The CDC’s ACIP again punted a decision on whether to make a pneumococcal vaccine available to all adults 50 and older amid concerns over cost and equity tradeoffs, as well as unknowns about the length of vaccine protection. 

Speaking of an impending launch of new biosimilars, including pembrolizumab, panelists at a recent event in India asked for regulatory easing from a waiver of Phase III trials for biosimilars to a single body for pre-clinical and trial approvals. The chicken and egg question of VC funding also came up.

The latest meeting of the European Medicines Agency’s human medicines committee, the CHMP, is taking place this week. Decisions are expected for 13 drug marketing applications, there will be a number of oral explanation meetings, and activity is expected relating to a drug at the center of a case involving the European Commission’s rejection of an EMA recommendation.

Public Company Edition: Cullinan and Cidara shifted their strategic directions and found investors to bring along for the ride. Also, Intra-Cellular closed a post-Phase III $575m follow-on offering and Tarsus accessed up to $200m from Pharmakon.