Many jobs have come with increased stress levels during the coronavirus pandemic, from ICU staff to Walmart greeters. Now officials who’ve been keeping tabs on FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn are wondering whether he can weather the strain of defending science while working for the Trump administration. Hahn has been squeezed between expressing his professional […]
Insulet up on Street-beating Q2, raised guidance
Insulet (NSDQ:PODD) shares ticked up today on second-quarter results that topped the consensus forecast. The Acton, Mass.-based wearable insulin delivery system developer posted profits of $14.4 million, or 22¢ per share, on sales of $226.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020, for a bottom-line gain of nearly ten times as much as last […]
Inovio to scale up production of smart delivery device for potential COVID-19 vaccine
Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:INO) announced that it received $71 million from the U.S. Defense Dept. to support its Cellectra 3PSP smart device. Funding from the DoD is set to support large-scale manufacturing for the Cellectra 3PSP and the procurement of Cellectra 2000 devices, which are used to deliver Inovio’s INO-4800 COVID-19 vaccine candidate directly into the skin. […]
Thermo Fisher rises on COVID-19 response-driven Q2
Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) shares got a boost today on second-quarter results that came in well above the consensus forecast. The Waltham, Mass.-based company posted profits of $1.2 billion, or $2.90 per share, on sales of $6.9 billion for the three months ended June 27, 2020, for a 3.3% bottom-line gain on sales growth of 9.5%. […]
Smiths Medical lands major vaccine-related contract
Smiths Medical announced today that it has landed a federal contract to produce more than 78 million syringe-and-needle units and $20 million in federal funding to expand its Keene, N.H. plant to produce them. The Plymouth, Minn.-based company said it received an order for 78.6 million syringe-and-needle units and that BARDA and the Joint Program […]
U.S. investing $42m to boost BD syringe and needle production
HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority is helping BD expand operations and manufacturing capacity in Nebraska to boost syringe and needle supplies for an eventual COVID-19 vaccine. Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) said today that the total project will cost $70 million, with BARDA providing $42 million. The company expects the new capacity to be online within […]
Thermo Fisher projects 10% increase in Q2 sales
Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) announced today that it estimates revenue growth for its recently ended second quarter to total approximately 10%. Waltham, Mass.-based Thermo Fisher said in a news release that its reported and organic sales growth for the quarter (ended June 27) was primarily driven by global sales of PCR-based tests and other products and […]
HHS spending $347m to boost supply of COVID-19 vaccine, treatment vials
The U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS) and Dept. of Defense (DoD) announced a joint effort to increase manufacturing for vials earmarked for COVID-19-related drugs and vaccines. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), as part of HHS, collaborated with DoD to provide funding for U.S.-based companies Corning Inc. and SiO2 Materials […]
Canada orders 37 million syringes from BD in anticipation of COVID-19 vaccine
Canada reportedly signed a contract to purchase 37 million syringes from Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) in preparation for a potential COVID-19 vaccine. A report in The Record revealed that Public Services & Procurement Minister Anita Anand said the country made a purchase order from the Canadian branch of BD in an effort to make sure Canada is ready for […]
Merck eyes tiny patches as a vaccine delivery method
Merck has exercised its option to use Vaxxas‘ High Density Microarray Patch (HD-MAP) platform as a delivery platform for a vaccine candidate, the companies announced today. The companies did not disclose what the vaccine candidate is supposed to treat. But Merck this month announced two COVID-19 vaccine development efforts: a collaboration with IAVI and plans […]
