A molecular test from Becton Dickinson that detects viruses that cause Covid-19 as well as influenza and produces result in 2-3 hours was given emergency use authorization by the U.S. health regulator.
Much of the attention on Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca has been on their Covid-19 vaccine efforts, and here is a look at what else is going on with these companies.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is acquiring Mesa Biotech for about $450 million in cash, and will pay an additional $100 million in cash after certain milestones are hit.
The European Commission approved Swiss drugmaker Roche’s Xofluza to treat influenza in patients aged 12 years and older, the first new influenza antiviral for patients in almost 20 years.
Genentech’s influenza treatment Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) was granted approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in people 12 years and older, making it the first single-dose post-exposure prophylaxis strategy approved by the regulatory agency.
Walmart Inc., Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., CVS Health Corp. and Rite Aid Corp. told Reuters demand for flu shots at their U.S. pharmacies is up sharply – in some cases double from 2019 – as people try to protect themselves from influenza in the midst of a worsening Covid-19 pandemic.
A roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines includes a higher complication rate with Covid-19 versus the flu.
Australian researchers said the virus that causes Covid-19 can survive on banknotes, glass and stainless steel for up to 28 days, much longer than the flu virus, highlighting the need for frequent cleaning and handwashing.
Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceutical made a strategic call to halt development of pimodivir, an antiviral treatment for influenza A.
Clinical diagnostics company Novacyt, one of many healthcare companies whose shares have surged during the pandemic, launched a test to differentiate between Covid-19 and common winter diseases.
