Shionogi announces plans to file for rapid Japan approval of S-217622, its once-daily oral therapeutic drug for COVID-19, while interim Phase III results show good efficacy for S-268019, its recombinant protein vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. Both are expected to be the first Japan-made solutions for the disease and could make a significant impact in the market.

Pharma has won pricing battles during the pandemic, but doesn’t seem to be winning war as senators on both sides of the aisle question how some drug companies were able to skirt controversial intellectual property ownership issues in COVID-19 drug and vaccine agreements with the US government. IP experts say the biggest harm to the government from the contracting language may not be the pricing concerns but the government’s ability to share leanings from the partnerships with other coronavirus development programs.

Sanofi follows Janssen in teaming up with HHS' BARDA to develop a COVID-19 vaccine; using technology platform of its Flublok vaccine, Sanofi expects to enter clinical trials in 1 to 1 ½ years.

US FDA's approval kept very limited amounts available the past two flu seasons; 2.7 million doses to be shipped for the 2018-2019 season.