
Good morning, everyone, and nice to see you again after a long holiday break on this side of the pond. We hope the weekend respite, however long it lasted, was refreshing and reassuring. After all, that oh-so familiar routine of phone calls, Zoom meetings and lengthening to-do lists has returned with a vengeance. Such are the signs of progress, we hope. And so, we are also indulging in yet another part of our routine — the ritual cup of stimulation. Our choice today is maple bourbon. Please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits. Good luck, today, and do keep in touch. …
A group of nine leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies pledged to only seek approval for Covid-19 vaccines demonstrated to be safe and effective, an apparent attempt to provide public reassurance despite the widely held view that the Covid-19 vaccine development process is politically tainted, STAT notes. In a statement, the companies pledged to “make the safety and well-being of vaccinated individuals our top priority.” Last week, the BIO trade group issued an open letter that made the same points.