Friday, January 28, 2022: Life Sciences

Merck & Co. Inc. and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP said their COVID-19 antiviral pill, molnupiravir, was active against the Omicron variant in six lab studies. The drug’s effectiveness against Omicron hasn’t yet been studied in human trials. (Article...

Friday, January 28, 2022: Life Sciences

Biogen Inc. will sell its nearly 50 percent stake in Samsung Bioepis, a joint venture with Samsung Biologics to develop biosimilar drugs, to its partner for at least $2.25 billion. The deal will give Biogen access to $1 billion in cash upon closing as the pharma...

Thursday, January 27, 2022: Life Sciences

The Biden administration redirected nearly $7 billion from an emergency relief fund for health care providers in order to buy COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, leaving the emergency fund nearly empty. A spokesperson HHS defended the decision, saying it was a...

Thursday, January 27, 2022: Life Sciences

The Biden administration is considering ways to improve access to free, at-home COVID-19 tests for Medicare beneficiaries. The administration’s requirement for private insurers to cover the tests doesn’t apply to Medicare since Medicare coverage doesn’t...

Thursday, January 27, 2022: Life Sciences

Moderna Inc. said it began testing an omicron-specific version of its COVID-19 vaccine booster in a clinical trial among 600 adults who have received two or three doses of its existing shot. The announcement came one day after Pfizer Inc. launched its own similar...

Tuesday, January 25, 2022: Life Sciences

The FDA restricted the use of COVID-19 antibody treatments that don’t appear effective against the Omicron variant. The agency saying the decision will be in place while the strain is dominant. Some health systems stopped using the treatments weeks ago, although...