Google offers location data for coronavirus lockdowns

Big Brother or necessary surveillance? You decide.

In an effort to assist in “unprecedented times,” Google (GOOG, GOOGL) is helping public health officials use its vast storage of data to track people’s movements due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The “mobility reports” go down to the county level to see if locals are abiding by social-distancing measures, but will use anonymized historical data, with a lag of two or three days.

Google is also reportedly exploring individual location tracking with a White House task force, as well as running a handful of testing sites in Northern California in a private-public partnership with the government.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3558091-google-offers-location-data-for-coronavirus-lockdowns

Zentalis Pharma prices IPO at $18

Zentalis Pharmaceuticals (ZNTL) has priced its initial public offering (IPO) of 9.18M common shares at $18.00 per share yielding total proceeds of ~$165.2M.

Underwriters’ over-allotment is an additional 1,377,000 shares.

Closing date is April 7.

Trading kicks off today.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3558109-zentalis-pharma-prices-ipo-18

Incyte to test Jakafi in COVID-19 patients

Incyte (NASDAQ:INCY) is working with the FDA to initiate a Phase 3 clinical trial, RUXCOVID, to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib (Jakafi) plus standard-of-care (SoC), compared to SoC therapy alone, in patients with COVID-19 associated cytokine storm.

Additionally, the company intends to launch a separate Expanded Access Program in the U.S. to allow eligible patients with COVID-19 associated cytokine storm to receive ruxolitinib.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3558122-incyte-to-test-jakafi-in-covidminus-19-patients

FDA OKs emergency use of Becton, Dickinson/BioGX coronavirus test

The FDA has granted Emergency Use Authorization for BioGX’s molecular diagnostic test the detects the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19.

The test is performed on Becton, Dickinson and Company’s (NYSE:BDX) automated BD MAX System that can process 24 samples at a time with results generated in under three hours.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3558124-fda-oks-emergency-use-of-becton-dickinson-biogx-coronavirus-test

COVID-19 throttles trial site expansion at Novocure

Citing COVID-19 disruptions, Novocure (NASDAQ:NVCR) announces that the expansion of clinical trial sites has been “materially delayed,” adding that the timing of enrollment and completion of studies will most likely be extended by multiple quarters.

Management will update investors on its pipeline during its Q1 earnings call.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3558131-covidminus-19-throttles-trial-site-expansion-novocure

3M will have ‘big price to pay’ over masks – Trump

Pres. Trump slams 3M (NYSE:MMM) in a tweet last night, saying his administration “hit 3M hard today after seeing what they were doing with their masks… will have a big price to pay,” without further elaboration.

Trump apparently was referring to a Fox News report featuring the head of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management accusing 3M of shipping N95 masks to foreign countries who outbid U.S. buyers, while U.S. hospitals and state officials scramble to secure protection for healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus.

Trump earlier announced he was invoking the Defense Production Act to get the company to produce face masks.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3558077-3m-will-big-price-to-pay-over-masks-trump

Shipping begins for rapid antibody test – COVID-19 updates

Aytu BioScience (NASDAQ:AYTU) has begun shipping its rapid antibody blood test for COVID-19. Shares up 8% premarket.

Stryker (NYSE:SYK) has developed a low-cost limited-release emergency response bed for healthcare providers during the pandemic. It anticipates being able to produce 10K beds per week.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) and the Novartis US Foundation have established a US COVID-19 Community Response Fund that will provide $5M in cash and in-kind donations for immediate response and recovery efforts.

ResTORbio (NASDAQ:TORC) has postponed enrollment in the fifth cohort in its ongoing New Zealand-based Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of RTB101 in Parkinson’s due to level 4 alert there.

Capricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CAPR) will provide its CAP-1002 cell therapy under compassionate use for patients with advanced COVID-19. Shares up 34% premarket.

I-Mab (NASDAQ:IMAB) announced FDA sign-off on its IND for a clinical trial evaluating TJM2 for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome in severely ill COVID-19 patients. Shares up 9% premarket.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3558148-shipping-begins-for-rapid-antibody-test-covidminus-19-updates