STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a Merck pneumococcal shot, Kansas suing Pfizer, and more
Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. Clear blue skies and comfortable breezes are enveloping the Pharmalot campus, although we expect the steam to rise any moment now. As for us, we are engaged in the usual rituals — firing up the coffee kettle in order to brew a cup of stimulation (the choice today is butter pecan) and foraging for items of interest. On that note, here are a few tidbits to help you get started on your journey today, which we hope will be meaningful and productive. Oh, and one more thing. We will not be sending our usual morning missive tomorrow due to a holiday on this side of the pond. Meanwhile, best of luck and do keep in touch …
The Food and Drug Administration approved a new Merck pneumococcal vaccine for adults 18 and older, STAT tells us. The vaccine, which will be sold under the name Capvaxive, is designed to protect against pneumococcal pneumonia, which hospitalizes about 150,000 adults in the United States every year and kills about 1 in 20 who develop it, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Capvaxive is the first pneumococcal vaccine specifically aimed at protecting against the serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae — the bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease — that most commonly infect older adults.
The state of Kansas filed a lawsuit alleging Pfizer violated consumer protection laws by marketing its Covid-19 vaccine as “safe” even though it “knew” the vaccine was connected to “serious adverse events,” Fox News writes. The lawsuit alleges that Pfizer used various methods to “conceal critical data” related to the “safety and effectiveness” of the vaccine, including using confidentiality agreements, an extended timeline, and destroying the control group participating in its vaccine trial. The lawsuit, which was filed by Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach, alleges that through “misrepresentations,” Pfizer earned “record company revenue” of approximately $75 billion in just two years.
Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…
