 2020 had hardly begun before a new virus circulating in China changed the world. Eleven days into January, Chinese scientists shared the SARS-CoV-2 genome online, starting a global race to develop a protective vaccine.
Science prevailed, delivering multiple shots in record time, but not before the coronavirus pandemic became humanity's worst in a century.
The hunt for a vaccine, and for effective COVID-19 treatments, framed the year for the drug industry. But 2020 also brought major news in Alzheimer's, gene therapy and in cancer, rounding out our list of the 10 most significant industry events this year. A similar list of the year's top trends will arrive in your inbox on Wednesday.
A quick note: The following stories are included as published, meaning details may be out of date or eclipsed by more recent news. You can find deeper, current reporting on our homepage and in our daily newsletters, which will return Jan. 4.
If you found our coverage valuable this year, we hope you'll take a moment and share our newsletter with your coworkers and peers. Get them signed up with this link: https://www.biopharmadive.com/signup/insiders/?signup_referred_by=5f93078d7aa51972095c9316.
Best wishes for a safe and peaceful holiday. See you next year.
 Ned Pagliarulo
Senior Editor, BioPharma Dive
E-mail | Twitter The vaccine was the first authorized for emergency use in the U.S. after a large study showed it to be highly protective against COVID-19, a landmark moment amid a worsening pandemic. |
The results from the RECOVERY trial were one of the few bright spots over the summer, when vaccines were still in testing and doctors the world over were desperate for effective treatments. |
The FDA's emergency authorization of the biotech's shot bolstered a nascent immunization campaign in the U.S. |
UPDATED In a tense meeting, a group of experts found Biogen and the FDA's case for aducanumab unpersuasive, voting overwhelmingly against the drug. |
UPDATED The deal launches AstraZeneca, a company that has been growing mostly because of newer drugs for cancer and diabetes, into the market for rare disease treatments. |
UPDATED Data from an NIH-led study showed the antiviral therapy helped to speed recovery in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease. |
UPDATED BioMarin's hemophilia gene therapy Roctavian and Gilead's arthritis drug filgotinib were widely expected to win approvals from the FDA, which demanded more study data from both drugmakers. |
UPDATED The three patients, treated for a rare neuromuscular disease, were given a high dose of Audentes' gene therapy. |
UPDATED Data from two late-stage trials showed the shot to be, on average, 70% effective against COVID-19 — an encouraging finding. The lower dose tested, however, unexpectedly outperformed a higher dose. |
UPDATED The acquisition capped an active year of dealmaking for Gilead, which under CEO Daniel O'Day aims to become as well known for its cancer drugs as its HIV and hepatitis C medicines. | | 
0 Comments