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: FDA issues EUA for $5 test, the effective date of Brazil’s General Data Protection law gets accelerated, and other U.S. Congressional and executive updates.

Tuesday, 1 September 2020

• 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. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has “drawn his line in the sand” on a new coronavirus relief bill saying the Trump administration is standing firm on its US$1.3 trillion offer. Meadows attacked House Speaker Pelosi “over her unwillingness to come down from a demand that Republicans support a US$2.2 trillion bill for the second round of economic stimulus in response to the coronavirus pandemic.” Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Stephen Hahn says that the FDA would grant emergency authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine before it has finished rigorous Phase 3 human trials if the agency determines it’s appropriate to do so. Many health experts have warned against emergency authorization, including Dr. Anthony Fauci. White House coronavirus task force adviser Scott Atlas is reportedly pushing the administration to adopt a “herd immunity” strategy to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Three senior FDA officials and several outside experts say that President Trump has targeted the agency and his attacks threaten crucial damage to the agency's credibility. The FDA authorized the emergency use of a coronavirus test that costs US$5 and produces a result in 15 minutes without the use of lab equipment. Read about these and other updates online here. (Authored by Ivan Zapien)

• Brazil's Congress and President have traded proposals over the past few months to delay the effective date of Brazil’s General Data Protection law (LGPD) in order to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on companies (see our previous stories here, here, and here). After a long period of uncertainty about the effective date of the LGPD, Brazil’s Congress on Wednesday dramatically approved a last-minute amendment to a measure that would accelerate the effective date of the LGPD. The amendment is now on the President's desk for approval or potential veto. If the President expressly approves the amendment, or does not veto the bill by September 16, it will become law and the LGPD will take effect immediately at that point. Read more here. (Authored by Isabel da Costa Carvalho)

[View source.]