The study is designed to support the regulatory approval process in China and confirm that the safety and immunogenicity profile observed in German and US trials is comparable to that of Chinese participants, according to BioNTech.

Amarin – and the industry at large – was stunned in March this year when Hikma and Dr Reddy’s walked away from court with an invalidity ruling against six Vascepa patents in the US. The originator’s CEO gave an impassioned update on the current state of play, including the potential for generics to launch ahead of a Federal Circuit ruling later this year or early in 2021.

As India revealed finer details of two schemes to promote bulk drug production, Mankind Pharma and Aarti Drugs spelled out a preference for chemical synthesis products – they are likely to be joined by more companies reluctant to invest in some that are fermentation-based. Whether a “plug and play” format for bulk drug parks will attract foreign investment remains to be seen.

Reckitt Benckiser is expecting its OTC sales to be hit by a weak cold and flu season this year, as the social distancing measures introduced to quash the COVID-19 outbreak also disrupt the circulation of seasonal illnesses.