Recon: US in talks to buy more Pfizer vaccines; AstraZeneca to acquire Alexion for $39B

• Covid vaccinations begin in the United States (Politico)
• US drugs regulator turns to FBI to handle Covid vaccine data (FT)
• FDA chief defends process for approving COVID-19 vaccine (Reuters) (Politico)
• Pfizer CEO says in talks with US on more COVID-19 shots (Reuters)
• US government buys another 100 million doses of Moderna vaccine (Politico)
• Two Sacklers behind OxyContin maker to appear before US House panel - memo (Reuters)
• Trump says he halted plan to immediately vaccinate White House staffers (CNN) (NPR)
• Covid Study Shows an Arthritis Drug May Help Patients Recover (NYTimes)
• CDC Panel Recommends Pfizer Vaccine for Patients as Young as 16 (NYTimes)
• Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women May Opt to Receive the Vaccine (NYTimes)
• Drugmaker Viatris says restructuring plans could affect 9,000 jobs (Reuters)

• AstraZeneca shares fall on "hefty" $39-billion Alexion deal (Reuters) (The Guardian) (FT)
• Pressure mounts on EU drug regulator to approve Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (Reuters)
• Singapore approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in Asia first (Reuters)
• Canada administers country's first COVID-19 vaccination (Reuters)
• Moderna expects European approval for COVID-19 vaccine on Jan. 12 (Reuters)
• J&J has applied to South Africa for registering COVID-19 vaccine -regulator (Reuters)
• Russia repeats 91.4% efficacy rate in new COVID-19 vaccine data – developers (Reuters)
• Trial of ruxolitinib in COVID-19 complications fails- Novartis (Reuters)
• Israel begins second-phase trial of potential COVID-19 vaccine (Reuters)
• CureVac starts clinical trial for COVID-19 vaccine candidate (Reuters) (FT)
• Bahrain approves registration for Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine (Reuters)
• AstraZeneca UK vaccine trial drops sub-group with children - US trial register (Reuters)

• EU weighs donating 5% of its COVID-19 vaccines to poor nations- document (Reuters)
• Gotlieb: Antibodies as Covid Insurance (WSJ)
• Tocilizumab for Covid-19 — The Ongoing Search for Effective Therapies (NEJM)
• HHS rolls $250M ad campaign with Fauci, science focus front and center (Fierce)
• Diagnostics group Novacyt develops new tests to detect COVID-19, bird flu (Reuters)
• Single-patient study adds to debate over Gilead's remdesivir for COVID-19 (Reuters)
• Trump admin defends national stockpile as PPE, equipment shortages persist (MedtechDive)
• WHO says authorities investigating new COVID-19 variant in England (Reuters)
• Trial of azithromycin in severe COVID-19 patients finds no benefit (Reuters)
• Brazil delays Chinese vaccine efficacy report, keeps rollout date (Reuters)
• Brazil's top court orders government to set date for COVID-19 vaccination plan (Reuters)
• Germany will get 11 million doses of BioNTech vaccine by March – ministry (Reuters)
• Philippines targets deal for 25 million doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine (Reuters)
• Mexico says Pfizer vaccine doses could arrive in 5-8 days (Reuters)
• Codagenix, Serum Institute to begin UK trials of nasal COVID-19 vaccine in January (Reuters)

• Life Science Sector Still In The Dark As UK-EU Trade Talks Make Progress (Pink Sheet)
• EU Stakeholders Want More Focus On Availability Of Medicines (Pink Sheet)
• New Global Alliance To Drive Momentum On Decentralized Trials (Pink Sheet)
• FDA reviewers argue for Novartis ahead of Entresto advisory panel confab (Fierce)
• A new biotech tries to bridge the drug innovation gap between East and West (STAT)
• Sarepta shakes up C-suite as they prepare to test FDA on Duchenne again (Endpoints)
• European approval for AstraZeneca's Trixeo Aerospace in moderate to severe COPD (Pharmafile)
• Novo Holdings invests in Hemab, a company going against the hemophilia gene therapy grain with a plan for bispecifics (Endpoints)
• Chasing Amgen on KRAS combo, Roche dishes out $75M for Relay's SHP2 drug to pair with in-house program (Endpoints) (Biopharmadive)
• CRISPR upstart ticks off another box on the IPO prep list as RA, SVB Leerink step in on a mega-raise (Endpoints)
• Gene therapy player InnoSkel debuts with €20M for rare skeletal diseases (Fierce)
• After scoring big Pfizer buyout, a Therachon co-founder turns once again to dwarfism with $24M Series A (Endpoints)
• Amid a tough year with ransomware attacks and a CEO departure, ERT merges with Bioclinica (Fierce)
• UK to Ease Rules on Blood Donations by Gay and Bisexual Men (NYTimes)

• UK shares post-Brexit device guidance as uncertainty around EU split looms (MedtechDive)
• Edwards plots TAVR comeback even as COVID-19 surge hits harder (MedtechDive)
• Industry Voices Growing Frustration Over Notified Body Designations Despite Latest Listing (MedtechInsight)
• SoniVie, ReCor Move Forward With Ultrasound Renal Denervation Technologies (MedtechInsight)
• Acutus Medical expands heart treatment portfolio in Europe with new CE marks (Fierce)

• Lauded By Industry, Loathed By FDA? New HHS ‘Good Guidance’ Rule Likely Ruffling Feathers (MedtechInsight)
• Senate Passes Bills On Drug Patent Listings (Law360)
• Allergan Must Face FCA Claims Over Dementia Drug Patents (Law360)
• Hospital groups sue HHS for failing to stop drug makers from cutting medication discounts (STAT)
• Celgene, Cipla Resolve Patent Claims Over Cancer Drug (Law360)