Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE said they would test a booster shot and a new version of their COVID-19 vaccine amid concerns that new coronavirus variants could blunt their effectiveness. The development came as Moderna Inc. said it shipped updated COVID-19 vaccines to the National Institutes of Health to test the shots against a variant first identified in South Africa. (The New York Times) Moderna said it expects to see $18.4 billion in sales from its COVID-19 vaccine this year, and the company plans to produce 700 million doses in 2021, with the goal of scaling up to 1 billion doses. The biotech's projections put it ahead of Pfizer, which has said it expects to record about $15 billion in COVID-19 vaccine sales in 2021. (Reuters) The Biden administration plans to ship 3 million to 4 million Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shots as soon as next week if the vaccine is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, with White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients telling reporters the administration is "ready to roll out this vaccine without delay." Johnson & Johnson has said it plans to deliver 20 million doses of its one-shot vaccine by the end of March. (The Hill) Dublin-based Icon PLC, which runs clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies testing experimental drugs and vaccines in people, said it would acquire its U.S.-based rival PRA Health Sciences Inc. in a $12 billion deal expected to close in the third quarter. The acquisition will allow Icon, which is working with Pfizer-BioNTech on their COVID-19 vaccine, to expand its digital and technology capabilities, making it easier for the combined company to recruit patients, Icon Chief Executive Dr. Steve Cutler said. (The Wall Street Journal)