Pfizer’s antiviral COVID-19 pill is 90% protective against hospitalization and death, the company said Tuesday. If the pill is authorized, it will be sold as Paxlovid. (Reuters)
During a hearing on Tuesday, Food and Drug Administration commissioner nominee Dr. Robert Califf was pressed for his views on abortion, drug pricing, COVID-19 and opioid prescriptions. A vote on his nomination is expected in early 2022. (STAT)
Adagio’s coronavirus antibody, ADG20, was less effective against Omicron than it was against the original strain of the virus, the company announced Tuesday. Though designed to target future variants, the antibody was a “300-fold” decrease in its ability to fight Omicron. (Endpoints News)
The Omicron variant now makes up about 3% of U.S. COVID-19 cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Delta remains the dominant strain in the U.S., however. (CNBC Weekly)
Some large hospital systems have dropped COVID-19 vaccination mandates in the wake of a federal judge halting Biden’s order for hospital workers to be inoculated. HCA Healthcare, Cleveland Clinic, AdventHealth and Tenet Healthcare are among the hospitals dropping mandates as part of an effort to retain staff. (The Wall Street Journal)
