AstraZeneca has paused its COVID-19 vaccine phase 3 trial after a patient experienced adverse side effects. The participant, a woman based in the U.K., had neurological symptoms related to a spinal inflammatory disorder. She is expected to be discharged from the hospital as early as today. (CNBC)
The National Institutes of Health believes that pausing the AstraZeneca trial shows that “no compromises” will be made when it comes to safety and a coronavirus vaccine. NIH director Dr. Francis Collins hopes this will bring some reassurance to the public. (AP News)
There have been more than 190,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States. The Midwest is currently experiencing a surge in cases in states such as Iowa and South Dakota. (Reuters)
Mail-order prescription drugs are experiencing delays, according to a letter from Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Orders that originally took 2 to 3 days are now taking 3 to 4 days to arrive. (Bloomberg)
In the latest episode of The MM+M Podcast, Alexion Pharma’s Tamar Thompson speaks about how the biotech company has evolved on the D&I front. She also discusses how she personally became involved in spearheading efforts to boost ethnic and gender equity in its workforce and clinical trials. (MM+M)
