Brian Buntz

In Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) Phase 3 trial for the Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccine, six vaccine recipients developed tinnitus or ringing in the ears. In five of those individuals, tinnitus had either resolved or was resolving. The condition was unresolved in the other trial volunteer. No placebo recipients developed the condition. Get the full story from our…

The market for injectable anti-HIV therapeutics will be worth $28 billion by 2029, according to projections from the analyst and consulting firm GlobalData. GlobalData valued the broader HIV therapeutics market at $22.9 billion in 2019 across the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K. and Japan. While the overall market is growing at a low single-digit…

Today, the White House COVID-19 response team held a press briefing to discuss a range of themes. Andy Slavitt, Senior White House advisor, shared information on the current pace of vaccination. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky provided information on the current spread of COVID-19 and its impact on U.S. life expectancy. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s…

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX) have submitted data to FDA indicating that their vaccine is stable at –25° C to –15°C. Currently, the vaccine can be stored in an ultra-cold freezer between –80° C and –60° C, according to current CDC guidelines. Updating the companies’ emergency use authorization prescribing information would be simplify logistics. It would…

Big Tech is apparently viewing the COVID-19 pandemic as a means to improve its standing with the public and the Biden administration. Amazon (NSDQ:AMZN) has offered to help with vaccine distribution. Google (NSDQ:GOOG) plans to use some of its U.S. properties as vaccination sites and offering free ad space to public health officials. Airbnb (NSDQ:ABNB)…

In the early days of the pandemic, hopes were high that a vaccine could return society to normalcy. But now that FDA has authorized two vaccines, much of the general public is waiting for them to become broadly available. Some 4.5% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated as of Feb. 17, according to…

The federal government is increasing the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses from 11 million to 13.5 million, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced today. The tally is 57% higher than the dose volumes states had received at the beginning of the year. The federal government is also beginning to prioritize sending vaccines to pharmacies.…

While estimates vary, achieving herd immunity against COVID-19 will likely require vaccinating at least 70% to 80% of the public, if not more. Some diseases, like measles, require a vaccination rate of 95%, according to the World Health Organization. Yet, many people in the U.S. public remains guarded about COVID-19 vaccines. Almost one out of three…

A Wisconsin pharmacist who allegedly spoiled 57 vials of Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA) pleaded guilty to two federal counts of consumer product tampering. Each vial contains 10 vaccine doses.  The pharmacist Steven Brandenburg, who recently had his license revoked, is accused of deliberately removing the vials from refrigeration for several hours before the vaccine was administered to 57 people. …

Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) has announced that its chief financial officer Joshua Smiley has resigned. An independent investigation with external counsel discovered “consensual though inappropriate” communications between Smiley and a number of employees, according to a Lilly statement.  Lilly has installed a replacement, Anat Ashkenazi, who has worked at the company for almost 20 years. “We are…