Why experts think life will get better by 2023 – if enough people get vaccinated

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and I'm catching up after taking some time off to hike the Grand Canyon from rim to rim.

This week in healthcare news:

• The FDA approved Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine – but the pandemic endgame isn't here yet;
• We've got interactive maps and quizzes that break down the biotech industry;
• Why experts think it'll take more than technology to diversify clinical trials.

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Tips, comments? Email me at [email protected] or tweet @lydiaramsey125. Let's get to it…

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The first FDA-approved coronavirus vaccine is here

Pfizer and BioNTech on Monday got the first FDA approval for a COVID-19 shot.

Moderna and J&J have coronavirus vaccines that have gotten clearance via Emergency Use Authorization.

The hope is now that the Pfizer-BioNTech shot is officially approved, it could convince more people who have been on the fence to go out and get immunized.

...and its name - Comirnaty - is really something.

The busy week didn't end there for Pfizer - on Thursday, the pharma giant said it hired longtime McKinsey leader Aamir Malik as its chief business-innovation officer.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told Andrew Dunn that Malik will help shape Pfizer, in part by evaluating deals.

Bourla also talked with Andrew about his expectations for booster shots.

As coronavirus cases continue to rise across the US, Bourla sees COVID-19 booster shots becoming annual occurrences, much like how we administer flu shots.

It's a sign we'll be confronting COVID-19 for years to come.

The hope of vaccinating enough people to halt the spread of the virus hasn't happened yet.

But should more people get vaccinated, Hilary Brueck reports, by 2023 life may start to feel better.

Check it out>>

The pandemic endgame isn't here yet. But if we play our cards right, things will start getting better in 2023.

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How well do you know biotech compensation?

Next this week, we have a new type of story for you: a quiz!

As part of our deep-dive into compensation in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, Andrew and Allison DeAngelis created a quiz to test your knowledge.

In the quiz, you can match compensations to CEOs, see what percentage of women are leading top drugmakers, and more.

Take the quiz>>

If you're looking for more interactive stories to end your week, check out this map Jade Khatib and our graphics team put together about where biotech companies are clustered around the US - and what incentives states use to get them there.

Check out the map here>>

Finally, Jade compiled the salaries employees at biotech companies are making in roles like research scientist, engineer, and more.

Find out more>>

Biopharma salaries revealed: How much companies like Novartis, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna pay scientists, engineers, doctors, and lawyers

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It'll take more than tech to diversify research

This week, Mohana Ravindranath took a look at whether startups that are trying to make clinical trials more representative of the populations they're aiming to treat - with the help of technology - are actually getting to the root of the problem.

The experts Mohana spoke to were skeptical, pointing to more systemic issues getting in the way that tech might not be able to fix.

Get the full story>>

Tech startups are raising millions to diversify clinical trials. But experts say the problem runs deeper than technology.

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More stories that kept us busy this week:

• Andrew took a closer look at buzzy startup EQRx's plans to undercut Big Pharma with cheaper drugs. Skeptics are questioning whether EQRx is just hype.
• Allison reports that a top MIT professor and biotech founder has been placed on leave following a sexual harassment investigation.
• We got more evidence that a booster shot of J&J's coronavirus vaccine may raise antibody levels.

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- Lydia