- The World Health Organization endorsed the first vaccine to prevent malaria, the first step toward wider distribution of the shots in lower-income countries. The vaccine, made by GlaxoSmithKline PLC, is moderately effective and the first shot developed for any parasitic disease. (Articles here, here, here, and here)
- A new report from PhRMA found that two in five Americans who take prescription drugs have skipped a dose at least once over the last year, many due to high-deductible health plans. Fifty-two percent of the respondents taking prescriptions with a high-deductible health plan reported they’d skipped a dose or otherwise hadn’t adhered to their prescription at least once in the last year. Sixty-six percent of respondents said they prefer to pay lower out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions versus paying a lower premium each month. (Report here)
- Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE said they asked the FDA to authorize their COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, which could affect millions of families and schools across the country. Regulators have promised to quickly review the drugmakers’ application for the shots, which would be one-third of the adult dosage, and are expected to make a decision in November. (Article here)
October 7, 2021
Life Sciences