Industry News

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE announced that the first participants have been dosed in the U.S. in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the BNT162 vaccine program to prevent COVID-19. The trial is part of a global development program, and the dosing of the first cohort in Germany was completed last week.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has granted regulatory approval of Veklury® (remdesivir) as a treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes COVID-19, under an exceptional approval pathway. The exceptional approval was granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and references the Emergency Use Authorization of remdesivir in the United States.

AbbVie a research-based global biopharmaceutical company, and Allergan plc, a leading global pharmaceutical company, announced that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has accepted the proposed consent order in connection with AbbVie's pending acquisition of Allergan.

Cipla has applied for permission from DCGI to market Favipiravir in India as an experimental medicine for COVID-19. Under the guidances of ICMR, Cipla will also conduct a suitable limited trial prior to marketing the product as Ciplenza.

The University of Oxford has today announced an agreement with the UK-based global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for the further development, large-scale manufacture and potential distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate currently being trialled by the University.

GSK Consumer Healthcare is voluntarily recalling five lots (listed below) of Benefiber Healthy Shape Prebiotic Fiber Supplement powder and Benefiber Prebiotic Fiber Supplement powder due to the potential for green plastic pieces or shavings from bottle caps to be present in the product. There is a potential risk of choking or physical injury to the soft tissues of the mouth or gastrointestinal tract of a consumer using the product who may not see a broken piece or shaving of plastic cap.