Pfizer stock recovers after Covid decline but some employees struggle

Kena Betancur | Corbis News | Getty Images Pfizer had a “phenomenal” first quarter — and Wall Street took notice, CEO Albert Bourla told thousands of employees during a companywide town hall on May 2, according to a recording heard by CNBC.  A day earlier, the pharmaceutical giant’s stock had closed 6% higher after its … Read more

What we know about the next round of Covid vaccines

New vaccine COMIRNATY® (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) by Pfizer, available at CVS Pharmacy in Eagle Rock, CA.  Irfan Khan | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images Think a friend or colleague should be getting this newsletter? Share this link with them to sign up. Good afternoon! It’s almost that time of the year again. A new … Read more

How extraordinary people achieve what seems impossible

If you need to tackle an improbable challenge, the right mindset — “a special kind of optimism” — can help, according to Moderna co-founder and chairman Noubar Afeyan. The billionaire called it “paranoid optimism,” and said he’s “always practiced” this mindset during a commencement speech at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last month. It involves … Read more

Moderna combination Covid, flu vaccine shows positive late-stage data

Empty bottles of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine. Fred Tanneau | AFP | Getty Images Moderna on Monday said its combination vaccine that targets both Covid-19 and the flu was more effective than existing standalone shots for those viruses in a late-stage trial.  The biotech company is the first to release positive phase three data on a … Read more

FDA approves GSK RSV vaccine for adults 50 to 59

A view shows GlaxoSmithKline headquarters in London, Britain, January 17, 2022. Hannah Mckay | Reuters The Food and Drug Administration on Friday expanded the approval of GSK‘s respiratory syncytial virus vaccine to adults ages 50 to 59 who are at increased risk of getting severely sick from the potentially lethal virus.  The shot, called Arexvy, … Read more

AstraZeneca, drugmakers release promising cancer data

Attendees walk through the lobby at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. Tim Boyle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Think a friend or colleague should be getting this newsletter? Share this link with them to sign up. Good morning! I’m back in New York City after spending the last weekend in … Read more

Moderna, Merck cancer vaccine with Keytruda improved survival in trial

Moderna and Merck released more positive three-year data Monday on their experimental vaccine, given to patients with the most deadly form of skin cancer in combination with the therapy Keytruda. The vaccine together with Merck’s Keytruda improved survival and showed long-lasting efficacy in a midstage study in patients with a deadly form of skin cancer. … Read more

FDA approves Moderna RSV vaccine for seniors

The FDA has approved Moderna’s RSV vaccine for older adults. Courtesy: Moderna The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Moderna’s vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus for adults ages 60 and above, the company’s second-ever product to enter the U.S. market.  The decision is a win for Moderna, which desperately needs another revenue source amid … Read more

Pfizer, Merck, J&J to release cancer drug data

Attendees walk through the lobby at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. Tim Boyle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Think a friend or colleague should be getting this newsletter? Share this link with them to sign up. Good afternoon! This is Annika, and I’ll be on the ground at the American … Read more

What to know about human cases, vaccines

Cows are seen standing in a feedlot on June 14, 2023 in Quemado, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty Images U.S. health officials are monitoring and preparing to combat bird flu in humans, even as they stress that the risk to the general public remains low.  A strain of bird flu called H5N1 has been confirmed … Read more