Having played a pivotal role in changing pharma strategy at Bayer, Marianne De Backer tells Scrip about her goal to turn Vir into an infectious disease powerhouse as the firm prepares for critical Phase II data readouts in hepatitis B and D, as well as flu.

Patient advocate is sole committee member to vote against Paxlovid favorable benefit-risk profile, saying doctors do not know how to use the treatment. Members suggest conducting natural history studies on COVID rebound and publishing data that shows no clear association with Paxlovid.

Approval seems assured, but US FDA advisory committee is forum for sharing evidence for use of Paxlovid in those infected with the Omicron variant and in immunocompromised individuals, as well as discussing the Pfizer product’s possible association with COVID-19 rebound.

Janssen’s Akeega is among the latest drugs that the European Medicines Agency says should be approved for use in the EU. Meanwhile, MSD/Ridgeback Biotherapeutics plan to appeal the agency’s rejection of their COVID-19 treatment.