Dr. Anthony Fauci said he backs the U.S. government’s support for waiving vaccine patents so that other countries can produce generic versions. He added that the U.S. has a “moral obligation” to share vaccines and supplies, especially with low-income countries. (Politico)
Members of the European Union said they supported the U.S. proposal to waive patents for COVID-19 vaccines and were “ready to discuss” it. But drugmakers criticized the proposal, saying it wouldn’t address the real challenges. (Reuters)
Catalent has acquired Promethera’s Hepatic Cell Therapy Support subsidiary, which will help the company bolster its plasmid DNA production. The addition of Promethera’s facility in Belgium is also part of Catalent’s expansion plans. (Endpoints News)
India reported more than 412,000 new COVID-19 cases in a day, bringing its total number of cases to 21 million. The country’s Supreme Court has ordered the central government to outline steps it will take to meet an oxygen shortage in Delhi hospitals. (CNBC Weekly)
Due to “insufficient” evidence the drug works, a new analysis labels Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab as being cost-effective only if it is priced between $2,500 and $8,300 a year. Biogen said in a statement that the report “does not accurately reflect the possible holistic value of aducanumab.” (STAT)
