Pfizer and BioNTech to supply the European Union with 100 million additional doses of COMIRNATY®
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) announced they will supply an additional 100 million doses of COMIRNATY®, the companies' COVID-19 Vaccine, to the 27 European Union (EU) member states in 2021. This announcement is a result of the European Commission's decision to exercise its option to purchase an additional 100 million doses under its Advanced Purchase Agreement signed on November 11, 2020. 
AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency supply in the UK, with the first doses being released today so that vaccinations may begin early in the New Year.
Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIR) and GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) today announced that the first patient has been dosed in a new sub-trial of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) Program Phase 3 clinical trial. 
Novartis today announced that the Phase III RUXCOVID study evaluating ruxolitinib on top of standard of care (SoC) therapy compared to SoC treatment alone in patients with COVID-19 did not meet its primary endpoint(1). Initial data show there was no statistically significant reduction in the proportion of patients on ruxolitinib plus SoC therapy who experienced severe complications, including death, respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation or admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) by Day 29, compared to SoC alone(1). 