Acer's bank reserves have dwindled down to next to nothing following the failure of its menopause drug, osanetant, in a Phase II trial some six months ago. Enter Zevra, which is getting hold of the company and its just-launched urea cycle disorder drug, Olpruva, in what looks like a bargain.

The European Medicines Agency has OKd new manufacturing sites and a ready-to-use formulation for Comirnaty, while Australia has provisionally approved Ronapreve for treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis. The UK has secured supplies of two investigational antiviral products from Pfizer and MSD.

The EU vaunts its vaccine donations and starts building resilience against future health threats, and the UK MHRA says Moderna can be used as a booster dose. Aviptadil has received scientific advice from the MHRA for its potential use as a treatment for COVID-19 patients.

ExeVir Bio has begun a Phase Ib study of its neutralizing antibody XVR011, NRx Pharmaceuticals has reported promising results with aviptadil in improving lung function, and Meletios Therapeutics has raised funds to further the development of an antiviral that acts on the SARS-CoV-2 virus and infected host cells.