Vaccine equity remains a stubborn global problem, with many low-income countries struggling to obtain vaccine doses. While wealthy countries like the U.S. and Canada have secured plenty of doses for each resident, Haiti received its first delivery of 500,000 doses for a population of 11 million in July. (AP)
The Food and Drug Administration has resumed domestic biopharma inspections, following a pandemic pause that created a backlog of more than 8,000 inspections. The backlog has led to a delay in the approval of new drugs. (Endpoints News)
Cytokinetics’ experimental drug improved blood flow in patients with an inherited form of heart disease, according to a new clinical trial. Although the study has not yet been peer-reviewed, the drug, CK-274, showed promise in treating obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. (STAT)
The Delta variant has exposed a stark divide in the U.S., with counties with low vaccination rates seeing spikes in cases and highly vaccinated communities experiencing fewer ripples. Public health officials worry that under-vaccinated pockets of the U.S. will continue to see surge after surge as variants spread during the fall and winter. (The New York Times)
Iranians are travelling to Armenia to get vaccine shots, due to a shortage of doses in their home country. “We didn’t have any special plans to develop vaccine tourism; it happened accidentally,” Alfred Kocharyan, deputy head of the Armenian Tourism Committee, told Reuters. (Reuters)
