Global biopharmaceutical company, Sanofi, will leverage previous vaccine development for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to inform the development of a novel COVID-19 vaccine. Pasteur, Sanofi’s vaccines global business unit, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), will spearhead the development of the vaccine. Sanofi aims to utilize its recombinant DNA platform to further investigate an advanced pre-clinical SARS vaccine candidate that could protect against COVID-19, a coronavirus which can cause respiratory disease.
Digital Health Platform to Target Tobacco Addiction
Sharecare, a health and wellness engagement platform that provides users with personalized health information, is integrating Mindsciences’ Craving to Quit by Dr. Jud program into its digital health platform. The tobacco cessation program utilizes the neuroscience of mindfulness to help people overcome smoking and other forms of tobacco addiction. Tobacco use is the largest preventable cause of death and disease in the U.S. The platform supports users in their recovery journey through interactive daily modules, mindfulness exercises, in-app coaching, and behavior tracking. Craving to Quit by Dr. Jud marks the first collaboration between Sharecare and Mindsciences, and is the latest addition to Sharecare’s suite of digital health and behavioral tracking applications.
Drug Price and Scarcity Influence Black Market Boom
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals the selling of insulin and albuterol on Craigslist. The researchers combed through the classified ad website and found 432 advertisements for insulin and 105 advertisements for albuterol. Both drugs have the potential to rapidly stabilize patients who may be in life-threatening physical states, but are notoriously expensive and often inaccessible. Unregulated prescription drug sales are not only illegal, but can also be potentially harmful. For example, improper storage or handling of the medication can lead to contamination and loss of potency. The findings point to a dire systemic public health problem that requires substantive policy reform.
