Recon: Merck to conduct new trial of OncoImmune COVID drug; NIH halts convalescent plasma trial

• Biden says will have enough COVID-19 vaccine for every U.S. adult by May (Reuters) (NYTimes)
• Biden calls on states to prioritize vaccinations for teachers (Reuters)
• White House using Defense Production Act to equip Merck plants for J&J vaccine (Reuters) (NPR) (Fierce)
• White House taps insurers to boost vaccinations among vulnerable communities (Politico)
• Vir, GSK to halt enrollment in US COVID-19 antibody trial sub-study (Reuters)
• Merck Prepares New Trial of Covid Drug Gained in Acquisition (Bloomberg) (Fierce)
• NIH halts trial of Covid plasma treatment after researchers found no benefit (CNBC)
• Lilly drug regrows hair in autoimmune disease study, but safety questions linger (BioPharmaDive)
• Senate panel deadlocks on advancing Biden's pick for health secretary (Politico)
• Senate trims parts of Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill before votes (Reuters)

• EU targets vaccine production capacity of 2-3 billion doses/year by end-2021 paper (Reuters)
• EU regulator not budging on vaccine dosage as states scramble for shots (Reuters)
• World Bank readies COVID-19 vaccine funds for around 30 African countries (Reuters)
• Poland strikes deal to produce Novavax COVID-19 vaccine (Reuters)
• Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 shot 81% effective, Indian firm's interim data shows (Reuters)
• UK to receive 10 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses from India's Serum Institute (Reuters)
• Cuba starts final-stage trials of two homegrown Covid vaccines (FT)
• Takeda takes full control of drug for rare epilepsies (BioPharmaDive) (STAT)

• A Covid-19 Vaccine Without a Needle? These Firms Are On the Case (WSJ)
• Second UK trial to study gout drug colchicine as COVID-19 treatment (Reuters)
• Italy could produce bulk vaccines in 4-6 months: ministry (Reuters)
• International megatrial of coronavirus treatments is at a standstill (Science)
• Unredacted Pfizer contract with Dominican Republic, shows broad indemnity provisions for COVID-19 vaccine sales (KEI)
• Citing lack of data, Polish health minister does not recommend Chinese shot (Reuters)
• Turkish study revises down Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine efficacy to 83.5% (Reuters)
• Sinovac eyes two billion doses in annual capacity of virus vaccine by June (Reuters)
• Senegal receives its first AstraZeneca vaccines under COVAX (Reuters)
• South African scientists find antibodies from variant may offer cross-protection (Reuters)
• Hungary to extend AstraZeneca jabs to people over 60, official says (Reuters)
• Palestinian COVID-19 vaccine rollout under fire over doses for VIPs (Reuters)

• A closely watched schizophrenia drug fails key test (BioPharmaDive)
• Sarepta Charges Ahead With DMD Gene Therapy Despite Setback (Scrip)
• US FDA’s Big Transition: Not The Commissioner – The Drug Center (Pink Sheet)
• The 2021 top 100 biopharma investors: As the pandemic hit and IPOs boomed, VCs swung into action like never before (Endpoints)
• Camurus, Accord, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi), Strides Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim, Vifor Pharma, GlaxoSmithKline and Sintetica named in advertisements for breaches of the ABPI Code (PMCPA)
• Sotagliflozin Hail Mary? Lexicon Seeks Opportunity For Formal Hearing On FDA Intent To Deny Approval (Pink Sheet)
• Arena's pain drug fails phase 2b, prompting review of 'strategic options' (Fierce)
• Arbor Emphasizes Risks Of Its Own Product In Suit Against US FDA To Block Nymalize Generics (Pink Sheet)
• AstraZeneca/FibroGen’s Roxadustat Comparison To ESAs In Anemia May By Clarified At FDA Advisory Cmte (Pink Sheet) (Fierce)
• Swiss CDMO Celonic finds a home at Novartis' Stein hub, plans to add 250 new jobs centered on next-gen drugs (Endpoints)
• Gilead cuts jobs in California, moving some to new North Carolina business center (Fierce)
• NICE backs NHS use of Lilly’s Olumiant in eczema (PharmaTimes)
• Doudna-founded biotech Caribou raises fresh funds to fuel gene editing pipeline (BioPharmaDive)
• World Pharmacopoeias support public health during COVID-19 pandemic (WHO)
• IPM’s New Drug Application for Dapivirine Vaginal Ring to Reduce HIV Risk in Women Accepted for Filing by US Food and Drug Administration (Press)
• Fresh off $1B+ Merck deal, Janux locks down first private fundraise for its T cell engagers (Endpoints)
• Sofinnova Partners stays focused on late-stage deals with a new, $540M crossover fund (Endpoints)
• Presage teams with Merck on its Phase 0 testing; KemPharm ADHD drug wins approval in children aged 6 and up (Endpoints)
• As allogeneic cell therapy approaches flourish, Century loads up $160M to scale iPSC platform for CAR-T, CAR-NK (Endpoints)
• Khosla joins bet on unconventional startup looking to send drug delivering robots into the brain (Endpoints)
• United axes PAH program Trevyent, once bought for cheap in acquisition of a rival, after FDA feedback (Endpoints)

• UK startup develops gyroscope glove to ease tremors for those with Parkinson's (Reuters)
• Asensus Surgical scores general surgery clearance for its Senhance robot (Fierce)
• UK’s NICE Backs Two Microsphere Products For Liver Cancer But Says No To Another (MedtechInsight)
• Boston Scientific puts up $1B in cash to buy Lumenis surgical line from private equity (MedtechDive)
• Cook Medical lands FDA breakthrough status in latest round of cardio-themed nods (MedtechDive)
• Agilent strikes $550M Resolution buyout to muscle in on liquid biopsy space (MedtechDive)
• Panel Back On Track For TransMedics’ Heart Device After Missing A Few Beats (MedtechInsight)
• FDA grants De Novo classification to Fifth Eye's continuous hemodynamic status monitoring tool (mobihealthnews)

• Supreme Court Argument on Arthrex and the Constitutionality of IPRs (Big Molecule Watch)
• U.S. v. Arthrex: Supreme Court Oral Argument (Patent Docs 1, 2)
• J&J, Bard $83M Pelvic Mesh Verdicts Overturned (Law360)
• J&J Urges High Court To Nix $2.1B Talc Verdict (Law360)
• AstraZeneca wins US court ruling on Symbicort patent claims (Pharmafile)
• Teva, Mylan Back Plan For New Bellwether In Price-Fix MDL (Law360)
• Hospital Groups Want To Join Fight Over Drug Discount Rule (Law360)
• Supreme Court Urged To Rein In Use Of Assignor Estoppel (Law360)