LONDON – The first population-level real-world data on COVID-19 vaccines indicate they are having a dramatic impact on severe disease, with a study in Scotland showing a fall of 85% in hospital admissions for people who received the Pfizer Inc./Biontech SE product, and a drop of 94% for those who had Astrazeneca plc’s vaccine, four weeks after receiving the first dose.

Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Adamis, Amgen, Astrazeneca, Brainstorm, Cassava, Celsion, Curocell, Intra-Cellular, Junshi, Supernus, Zosano.

Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Alexion, Alkido, Amyris, Arcturus, Athena, Biohaven, BMS, CBMG, Compugen, Diaprost, Fore, Halix, Horizon, Maxivax, Mediwound, Minaris, Novalgen, Octapharma, Novellusdx, Pandion, Surface, TFF, Tris, Vaccinex, Wugen.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Abbvie, Bionomics, Can-Fite, Cartesian, Gannex, GSK, Immunicum, Ipsen, Italfarmaco, Kintor, Mediwound, Novavax, Otonomy, Sanofi, Valneva, VBL.

The latest global regulatory news, changes and updates affecting biopharma, including: Minister of Health, Therapeutic Goods Administration.

The latest global regulatory news, changes and updates affecting medical devices and technologies, including: Health Canada clarified RUO policy.

Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: BD, Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, Gala Therapeutics, Integral Diagnostics, Lightdeck Diagnostics, Lucid Diagnostics, Medica, Mediwound, Nuprobe, Paragonix, Pavmed, Pre Diagnostics, Scanwell Health, Seaspine, Solys Diagnostics, Spineway, Tsunami Medical.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Mirimus.

Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Bio-Rad.

Pfizer Inc. and Biontech SE submitted new data to the FDA showing its COVID-19 vaccine’s stability can be maintained at temperatures often found in pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators: -13°F to 5°F (-25°C to -15°C). That’s cold but not nearly as cold as the mRNA-based vaccine’s emergency use authorization label calls for, which is storage in an ultra-cold freezer at temps of between -112 to -76 degrees Fahrenheit (-80 and -60 degrees Celsius).