Pfizer
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Texas AG subpoenas Pfizer to release Meta ad records
The Texas AG has subpoenaed Pfizer to release any advertising data it has associated with the social media giant Meta.
FDA authorizes Pfizer's Covid antiviral pill for people 12 and older
The FDA has issued an emergency authorization Pfizer's COVID antiviral pill, making it the first oral method for treating mild to moderate cases of COVID-19.
Russian, Chinese hackers may have stolen European vaccine data
Russian and Chinese hackers reportedly stole COVID-19 vaccine and treatment data from the European Medicines Agency.
How the world went from no COVID vaccines to two in under a year
The next stage involves testing the vaccine on animals. By November, just four months after beginning phase III trials, the company demonstrated its vaccine to be 94 percent effective in preventing COVID infection.
23andMe data helps find genetic factors behind depression
Genetic samples from 23andMe users have contributed to scientific discoveries before, but never quite like this. Researchers have used gene samples from 307,354 23andMe customers to identify 32 genetic factors (15 genetic loci and 17 nucleotide polymorphisms) linked to major depressive disorder among people of European descent -- the largest-ever study of its type. The data hints that genes responsible for developing neurons may correspond to those triggering this form of depression, and that the genetic areas associated with depression may play a part in other mental disorders, such as schizophrenia.
23andMe will offer your genetic data to researchers (with your consent)
The genetic samples you send to 23andMe aren't just useful for discovering your roots or potential illnesses -- they could soon help pharmaceutical research, too. The company has struck a deal that opens its DNA research platform to Pfizer's scientists, letting them use the data to quickly find links between genes and certain conditions or traits. The two firms will also partner on genome-level studies and trials, such as one that will ask for 5,000 volunteers to help understand the genetic properties of lupus.
Daily Update for November 15, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Pfizer transitioning many employees to iPhone, Android
Pfizer is the world's largest pharmaceutical firm and up to this point, most of the company's 90,000 employees have used BlackBerry devices in order to communicate with each other. Now the company has sent out a memo to employees telling them to switch to either an iPhone or Android device when their wireless contract allows them to upgrade. The memo apparently referred to BlackBerry's "volatile state" as a reason for the mass move to alternative mobile platforms. BlackBerry is struggling mightily at this time, having recently cut 40 percent of its workforce in an attempt to stay afloat. Apple and Intel took advantage of the cuts, hosting recruiting events near the company's headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario. John Paczkowski at AllThingsD notes that other big BlackBerry clients -- including the US Department of Defense -- are busy creating contingency plans to cope with the almost inevitable collapse of the mobile manufacturer. Others, like Pfizer, are taking the initiative before the demise of BlackBerry takes place and jumping ship to iPhone and Android now.
Apple used Pfizer security team to root out Chinese pirates
Apple has struggled with the sale of counterfeit iPods, iPhones and iPads in China for years. A recent WikiLeaks report notes that the company enlisted members of Pfizer's global security team to combat the industry of fakes. Why Pfizer? The answer should be obvious to anyone who's received spam email within the last few years: Pfizer's team had been tracking down counterfeit Viagra manufacturers in Asia for years. It's been an uphill battle for Apple and other tech manufacturers, according to a source quoted by Atlantic Wire. While the Chinese government has assisted pharmaceutical companies, the source said, the same can't be said of requests made by the tech industry. Why? S/he offers one theory: "Whereas a defective pill could cause sickness or death, a shoddy iPod has less dire consequences." Philip Elmer-Dewitt has posted the body of the memo obtained by Wikileaks. It's a compelling illustration of the thriving counterfeit market as well as Apple's efforts with Pfizer.
FDA gave Pfizer hard time over Viagra game
Although the US Food and Drug Administration cut off Pfizer's Viagra advergame back in September, it appears the details are just coming out now. The Multinational Monitor notes the FDA requested that the pharmaceutical company remove the game from the interwebs after it decided Viva Cruiser failed "to disclose any risk information for the drug."According to Pharma Industry, Viva Cruiser had players guiding a motorcycle down a desert road, picking up gifts for a date and avoiding obstacles. We're sure many retail driving games are happy that the stiff competition this Viagra game could have posed was removed by the FDA.[Via GamePolitics]
