Recon: Trump Administration Eyes COVID-19 Stimulus; FDA Approves Boehringer’s Ofev for Interstitial Lung Diseases

• Trump seeks 'big' stimulus steps but aides are skeptical (Politico) (Reuters)
• Trump has not been tested for coronavirus - White House (Reuters)
• Coronavirus Containment Chance Missed, US Aims to Blunt Impact (Bloomberg) (Reuters) (STAT)
• Number of Congressional Lawmakers in Self-Quarantine Due to Coronavirus Climbs to Six (WSJ) (Reuters)
• Biden and Sanders far apart on drug pricing (Politico)
• Acceleron ditches midstage drug after flop (Fierce) (Endpoints) (Press)
• FDA clears wider use for Boehringer’s Ofev in lung disease (PMLive) (Fierce) (FDA)
• Days after wielding the ax, Unum hit with clinical hold, again (Fierce) (Endpoints)
• New brand-name HIV-prevention pill not worth the added cost: study (Reuters) (STAT)
• Pelosi, Seeking to Insulate House Majority, Presses Plan to Lower Health Costs (NYTimes)
• Debates over biosimilar uptake notwithstanding, sales growth should accelerate by 2024 (STAT)
• Clinical research company sued over stolen trade secrets after employee filmed dogs used in experiments (STAT) (Law360-$)

• Threat of coronavirus pandemic 'has become very real': WHO's Tedros (Reuters)
• Japan announces $4 billion coronavirus package, not yet eyeing extra budget (Reuters)
• Italy wakes up to deserted streets in unprecedented coronavirus lockdown (Reuters)
• Italy's coronavirus lockdown likely unsustainable, ineffective (Reuters)
• Italy to boost coronavirus measures to help households, small firms (Reuters)
• Celltrion applies for European approval of Humira biosimilar (The Korea Herald)
• Japan’s 2020 Price Revision Hits Major Drugs with Double-Digit Slashes: Top 5 Product Survey (PharmaJapan)
• Bristol Myers backs a European VC's record-setting biotech venture fund, which tops out at $600M (Endpoints)
• CMA Sent Back To The Drawing Board In £89M Pfizer Case (Law360-$) (CMA)
• GSK consumer hiving off Canada plant with 400 workers to Taiwan CDMO (Fierce)
• Gene Therapy For Severe Retinitis Pigmentosa Secures EMA PRIME Status (Pink Sheet-$)
• Shionogi launches thrombocytopenia treatment Mulpleo in the UK (PMLive)
• Poor countries struggle to get the insulin they need (Financial Times)
• EFPIA response to the publication of the EU Industrial Strategy (EFPIA)
• Epidemic response group ups coronavirus vaccine funding to $23.7 million (Reuters)

• Some Hospitals Are Close to Running Out of Crucial Masks for Coronavirus (NYTimes)
• Seattle-area nursing home unable to test 65 workers with COVID-19 symptoms (Reuters)
• Head of EU parliament Sassoli in self-isolation as precaution (Reuters)
• It begins: California county bans mass gatherings as coronavirus spreads (Politico)
• Oregon’s supply of coronavirus tests could run out Wednesday without infusion of kits from feds (The Oregonian)
• How Biogen’s Strategy Meeting Spread Coronavirus in Massachusetts and Beyond (WSJ) (Endpoints)
• $125M effort to find coronavirus drugs started by Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and Mastercard (STAT)
• The coronavirus outbreak has left medical supplies in short supply. Is the nation’s emergency stockpile ready to help? (STAT)
• You could get paid $1,100 to test the first potential coronavirus vaccine (Business Insider)
• If Covid-19 gets bad, triage will be needed. Are we ready for that? (STAT)
• Iran coronavirus deaths reach 291, cases at more than 8,000: health ministry (Reuters)
• Xi visits Wuhan, signaling tide turning in China's coronavirus battle (Reuters)
• Covid-19: Pharma companies ask Indian Govt to lift API's export restrictions (Economic Times)
• Lower trend in new coronavirus cases raises glimmer of hope in South Korea (Reuters)
• Canada reports first coronavirus death as number of infected climbs (Reuters)
• Germany, with over 1,100 cases, reports first two coronavirus deaths (Reuters)
• French coronavirus death toll jumps by five to total of 30 (Reuters)
• Ireland announces 3 billion euro package to fight coronavirus (Reuters)
• Sixth person dies in United Kingdom from coronavirus (Reuters)
• Indonesia confirms eight new coronavirus cases, taking total to 27 (Reuters)
• Lebanon records first death from coronavirus: local media (Reuters)
• Cyprus' largest hospital suspends admissions after heart surgeon diagnosed with coronavirus (Reuters)
• Mongolia confirms its first coronavirus case in French worker (Reuters)
• Brunei reports first coronavirus cases (Reuters)
• Burkina Faso confirms first cases of coronavirus (Reuters)
• Morocco reports first coronavirus death: health ministry (Reuters)
• Democratic Republic of Congo confirms first coronavirus case (Reuters)
• Saudi Arabia detects another five cases of new coronavirus: state TV (Reuters)
• CVS Health offers free home delivery of prescription drugs amid virus outbreak (Reuters)
• Pence to meet Tuesday with health insurance representatives (Reuters)
• Two passengers tested for suspected coronavirus on Marseille cruise ship (Reuters)
• Cheering cruise passengers return to California; now comes coronavirus quarantine (Reuters)
• PharmaMar Group's GENOMICA diagnostic kits for COVID-19 coronavirus receive CE conformity marking (Press)
• Hologic gets US funding for coronavirus test kit (Reuters) (GenomeWeb)

• A Call to Arms: Under Attack, Pro-Vaccine Doctors Fight Back (NYTimes)
• More choice means higher prices for American diabetics (Financial Times)
• Members of congress urge FDA to improve clinical trials process for ALS patients (Letter)
• Kala to Take Another Shot at FDA Approval With New Dry Eye Drug Data (Xconomy)
• PhRMA submits comments on FDA’s proposed rule on drug importation (PhRMA)
• Global biopharma supply chain holding together for now: Vertex, Lilly, Recipharm and others update patients (Fierce)
• Tapping the therapeutic potential of the innate immune system (Nature)
• Bias and stereotyping may limit minority participation in clinical trials (Reuters)
• Exclusive: Syneos Health exploring a sale: sources (Reuters)
• Alzheimer’s Drug Coverage Issues Move To Forefront With Biogen’s Plan To Seek Approval (Pink Sheet-$)
• NIH study finds lower concentration of PrEP drug in pregnant teens & young women (NIH)
• Drug-delivery technology leads to sustained HIV antibody production in NIH study (NIH)
• Alzheimer’s Biomarker Development Hampered By ‘Limited’ Commercial Incentives (Pink Sheet-$)
• Versant plots Basel expansion as incubator hits full capacity (Fierce)
• Israel’s Arkin Holdings launches second biotech fund, worth $140 million (Endpoints)
• Targeting CAR T cells to glioblastoma (Nature)
• NEW: The 2020 Economic Report on U.S. Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (Drug Channels)
• J&J's favorite CAR-T developer, currently owned by a Chinese CRO, is laying the groundwork for US IPO (Endpoints)
• I thought I understood the Sacklers’ opioid empire. Startling documents I found showed I was wrong (STAT)
• To arm the immune system for sustained attack against HIV, NIH scientists take to viral vectors (Endpoints)
• Versant woos MorphoSys' ex-CSO to its booming discovery engine, with big plans for new startups (Endpoints)

• Takeda Provides Update on TOURMALINE-MM2 Phase 3 Trial (Press)

• Premarket Notification (510(k)) Submissions for Electrosurgical Devices for General Surgery (FDA)
• Insightec nets up to $150M for incisionless brain surgery tech (MedtechDive)
• LivaNova lands CE Mark for depression neurostimulation treatment (MassDevice)
• Kinepict Health wins FDA nod for imaging tech (MassDevice)
• Cadent Therapeutics Announces FDA Clearance of IND Application and Dosing of Subjects of CAD-9303 for Schizophrenia (Press)
• Class 1 Device Recall HeartWare HVAD System Battery Charger AC Adapter (FDA)

• Coronavirus Brings a New Legislative Push for Paid Sick Leave (Reuters)
• FDA Warns Retailers, Manufacturers to Remove Unauthorized E-Cigarette Products from Market (FDA)
• ‘Unleash that data’: Medicare chief promotes freer exchange of medical records, highlights efforts to protect privacy (STAT)
• Seventh Circuit Finds Albrecht Did Not Create a New Rule of Preemption Law (Drug & Device Law)
• Top Blockchain Considerations For Health, Life Sciences Cos. (Law360-$)
• Surescripts Wants DC Circ. To Review FTC Antitrust Suit (Law360-$)
• United Opens New Front In Celgene Monopoly Fight (Law360-$)
• FDA Defends Approval Of Genetically Engineered Salmon (Law360-$)

• FDA Advisory Committee Calendar
• Scientific and Ethical Considerations for the Inclusion of Pregnant Women in Clinical Trials – 16 April 2020
• Fiscal Year 2020 Generic Drug Regulatory Science Initiatives; Public Workshop – 4 May 2020

• Myovant seeks EMA approval in uterine fibroids (PharmaLetter-$)

• Update to listed medicine ingredients in March 2020 (TGA)
• TGA response to coronavirus (COVID-19) (TGA)

• South Africa Explains How To Evaluate Samples Collected In Clinical Trials (Pink Sheet-$)

• Haunted by a Gene (NYTimes)
• Scientists pursue two routes to remaking a pancreas (Financial Times)