We're getting closer to a J&J booster shot

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm healthcare editor Leah Rosenbaum, and today in healthcare news:

• A booster shot for the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine is one step closer;
• A leaked memo from Moderna's CEO defends their promises to wealthier nations;
• AI company Quris raised $9 million to develop safer drugs.

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at lrosenbaum@insider.com or tweet @leah_rosenbaum. Let's get to it...

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A vial of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen's) Covid-19 vaccine.

Eduardo Sanz/Europa Press via Getty Images

A Johnson & Johnson booster shot just got closer to reality, as the FDA's expert panel unanimously supports an extra dose

• After an afternoon of debate, an FDA panel voted Friday in favor of authorizing J&J's COVID-19 booster shot.
• The FDA has the final say in reviewing J&J's application to give an extra dose.
• A new study suggested Moderna's or Pfizer's vaccine also work as a booster for J&J recipients.

Check it out>>

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Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel attends a meeting with President Donald Trump in March 2020.

Andrew Harnik/AP Images

Leaked memo: Moderna's CEO responds to criticism that the $135 billion biotech is prioritizing vaccine profits over helping poorer countries

• In a memo Insider obtained, Moderna's CEO rebuked criticism of its vaccine supply to poorer nations.
• The memo came after a US official, Dr. David Kessler, said he expected Moderna to "step up."
• "We are now criticized for doing what we promised," CEO Stéphane Bancel wrote to employees.

Get the full scoop>>

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Quris launched with a $9 million seed round.

Quris

See the 15-slide presentation this AI company used to raise $9 million for its approach to changing how we test the safety of drugs

• Quris is an AI startup that plans to revolutionize how drug safety is tested.
• It plans to have its first drug in clinical trials in 2022.
• Here's the presentation Quris used to raise a $9 million seed round.

See the slides now>>

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More stories we're reading:

• The most common side effects to expect after your Moderna booster: headache, fatigue, and pain at the injection site (Insider)
• Public health workers are increasingly being threatened for doing their jobs (High Country News)
• Credit Suisse has lost senior banker Sumit Khedekar to Citigroup, where he's slated to lead its healthcare banking biz in the Americas (Insider)
• The FDA is reviewing a rare heart side effect in teens from the Moderna vaccine (The Wall Street Journal)

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-Leah

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