The COVID-19 Report is a compilation of coronavirus news, analysis, and insights from around the world to help life sciences and health care companies stay current in this challenging time.

In Tuesday's Report: European Commission proposes far-reaching pharmaceutical strategic plan, Biden names health care nominees, and warnings over Christmas COVID-19 spread.

Tuesday, 8 December 2020

• On 25 November 2020, the European Commission published a proposal for a new Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe. The Strategy is built around four main objectives, each with an assigned work strand. It proposes concrete actions to ensure accessibility, availability, and affordability of innovative medicinal products. With the experience gained during COVID-19 pandemic, the European Commission proposes to revise current pharmaceutical legislation to enhance security of supply and better respond to shortages of medicinal products. The proposal is also intended to support a competitive and innovative pharmaceutical industry in the EU. The Strategy also proposes actions to develop strategic autonomy in the EU, and to ensure a strong EU voice on the global stage. Read more online here. (Authored by EA Wright)

• The Hogan Lovells Government Relations and Public Affairs group is tracking all of the latest developments in the U.S. Congress and relevant news stories. President-elect Joe Biden picked his health care nominees, including California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be his health secretary and Harvard infectious disease expert, Rochelle Walensky, to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Congress is weighing a weeklong stopgap measure to avoid a government shutdown after current funding runs out Friday. A one-week stopgap is likely as negotiators continue ironing out a full-year spending bill in which long-stalled coronavirus economic relief would be attached. NIH official Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday that Christmas could be worse than Thanksgiving for COVID-19 spread. The Trump administration refused to purchase more doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine in the summer when the pharmaceutical company offered them. The administration is scrambling to buy more doses, but Pfizer is unsure if will be able to provide more due to its commitments to other countries. Read about these and other updates here: 3 Dec.; 4 Dec.; 7 Dec. (Authored by Ivan Zapien)

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