We could know if a vaccine works this month

Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer

Hello,

...And suddenly it's October! If anyone has good inspiration for a festive, spooky Twitter name, please let me know.

Also: The US FDA is taking a closer look at AstraZeneca's vaccine trial after a UK participant had a potential serious side effect, Reuters reported Wednesday. A US trial of the vaccine has been on hold since the participant's illness was identified, and the expanded investigation could stall it even more.

October has the potential to be a turning point in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
We could know by the end of the month if an experimental COVID-19 shot succeeds in the final stage of clinical trials. Pfizer's CEO has repeatedly said he expects efficacy results in October.
We will also get clarity on how the US plans to review vaccine applications and distribute the first doses in meetings slated for October 2 and October 22.

A House Oversight panel released the results of investigations concluding that Teva and Celgene hiked prices for best-selling drugs in order to boost profits.
Celgene, now part of Bristol Myers Squibb, raised the price of its blood cancer treatment from $215 to $719 per pill.
"I have to consider every legitimate opportunity available to us to improve our Q1 performance," former Celgene CEO Mark Alles wrote in an email in 2014.
The documents also showed how the companies targeted the US for drug hikes rather than other countries, given that the government isn't allowed to regulate drug prices.

Public health experts agree: winter with the coronavirus is going to be difficult.
You may want to build a "bubble" of a few close friends or family members, with whom you can share space indoors.
Just make sure "you don't bubble with someone, who then bubbles with someone, who then bubbles with someone," one public health expert said.

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- Lydia