The Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against Walmart, accusing the retailer of filling questionable prescriptions for opioids. In its response, Walmart accused the Drug Enforcement Agency of trying to shift blame for its own enforcement failures. (The New York Times)
COVID-19 vaccine skepticism is a concern for health officials, with around 40% of Americans expressing reluctance to receive it. A $250 million educational campaign from the Department of Health and Human Services is among the efforts planned to promote the vaccine. (CNBC)
A battle is playing out in states over who should get the vaccine first: elderly citizens or essential workers. The determinations are turning into a heated political and scientific debate. (AARP)
Bristol Myers Squibb has decided to unbind patients in trials using Opidvo to treat brain cancer. After disappointing results in phase III trials, the program is being discontinued, even though there were no safety concerns. (BioSpace)
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is venturing into drug discovery. The company confirmed it is recruiting talent in China as well as Mountain View, California, to join a team that will use AI algorithms in drug discovery and research programs. (TechCrunch)
