Complicated (Bloomberg)
• Emails show US officials brushed off state concerns on drive-through virus tests (Reuters)
• Trump announces ventilator loan plan to fight virus (Reuters)
• We’ll see more shortages of diagnostic tests if the FDA has its way (STAT)
• No evidence yet for effective COVID-19 treatments, review shows (ABC)
• Hyped Malaria Pill Doesn’t Help Clear Coronavirus in Study (Bloomberg)
• US clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine hit ‘warp speed,’ could show in weeks whether it works on coronavirus (CNBC)
• General Motors says will make 1.5 million masks a month in Mexico (Reuters)
• A Desperate Scramble As COVID-19 Families Vie For Access To Plasma Therapy (KHN)
• Head lice drug emerges as potential coronavirus treatment, studies show (ABC)
• MLB Employees Become the Subjects of a Huge Coronavirus Study (NYTimes)
• Commission on Human Medicines advice on ibuprofen and coronavirus (COVID-19) (MHRA)
• Athersys pivots a stem cell therapy to Covid-19, but prior data offer little confidence (STAT)
• Projecting the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 through the postpandemic period (Science)
• Bats are a key source of human viruses — but they’re not special (Nature)
• U.S. military says coronavirus likely occurred naturally but not certain (Reuters)
• US coronavirus deaths set single-day record increase: Reuters tally (Reuters)
• NYC death toll rises to 10,000 as city includes untested coronavirus fatalities (Reuters)
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveils guide to lifting state’s coronavirus restrictions (CNBC)
• Japan health ministry projects 400,000 deaths without virus containment measures: media (Reuters)
• China launches coronavirus survey in nine regions: state media (Reuters)
• France's rate of coronavirus infections, deaths accelerating again (Reuters)
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup April 14, 2020 (FDA)

• FDA new drug approvals in Q1 2020 (Nature)
• The top 10 drugs by sales increase in 2020 (Fierce)
• Gene Therapies: ‘Trivial’ Changes Will Not Be Rewarded With Orphan Drug Designation And Exclusivity (Pink Sheet)
• US FDA Coronavirus Response Features Three-Step Triage Process For Inquiries (Pink Sheet)
• Repurposing drugs might help fight this pandemic (MIT Technology Review)
• Supercomputers Help Researchers Speed Drug Discovery for Covid-19 (WSJ)
• Virtual Advisory Committees Are Coming: US FDA Panels Will Be Smaller, More Focused (Pink Sheet)
• How Some Manufacturers Are Navigating COVID-19 Pharma Supply Chain Challenges (Pink Sheet)
• One of the best connected biotech startups in Boston snags a plum discovery deal with Novartis (Endpoints)
• LEO Pharma mounts another challenge to the eczema giants, betting $40M cash on a drug from China (Endpoints)
• Molecule-in-21-days AI startup Insilico adds Boehringer to list of Big Pharma partners (Endpoints)
• The newest, $86M Third Rock startup chases the tiny biological machines inside of you (Endpoints)
• FORMA Therapeutics Receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for FT-4202 for the Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease (Press)
• Small scale pharmas in Haridwar stop manufacturing hydroxychloroquine as price of raw material increases exponentially (Economic Times)

• Device to wean COVID-19 patients off ventilators gains EUA (MedtechDive)
• CMS removes ventilators from DME bidding program due to high coronavirus demand (MedtechDive)
• UK Updates Ventilator Specification Document As COVID-19 Patients Don’t Respond As Expected (Medtech Insight)
• Kromek to make ventilators under licence from Japan's Metran (Reuters)
• Philips debuts smaller emergency ventilator amid manufacturing expansion (Fierce)
• COVID-19 in Europe: Postponed and remote Notified Body audits for medical device manufacturers (Emergo)
• Illumina Announces Preliminary Q1 Revenues of $858M, Withdraws Guidance (GenomeWeb)
• Quest rolls out furloughs, pay cuts amid low test volumes (Modern Healthcare)
• New Frontier: COVID-19 Crisis Opens Door For Dexcom, Abbott To Bring CGMs Into Hospitals For First Time (Medtech Insight)

• Trump's new legacy: government expander-in-chief (Politico)
• Health Canada responds to COVID-19 emergency (Emergo)
• Amgen v. Sanofi Praulent® Litigation Once Again on Appeal before the Federal Circuit (Big Molecule Watch)
• Minnesota Legislature passes emergency insulin bill after 'long and arduous road' (StarTribune)
• CVC Reply No. 2 to Broad's Opposition No. 2 to CVC's Motion No. 2 to Be Accorded Benefit of Priority (Patent Docs)
• Ex-Theranos CEO Seeks 2021 Trial After New Charges Emerge (Law360)