Second-generation mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CV2CoV, demonstrates improved immune response and protection in preclinical study
CureVac N.V. (Nasdaq: CVAC), a global biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of transformative medicines based on messenger ribonucleic acid (“mRNA”), and GSK announced the publication of preclinical data investigating immune responses as well as the protective efficacy of CureVac's first-generation vaccine candidate, CVnCoV, and second-generation vaccine candidate, CV2CoV, against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in non-human primates. 
Bayer AG announced the acquisition of Vividion Therapeutics, Inc. (Vividion), a US-headquartered biopharmaceutical company utilizing novel discovery technologies to unlock high value, traditionally undruggable targets with precision therapeutics. Vividion's platform is able to produce a variety of small molecule therapies across indications, with initial focus on targets relevant to oncology and immunology. 
As part of Sanofi's endeavor to accelerate the application of messenger RNA (mRNA) to develop therapeutics and vaccines, the company has entered into a definitive agreement with Translate Bio (NASDAQ: TBIO), a clinical-stage mRNA therapeutics company, under which Sanofi will acquire all outstanding shares of Translate Bio for $38.00 per share in cash, which represents a total equity value of approximately $3.2 billion (on a fully diluted basis). 
AstraZeneca has entered into a collaboration with Regeneron to research, develop and commercialise small molecule compounds directed against the GPR75 target with the potential to treat obesity and related co-morbidities. 
The access to the world's largest browsable resource linking rare protein-coding genetic variants to human health and disease was launched through a genetic exome sequence analysis collaboration between AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), Biogen Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE). Managed by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the browser gives access to results from analyses of whole exome sequencing data from 300,000 UK Biobank research participants. 
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) (the Company) announced data that demonstrated its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine generated strong, persistent activity against the rapidly spreading Delta variant and other highly prevalent SARS-CoV-2 viral variants. In addition, the data showed that the durability of the immune response lasted through at least eight months, the length of time evaluated to date.