SpaceX Starship Explodes in Texas During Test, Citing Nitrogen Tank Failure 
FDA Lifts REMS Requirement for CAR-T Cell Cancer Therapies 
Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency 
Innovent Biologics Shares Rally on New Eli Lilly Oncology and Immunology Deal 
Weight-Loss Drug Ads Take Over the Super Bowl as Pharma Embraces Direct-to-Consumer Marketing 
Sanofi Reports Positive Late-Stage Results for Amlitelimab in Eczema Treatment 
SpaceX’s Starship Completes 11th Test Flight, Paving Way for Moon and Mars Missions 
Astronomers have discovered another puzzling interstellar object − this third one is big, bright and fast 
Royalty Pharma Stock Rises After Acquiring Full Evrysdi Royalty Rights from PTC Therapeutics 
Trump Signs Executive Order to Boost AI Research in Childhood Cancer 
CDC Vaccine Review Sparks Controversy Over Thimerosal Study Citation 
As of now, there is still no definitive cure for coronavirus and scientists are scrambling to find and develop a cure. Papua New Guinea is also on the search for a cure as its government has allocated $3 million to an unknown firm to find a possible COVID-19 cure.
Papua New Guinea has given $3 million to a company known as Niugini BioMed Ltd., which was established back in August. The funds will be used for research to discover a possible cure for COVID-19 from existing drugs. This report was found from leaked documents in contrast to Prime Minister James Marape saying that the country’s national executive council has not yet completed its approval process to assign a company to find a possible COVID-19 cure.
So far, a team from the University of Papua New Guinea was claimed to have looked through 30,000 known drugs all over the world to identify 10 possible COVID-19 treatments. The cabinet submission that presented the claim was also signed by Marape, will instruct the ministers, its treasury, and finance to give $10.2 million kinas or around $2.8 million. The submission also instructs its health department to collaborate with the company assigned to start running clinical trials.
“We have young and competent PNG scientists, who have presented their case to the COVID-19 controller...and our medical and science community, that they may be on to something big,” said Marape. “It may be true, or vice-versa, but I am not a prime minister to kill ingenuity, research, science, and study.”
Meanwhile, in the United States, a $375 million deal was brokered with company Eli Lilly to provide 300,000 doses of its experimental antibody drug to possibly treat COVID-19. The deal details that the company has two months to deliver the doses after being given an emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration. It also gives the government an option to buy 650,000 more doses all the way through June 30, said the company.
Eli Lilly filed a request to the FDA this month for an emergency use authorization of its drug to be used on COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate cases.
