Amid the growing threat of a new and potentially more dangerous SARS-CoV-2 variant, scientists are ramping up the quest for Covid treatments. A recent study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of an unusual class of immune proteins: miniature antibodies called nanobodies, derived from llamas. Rockefeller University scientists Michael P. Rout and Brian T. Chait and… Read More
Moderna has announced a revised supply agreement with the UK government for up to 60 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine, which may include authorised booster vaccine candidates, with up to 29 million doses expected to be delivered in 2022 and up to 31 million doses expected to be delivered in 2023. Read More
Paediatric patients from birth to 12 years old can now be treated with an antibody drug for Covid-19. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for bamlanivimab and etesevimab to be administered together in high-risk paediatric patients for the treatment of mild to… Read More
Following the approval of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Vir Biotechnology’s Covid-19 drug Xevudy (sotrovimab), the companies have announced an update, with preclinical data demonstrating that sotrovimab, an investigational monoclonal antibody, retains activity against key mutations of the new Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant (B.1.1.529), including those found in the binding site of sotrovimab. … Read More
Infex Therapeutics scientists have announced a breakthrough in laboratory trials of a new drug to treat Covid-19 and new variants of the disease, such as the Omicron variant. Infex’s COV-X programme inhibits a new protease target that is responsible for viral replication across the broad spectrum of SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. As such,… Read More
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in the UK, has approved GSK and Vir Biotechnology’s Covid-19 drug Xevudy (sotrovimab), after it was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate Covid-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe… Read More
PerkinElmer has announced that the performance of its SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assays are not impacted by the emergence of Omicron (B.1.1.529), a variant of concern that was recently identified by the World Health Organization (WHO). How the assays work There are more than 30 Omicron mutations… Read More
Moderna has announced updates to its strategy to address SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, given the emergence of the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant. What is Omicron? The recently described Omicron variant includes mutations seen in the Delta variant that are believed to increase transmissibility and mutations seen… Read More
Scientists have detected a new Covid-19 variant called B.1.1.529, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has named Omicron. At least 50 confirmed cases have been identified in South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana. These spike mutations might make the virus more resistant to vaccines, increase transmissibility and… Read More
While trial activity has since recovered to pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels in Australia and the US, the UK remains behind, according to reporting by Andrew Hillman, healthcare and pharmaceuticals data journalist at GlobalData. Hillman explained that the UK commenced 18% fewer commercial trials during the first three quarters of 2021 than… Read More
Twist Bioscience has launched Revelar Biotherapeutics to develop and commercialise an antibody that neutralises all known variants of concern of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in preclinical studies. In addition, Revelar will have the ability to leverage the antibody discovery and optimisation platform of Twist Biopharma to license additional antibodies for up to five targets over the next four… Read More
Emergex Vaccines has announced that it has received the necessary regulatory approvals to initiate a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of its vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2. The Phase I trial is a double-blind, randomised and comparator-controlled study of two groups of 13 volunteers at high… Read More
On November 16, 2021, AstraZeneca reported that two billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been released for supply. Experts have commented on the news and explained how it has been possible to produce so much of the vaccine in less than a year, and the unprecedented strategy used… Read More
CN Bio has entered a research collaboration with the Infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON) to validate the next generation of Covid-19 research tools. iiCON’s £174 million programme brings together industry, academia, and clinicians to accelerate the discovery, development and deployment of new treatments and products. Led by the Liverpool School of… Read More
Birmingham Biotech and the University of Birmingham have signed a licensing agreement to commercialise a novel anti-viral nasal spray that protects against Covid-19. The formulation was engineered by Professor Liam Grover, from the university’s Healthcare Technologies Institute, and a team of researchers who also collaborated on its testing. Covid-19… Read More
Beximco Pharmaceuticals has launched a generic molnupiravir, an oral antiviral drug for symptomatic Covid-19 patients developed by Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, following Emergency Use Authorisation by the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA), the regulatory authority in Bangladesh. Molnupiravir is world’s first oral product to treat symptomatic Covid-19,… Read More
