Three years since the first cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported in Wuhan, China has finally put the first nail in the coffin of its strict "COVID Zero" policies. But as Beijing begins to relax its most restrictive rules, citizens remain concerned about ballooning infections, while a low vaccination rate among seniors and vaccine fatigue appear to be dimming hopes of a quick revitalization of the hard-hit economy and bruised consumer confidence.

In what appears to be a step towards a gradual shift away from its strict "COVID Zero" policies, China is poised to approve its first mRNA vaccine - in this case developed domestically - and will accelerate the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccinations in general to seniors over 80.

Much of the biopharma and other health-related industries in China were already feeling the chill from ongoing macro-economic and other headwinds this year, which now look set to be complicated further by the added strain of social unrest over strict COVID containment policies. The combination of factors is already prompting some to take steps towards restructuring and divestments to survive.

With growing cases and deaths reported just as the country was preparing to ease some of its most restrictive COVID-19 measures, China takes new control steps amid low booster vaccine uptake and moves to halt the online sale of a repurposed domestic antiviral.

Pharma CEOs must balance optimizing access and profitability, former Merck CEO and soon-to-be ex executive chairman of the company said. Frazier says health care industry must come to table and admit the “system ain’t working,” talks about the need to protect democracy, in a sweeping interview at the STAT Summit.

New planned changes around vaccine approvals and other COVID-19 measures signal China is preparing for a gradual reopening amid its strict policies, but the process could take months.

The FDA and Sarepta have had a controversial history with the accelerated approvals of the firm’s earlier drugs for Duchenne muscular dystrophy – but the company’s investigational gene therapy, SRP-9001, now under a priority review, could be a genuine breakthrough.

Rezlidhia, which was only recently licensed by Rigal from Novo Nordisk-owned Forma Therapeutics, should challenge the market dominance of Servier's Tibsovo in the IDH-1 inhibitor subset of acute myeloid leukemia patients. 

The move marks the second time since last year that Roche has withdrawn a urothelial carcinoma indication after its confirmatory trial failed to show an overall survival benefit.

The Belgian group was stunned by an FDA rejection in May for its dual IL-17A and IL-17F inhibitor and although the refiling is complete, UCB may still have to wait six months to get Bimzelx into the all-important US psoriasis market.

Blenrep’s withdrawal will add to GSK’s blockbuster drought, and hopes of separate trial success for the BCMA-targeting drug in earlier stage myeloma may now be harder to achieve.

The Swiss biotech is hoping that its Duchenne muscular dystrophy prospect, vamorolone, will get on the FDA fast track to approval but acknowledges that getting more funds is an urgent priority to prepare for a potential US launch.