Totals for aggregate deals and in the M&A, alliance and divestment categories were similar among the 10 busiest deal makers from 2020 to 2021, but COVID-19 may have driven a more hectic deal-making pace overall in 2020.

Baxter has recalled more than half a million infusion pumps due to concerns improper cleaning could cause their batteries to malfunction. The recall was designated as high-risk class I by the US FDA.

US government stockpiles more drugs, refines pandemic surveillance with wastewater sampling and more as it braces for winter.

Daily round-up of news and notes from the 2019 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco: AstraZeneca's net prices set to slide in 2019; biotechs ponder disasters from government shutdown; Denali moves into gene therapy; Sangamo clarifies partnering strategy; and Scrip talks to Allergan and Aptinyx about upcoming NMDA data releases.