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Daily News Briefing - Monday, December 21, 2020
Industry News
 Early data show two doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine provoked good immune response - Reuters | 12/17/2020
 Biogen to pay $22 million to resolve U.S. drug charity kickback probe - Reuters | 12/17/2020
 States report confusion as feds slash vaccine shipments, and Pfizer says it has ‘millions’ of unclaimed doses - The Washington Post | 12/17/2020
 GSK puts up to $815M on the table for Surface Oncology's antibody - FierceBiotech | 12/17/2020
Government & Regulatory
 FDA Advisers Back Authorization of Moderna’s Covid Vaccine - Bloomberg | 12/17/2020
 Pence and Biden will get COVID-19 vaccine shots to build public support - The Hill | 12/17/2020
 FDA grants priority review to Keytruda-chemotherapy regimen for esophageal cancer - Healio | 12/17/2020
 AbbVie's Botox wins reprieve as agency bars Evolus' Jeaveau for alleged trade-secrets theft - FiercePharma | 12/17/2020
 
Industry News
 
Reuters | December 17, 2020
Byline: Reuters Staff

Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate has a better immune response when a two full-dose regime is used rather than a full-dose followed by a half-dose booster, the university said on Thursday, citing data from early trials.

 
Reuters | December 17, 2020
Byline: Nate Raymond

Biogen Inc has agreed to pay $22 million to resolve U.S. allegations that it illegally used two charities that help cover Medicare patients’ out-of-pocket drug costs as a means to pay them kickbacks to use its multiple sclerosis drugs.

 
The Washington Post | December 17, 2020
Byline: Isaac Stanley-Becker, closeIsaac Stanley-BeckerNational political reporterEmailEmailBioBioFollowFollowYasmeen Abutaleb and closeYasmeen AbutalebNational reporter focusing on health policyEmailEmailBioBioFollowFollowLena H. SuncloseLena H. SunNational reporter focusing on healthEmailEmailBioBioFollowFollow

Officials in multiple states said they were alerted late Wednesday that their second shipments of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine had been drastically cut for next week, sparking widespread confusion and conflicting statements from Pfizer and federal officials about who was at fault.

 
FierceBiotech | December 17, 2020
Byline: Ben Adams

GlaxoSmithKline is stumping up $85 million upfront and up to an extra $730 million in biobucks for Surface Oncology’s early-stage antibody asset.

 
 
Government & Regulatory
 
Bloomberg | December 17, 2020
Byline: Anna Edney

Moderna Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine won backing from a panel of experts who advise U.S. regulators, setting the stage for its shot to be the second vaccine cleared in the U.S.

 
The Hill | December 17, 2020
Byline: Unknown

Vice President Pence and President-elect Joe Biden will receive the vaccine for the novel coronavirus publicly as part of an effort by officials to build public confidence in the critical shot.

 
Healio | December 17, 2020
Byline: Unknown

Pembrolizumab plus fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy received FDA priority review for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer, according to a press release.

 
FiercePharma | December 17, 2020
Byline: Eric Sagonowsky

AbbVie's aiming to make the most out of its new moneymaker Botox, gained in its Allergan megamerger last year, and it just scored a legal win—against a much smaller rival—that should help.