Public health experts are urging wealthy countries to contribute vaccine doses to meet the global need. They warned that the pandemic could be prolonged unless higher-income nations step in to meet demand where COVAX is lagging. (Reuters)
Bristol Myers Squibb announced positive results for its combination of LAG-3 inhibitor relatlimab and PD-1 blocker Opdivo. The treatment resulted in around 10 months of progression-free survival among patients with metastatic or unresectable melanoma, compared to around four months for patients on Opdivo alone. (Endpoints News)
JPMorgan has launched Morgan Health, a new healthcare venture designed to boost employee benefits. The launch follows the shutdown of Haven Healthcare, the company’s employer-based healthcare collaboration with Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway. (Bloomberg)
The U.S. death rate reached its highest point in two decades in 2020 due to COVID-19. The country’s mortality rate rose by 16% in 2020, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. (The Wall Street Journal)
In order to minimize biosecurity risks, California may institute mandatory screening protocols for the gene synthesis industry. The proposed bill, AB 70, would be the first in the nation to attempt to control the risks of creating synthetic genes. (STAT)
