Class is dismissed for PharmStars’ first cohort of digital health startup companies. The pharma-focused accelerator recently graduated 12 companies after a 10-week educational program and a final showcase meet-up with six pharma members – Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sumitovant Biopharma, Takeda and Alexion (now part of AstraZeneca).

The final 12 – bumped up from an initial expected class size of 10 after 73 applications poured in – are now in various stages of talks with the pharma companies about next steps. While it’s too early to report any final deals or partnerships, PharmStars’ founder and CEO Naomi Fried applauded first-round efforts and expects there will be news in the upcoming weeks.

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Verily, Alphabet’s life sciences outfit, has plucked a new CFO from the ranks of Atara Biotherapeutics, the company announced on Wednesday.

Utpal Koppikar joins Verily after a nearly five-year stint as CFO and senior VP at Atara, though his résumé also boasts roles at Gilead and Amgen.

The news follows a major reshuffling at Verily, including several senior departures earlier this year and a round of layoffs.

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Dexcom is going back to the Super Bowl with its pop singer and patient spokesperson Nick Jonas. Jonas takes center stage as the lone figure in the 30-second commercial showcasing Dexcom’s next-generation G7 continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device.

Jonas’ sleight-of-hand tricks populate the commercial — he pinches his empty fingers together and pops them open to reveal the small CGM — even as he ends the ad, saying, “It’s not magic. It just feels that way.” Jonas then disappears in a puff of smoke.

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Sanofi is highlighting people’s dreams — both big and small — to make the point that vaccines make them possible.

The renewed “Dream Big” global social media campaign’s newest dreamer is Juan, a teacher in the Misiones rainforest in Argentina whose story is told through videos on Instagram and Sanofi’s website with the hashtag #VaccinesForDreams.

The campaign ties to Sanofi’s broader umbrella initiative “Vaccine Stories” to promote the value of vaccines and drive awareness of the need for improved vaccination coverage.

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