Johnson & Johnson Announces a Lead Vaccine Candidate for COVID-19; Landmark New Partnership with U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; and Commitment to Supply One Billion Vaccines Worldwide for Emergency Pandemic Use

Alex Gorsky, chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, one of several companies that’s developed a potential coronavirus vaccine, tells TODAY that his company has a candidate “that has a high degree of probability of being successful.” He anticipates starting tests in humans in September and says “We could have vaccines ready in Q1 and Q2 of 2021.” (Source:  TODAY Show)Continue reading

Abbott Announces EUA Approval of Rapid Molecular Point-of-care Test for COVID-19

ABBOTT LAUNCHES MOLECULAR POINT-OF-CARE TEST TO DETECT NOVEL CORONAVIRUS IN AS LITTLE AS FIVE MINUTES

– The Abbott ID NOW™ COVID-19 test brings rapid testing to the front lines

– Test to run on Abbott’s point-of-care ID NOW platform – a portable instrument that can be deployed where testing is needed most
– ID NOW has the largest molecular point-of-care installed base in the U.S. and is available in a wide range of healthcare settings
– Abbott will be making ID NOW COVID-19 tests available next week and expects to ramp up manufacturing to deliver 50,000 tests per day
– This is the company’s second test to receive Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA for COVID-19 detection; combined, Abbott expects to produce about 5 million tests per monthContinue reading