Recon: States seek $2.2T from OxyContin maker Purdue; Merck to build £1B London R&D hub

• States Seek $26.4 Billion From Drug Companies in Opioid Litigation (WSJ)
• US states seek $2.2 trillion from OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma: filings (Reuters) (Bloomberg)
• US sues Teva over alleged kickbacks for multiple sclerosis drug (Reuters)
• US court upholds patent for Novartis MS drug Gilenya (Reuters) (Press)
• Federal Study of Covid Treatments Enters a New Phase (NYTimes)
• Poseida shares plunge after death in solid tumor CAR-T trial, clinical hold (Fierce) (Endpoints)

• WHO blasts 'vaccine nationalism' in last-ditch push against hoarding (Reuters)
• China Sinopharm chief rules out high price for coronavirus vaccine (Reuters)
• China's CanSino says hasn't begun enrolling people for Phase 3 trial (Reuters)
• Australia signs deal with AstraZeneca for possible COVID-19 vaccine (Reuters) (The Conversation)
• Takeda offers early retirement to workers as young as 30 (Nikkei)
• Merck plans to build £1bn UK research hub in central London (Financial Times) (Endpoints)
• Brazil greenlights human trials for J&J's potential COVID-19 vaccine (Reuters)
• Novo Nordisk taps Evotec to target chronic kidney disease (Fierce)

• Vanda's experimental COVID-19 drug shows promise in interim trial data (Reuters)
• Indian vaccine maker looks to raise $1B for COVID-19 shot manufacturing, trial efforts: report (Fierce) (Economic Times)
• FDA warns of false coronavirus test results from Thermo Fisher kit (Fox Business) (FDA)
• Quest Diagnostics says it cut coronavirus testing turnaround to one to two days, but warns it could slip (CNBC)
• More Evidence Heartburn Drug May Help COVID-19 Patients (Medpage)
• Coming COVID-19 vaccination wave will generate $20B in sales next year: analyst (Fierce)
• Moderna stands to earn $300M for quick vaccine approval, up to $6.6B for extra doses: filing (Fierce)
• US FDA COVID-19 Adcom: What Additional Members Are Needed? (Pink Sheet)
• Collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Lab (Health Canada)
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup August 17, 2020 (FDA)

• Even in the coronavirus era, US pharma and biotech employees say jobs secure: survey (Fierce)
• Adding Sickle Cell Disease To FDA’s Priority Review Voucher List Of Neglected Tropical Diseases (Forbes)
• AZ scores FDA priority review for new Imfinzi fixed-dose regimen (PMLive)
• Real-World Evidence: Epizyme’s Epithelioid Sarcoma Natural History Study Falls Flat At US FDA (Pink Sheet)
• USP Building Risk Model To Assess Supply Chain Vulnerabilities And Anticipate Drug Shortages (Pink Sheet)
• China approves its first biosimilar of Roche's Herceptin in HER2+ cancers (Pharmafile)
• STAT China: A debut for CanSino Biologics and Cellular BioMed’s controversy (STAT)
• Trump campaign’s Facebook ad blitz casts Biden as pharma’s preferred candidate (STAT)
• Opioid prescriptions written for Medicare Part D beneficiaries continues to drop (STAT)
• AstraZeneca is changing up dosing regimens of its checkpoint player in the face of the pandemic. The FDA appears ready to make a quick assist (Endpoints)
• Daniel O’Day’s I/O dance continues, as Gilead and Tango expand deal up to $6B (Endpoints)
• Eli Lilly is betting $1B-plus that it can make yet another PD-1 drug a hit in the US. How about a deep discount this time? (Endpoints)
• An MD Anderson study points to another use for Novartis’ GSK-born cancer drugs (Endpoints)
• Chinook raises $106M in private placement as it prepares to close merger with Aduro (Endpoints)
• Looking to expand beyond diabetes, Novo Nordisk enlists Evotec in CKD pact worth up to $179M per program (Endpoints)
• Bayer’s estradiol/norethisterone injection in pre-filled syringes prequalified (WHO)
• Sun’s dolutegravir 50mg tablet prequalified (WHO)
• New restrictions introduced on sales of stimulant laxatives to counter risks from overuse (MHRA)

• FDA clears new version of Hyperfine's portable MRI scanner-on-wheels (Fierce)
• Medtronic Invests $1.6Bn To Create Largest R&D Center Outside US (MedtechInsight)
• Facing diabetes rivals in pumps and CGMs, Companion offers Medtronic a leg up in lagging pen market (MedtechDive)

• DC Circ. Won't Revisit Eagle's Orphan Drug Win Against FDA (Law360)
• Allergan Wins Bid To ID Breast Implant Patients In MDL (Law360)
• Pfizer Japan Takes Generic Contenders to Court over Lyrica Patent (PharmaJapan)