COVAX nears $2B fund-raising goal for equitable vaccine distribution; plus Novartis-Merck KGaA, 10x Genomics, Alkermes, UCB-Aetion, Janpix, BeiGene-BioAtla, Phenomic AI

COVAX nearing $2B fund-raising goal for equitable vaccine distribution
The U.K., Canada, Germany, Italy and Sweden pledged $958 million to Gavi’s COVID-19 Vaccines Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC), which seeks to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for low- and middle-income countries. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has raised nearly $1.7 billion towards its year-end goal of $2 billion for COVAX AMC.

Novartis gains Phase II-ready osteoarthritis program from Merck KGaA
Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN) in-licensed development and commercialization rights to M6495, a Phase II-ready osteoarthritis candidate targeting ADAMTS5, from Merck KGaA (Xetra:MRK) for €50 million up front and €400 million in milestones. ...