Jun 16, 2020 - Health

Germany to invest €300 million in biotech firm developing coronavirus vaccine

Dan Primack, author of Pro Rata

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

The German government will invest €300 million for a 23% ownership stake in CureVac, a VC-backed mRNA biotech working on a COVID-19 vaccine.

Why it matters: The deal is intended to prevent CureVac from relocating or being acquired by a foreign investor, reflecting increased global protectionism around coronavirus drugs.

The backdrop: In March, a German newspaper reported that the Trump administration had discussed buying CureVac, sparking outrage in Germany.

  • CureVac is majority-owned owned by SAP co-founder Dietmar Hopp, via his VC firm, while other backers include Eli Lilly, Baillie Gifford, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The bottom line: "It's not clear whether Germany will seek to gain preferential access to the [CureVac] vaccine should it come through testing." — Ben Adams, FierceBiotech

Go deeper: Moderna reveals the limits of making a coronavirus vaccine

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Bryan Walsh, author of Future
Sep 23, 2020 - Health

America's halfway coronavirus response

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Some of the same technological advances that have enabled us to partially weather the economic and health tolls of the pandemic may be paradoxically discouraging us from taking fuller measures.

Why it matters: Thanks to tech like video chat and automation, a large portion of the population has been able to mostly escape the effects of the pandemic — and even thrive in some cases. But far too many of us risk being left further behind as the virus spreads.

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Axios
Updated Oct 7, 2020 - Health

World coronavirus updates

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Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

New Zealand now has active no coronavirus cases in the community after the final six people linked to the Auckland cluster recovered, the country's Health Ministry confirmed in an email Wednesday.

The big picture: The country's second outbreak won't officially be declared closed until there have been "no new cases for two incubation periods," the ministry said. Auckland will join the rest of NZ in enjoying no domestic restrictions from late Wednesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, declaring that NZ had "beat the virus again."

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Fadel Allassan
Sep 23, 2020 - Health

Poll: 51% of Republicans trust Trump on coronavirus more than the CDC

Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Americans' political affiliations could determine which source they trust for information about the coronavirus, with 51% of Republicans saying they trust President Trump over CDC scientists, according to a Quinnipiac poll out Tuesday.

Why it matters: It's another indication of how partisan politics have consumed the national conversation about the virus, and how Trump's attacks on his own health officials have affected public opinion.

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