Merck paying $780M to acquire Indianapolis drug manufacturer
Germany-based pharmaceutical giant Merck on Thursday announced it has signed a definitive agreement to buy Indianapolis-based drug contract manufacturer Exelead Inc.
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State reports all-time high in new COVID-19 cases, rise in hospitalizations
The state health department also reported 39 more deaths from COVID, raising the cumulative total to 18,644.
Indiana state health commissioner tests positive for COVID-19 for second time
Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box is one of an estimated 113,000 Hoosiers to suffer a breakthrough case since Jan. 18, 2021.
Indiana legislative leaders take aim at ‘out-of-control’ health care prices
House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Rodric Bray sent a joint letter Tuesday to 20 hospital and insurance executives, telling them to submit a plan by April 1 that would lower Indiana’s hospital prices to the national average or lower by 2025.
Doctors bemoan limited supply of game-changing antiviral pills amid winter surge
Easy-to-take antiviral pills, authorized just before Christmas, were hailed as a potential turning point in the fight against the coronavirus because of the medicines’ ability to keep high-risk people out of the hospital.
COVID-19 surge not deterring push to end Indiana health emergency
A House committee is set to vote Thursday on a bill that includes administrative actions sought by Holcomb, along with provisions that would force businesses to grant broad exemptions to any workplace COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
COVID case counts losing some importance amid omicron
The explosive increase in U.S. coronavirus case counts is raising alarm, but some experts believe the focus should instead be on COVID-19 hospital admissions. And those aren’t climbing as fast.
Indiana reports 172 more COVID-19 deaths, rise in hospitalizations
The Indiana State Department of Health on Tuesday reported 8,533 new COVID cases across the state. That’s the second-highest number of new cases ever reported in the department’s daily update.
Indiana National Guard to help at Riley Hospital, beleaguered with COVID patients
The hospital has admitted about four times as many children for COVID-19 treatment in recent weeks as in any previous wave during the pandemic.
CDC approves shorter time between Pfizer COVID vaccine, booster
The CDC also recommended that children ages 5 to 11 with moderately or severely weakened immune systems receive an additional dose 28 days after their second Pfizer shot.
Indiana limits COVID rapid-test availability at state, local testing sites
The Indiana Department of Health on Tuesday said it was putting restrictions on the availability of rapid tests for COVID-19 at state and local health department testing sites “due to high demand and a national shortage of rapid test kits.”
Thousands of flights canceled, delayed at start of workweek
A winter storm that hit the mid-Atlantic on Monday combined with pandemic-caused shortages of airline workers to push flight cancellations to a holiday-season high, creating more frustration for travelers just trying to get home.
Omicron upends return to U.S. schools and workplaces
Across the United States, new COVID-19 cases have tripled in the past two weeks, to more than 400,000 a day, the highest level on record.
Statewide hospitalizations from COVID-19 continue to climb
The Indiana State Department of Health said 3,164 people were hospitalized due to the virus as of Sunday, the highest mark since Dec. 15, 2020. That’s up 31% over the past month.
FDA expands Pfizer boosters for more teens as omicron surges
Boosters already are recommended for everyone 16 and older, and federal regulators on Monday decided they’re also warranted for 12- to 15-year-olds once enough time has passed since their last dose.
Lilly resumes political contributions to Republicans who voted against certifying election
The pharmaceutical giant has quietly returned to making political contributions to 14 Republican lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 election results, according to a report issued Monday by watchdog group Accountable.US.
CES gadget show stages wary return amid COVID-19
The latest sign of the influential technology event’s dwindling size was Friday’s announcement that CES will run one day shorter than originally planned.
Omicron clouds forecasts for COVID pandemic’s endgame
The ultra-contagious omicron mutant is pushing cases to all-time highs and causing chaos as an exhausted world struggles, again, to stem the spread. But this time, we’re not starting from scratch.
CDC mulling adding COVID test requirement to isolation guidelines
Dr. Anthony Fauci said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now considering including the negative test as part of its guidance after getting significant “pushback” on its updated recommendations last week.
Judge blocks COVID vaccine mandate for Head Start program
U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty wrote that the Biden administration unlawfully bypassed Congress when ordering that workers in Head Start programs be vaccinated by Jan. 31 and that students 2 years or older be masked when indoors or when in close contact outdoors.