In a peer-reviewed study published May 17 in PLOS Medicine, scientists found that mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines were superior to adenovirus vector-based ones across major variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Just as Emergent BioSolutions looked to be making some headway in course corrections following a production mishap that ruined millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, new information indicates the Maryland-based company sought to hide the deficiencies from federal regulators, all while touting its manufacturing capabilities, according to a BioSpace article.

Johnson & Johnson on May 11 appointed Thibaut Mongon as the chief executive officer of the consumer health division, which the pharmaceutical giant plans to spin off into a listed company by the end of 2023.

Janssen terminated a seven-year-old vaccine collaboration with Bavarian Nordic. The two companies partnered in 2015 to develop potential vaccines against the hepatitis B virus and human papillomaviruses.

COVID-19 vaccine makers are shifting gears and planning for a smaller, more competitive booster shot market after delivering as many doses as fast as they could over the last 18 months.

Severe obesity may weaken the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in those who have never been infected with the coronavirus, according to a small Turkish study. Additionally, South African researchers have found infection with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus can significantly improve the immune system’s ability to protect against other variants, but only in people who have been vaccinated.

The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is now limited to certain individuals ages 18 and up after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration downgraded its emergency use authorization.

Washington reached a $518 million settlement with drug distributors McKesson Corp., AmerisourceBergen Corp. and Cardinal Health, ending a months-long trial over the companies’ alleged role in fueling the opioid epidemic in the state, the three companies announced on May 3.

Johnson & Johnson filed a lawsuit against drug distributors and a pharmacy seeking to stop the sale of counterfeit versions of the company’s HIV drugs, months after a similar case brought by Gilead Sciences Inc.

San Francisco squared off on April 25 against Walgreens Boots Alliance and three other companies accused of fueling an opioid crisis in the city, the first trial to target manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies over the addictive pain medicines.