Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for use in the European Union. The addition of the J&J entry should bolster Europe’s vaccination program, which has experienced ordering and delivery slowdowns. (CNBC Weekly)
Members of the Sackler family have agreed to pay $4.3 billion to settle some 3,000 lawsuits related to their alleged complicity in the opioid epidemic. The Sacklers have long owned Purdue Pharma, which filed for bankruptcy in 2019. (Reuters)
Pfizer announced its COVID-19 vaccine is 97% effective in preventing severe disease and death, based on real-world data from Israel. The data, which was not peer-reviewed, showed unvaccinated people were 44 times more likely to contract symptomatic COVID-19. (The Hill)
Ani Pharmaceuticals will acquire Novitium Pharma for $210 million. The purchase will help Ani boost its R&D for generic drugs and contract manufacturing. (Endpoints News)
Amazon announced it has rolled out mass COVID-19 testing at its logistics centers in Spain. The company has already debuted similar testing measures in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland. (Business Insider)
