Wall Street digs into the timeline for Moderna's coronavirus shot

Welcome to Dispensed Daily, your daily dose of healthcare news from Business Insider's healthcare editor Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer and the healthcare team. Subscribe here to get this newsletter in your inbox every weekday.

Hello,

Today in healthcare news: Moderna's coronavirus vaccine trial could provide a "Halloween treat," VC funding for healthcare startups is booming in 2020, and Bill Gates' advice for Joe Biden.

I'm your host of today's Dispensed Daily, Andrew Dunn, the healthcare team's pharma and biotech reporter.

A top Wall Street analyst gamed out 12 scenarios for Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, and he said positive results could come as soon as October

• Moderna's coronavirus vaccine candidate could report positive efficacy results as soon as late October, a top Wall Street analyst said.
• Jefferies biotech analyst Michael Yee mapped out 12 potential scenarios, depending on how quickly the volunteers sign up for the study, the rate of infection, and how effective Moderna's shot is.
• The bank's analysis found we will likely know if Moderna's experimental vaccine actually prevents disease or infection by October at the earliest or in early 2021 at the latest.

Read the full story here>>

Healthcare startups just pulled in a record $18.1 billion. Meet the top 7 VC firms that placed the most bets.

• Healthcare startups just had a record quarter, netting $18.1 billion from investors, CB Insights reported.
• Lots of cash flowed into companies in digital health, therapeutics, and medical devices.
• In total, the 7 most active venture capital firms in healthcare made 67 investments in healthcare startups.

Read the full story from Blake Dodge here>>

Bill Gates: What Joe Biden should do on his first day in office to stop the coronavirus, if he is elected

• Hilary Brueck asked Bill Gates what he thought Joe Biden, if elected, should do about the coronavirus on January 21, his first day in office.
• Gates said Biden should listen to the experts more, encourage mask wearing, stay in the World Health Organization, and fix the painfully slow US coronavirus testing system.
• "You really have to view the pandemic as a problem that you're willing to talk about," Gates said.

Read the full story from Hilary Brueck here>>

More stories we're reading:

• UPS Readies Freezer Farms to Ship Virus Vaccine — If We Get One (Bloomberg)
• Bill Gates said a new type of of coronavirus drugs could 'cut the death rate quite dramatically.' Here are the 9 top drugmakers racing to develop these promising treatments. (Business Insider)
• 'The Biggest Monster' Is Spreading. And It's Not the Coronavirus. (The New York Times)
• Vietnam's health minister blamed a more infectious strain of coronavirus for a spike in infections — but there's little evidence that any strain is more dangerous (Business Insider)

I'm just starting to look at reporting a bit beyond COVID-19, thinking about the other major storylines going on this year in the world of biotech and drug development. Let me know what's on top of your mind: adunn@businessinsider.com.

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- Andrew