Hello,
Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and today in healthcare news:
- GSK is facing an uncertain future after stumbling with COVID-19 vaccines;
- Dental startup Tend raised $125 million despite losing 15% of its customers in 2020;
- Public health groups are worried they're losing the battle to limit alcohol takeout and delivery.
If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at [email protected] or tweet @lydiaramsey125. Let's get to it…
First up this morning – The CDC and FDA have recommended immediately pausing the rollout of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine.
The officials cited blood clots as the concern. They noted that six women had developed the rare blood clots within six to 13 days after vaccination with J&J's single-dose vaccine.
So far, more than 6.8 million J&J doses have been given to Americans>>
GlaxoSmithKline; Samantha Lee/Insider
GlaxoSmithKline stumbled with COVID-19 shots. Now it's facing an exodus of US talent and an uncertain future as the world's vaccine leader.
- The world's largest vaccine business has been on the sidelines of the pandemic response.
- GSK is facing an exodus of US vaccine scientists, with several dozen leaving in the past year.
- Former GSK employees expressed frustration with the company's bureaucracy and pandemic response.
A Tend office in New York City.
Tend
Tend
A New York dental startup had to close for 3 months and lost 15% of its business last year. It just got $125 million to fuel its comeback.
- Tend, a dental startup in New York City, said Monday it raised $125 million in Series C funding.
- Tend in 2020 closed its six clinics for three months at the start of the pandemic.
- CEO Doug Hudson told Insider the business has recovered to about 85% of its previous revenue since.
Government leaders across the US quickly allowed alcohol to-go in response to the pandemic and shelter-in-place orders. Now restaurants and customers want the service to stick around.
Victor J. Blue/Getty Images
Victor J. Blue/Getty Images
A battle is brewing over the industry push to make booze-to-go permanent in the US. Public-health groups fear they're losing the fight.
- More than 30 states allowed alcohol takeout and delivery during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Many states, backed by restaurants and alcohol groups, want it to become a permanent fixture.
- But public-health groups worry there will be consequences from looser alcohol regulations.
More stories we're reading:
- CDC director offered a solution to the Michigan COVID-19 surge: 'Shut things down' (Insider)
- Meet Kati Kariko, a scientist who was crucial to developing mRNA vaccines (The New York Times)
- China's Sinovac vaccine is 50.7% effective against COVID-19, just reaching the threshold to be a vaccine worth using, a major trial showed (Insider)
- Regeneron says its antibody cocktail can help prevent COVID-19 (Fierce Pharma)
- Microsoft will buy AI firm Nuance for $19.7 billion to bolster healthcare tech (Insider)
- Lydia
Read the original article on Business Insider