The World Health Organization has updated progress with evaluations of two Chinese vaccines and Russia's Sputnik V, the UK has ordered 60 million more Pfizer/BioNTech doses, and the European Medicines Agency is looking at the use of baricitinib in COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen.

Moderna, GSK and Bharat Biotech point to technology transfer, material shortages and manufacturing expertise as factors constraining COVID-19 vaccine supplies, rather than intellectual property rights. Meanwhile, Moderna's CEO forecasts a surplus of these vaccines by 2022.

The developers of eleven new drugs could learn this week whether the European Medicines Agency will set them on course for pan-EU marketing approval.

French giant makes its biggest single investment to date in Asia as it prepares to build up regional vaccine production capacity, in part to help prepare for future pandemics.