The COVID-19 vaccine landscape is gradually becoming more diverse. And it could grow more so, as several companies work on intranasal vaccines. Intranasal vaccines offer potential advantages over traditional intramuscular vaccines. They can stimulate immunoglobulin A production, which can avert infection, as a recent Scientific American article noted. Get the full story from our sister site, […]
Intranasal COVID-19 vaccines could be on the horizon
All of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized to date are delivered via intramuscular injection. But the intranasal vaccines that are now in development could lead to a more diverse vaccine landscape. The company Altimmune (Gaithersburg, Md.) recently launched a Phase 1 clinical trial to test its single-dose adCOVID intranasal vaccine in 180 adult volunteers. Bharat Biotech […]
Organ-chips could streamline drug development, but hurdles remain
While organ-on-a-chip technology has evolved tremendously over the past 15 years, adoption of the technology remains at an early stage. But as organ-chip technology advances and the R&D costs for pharma companies continue to hover near unsustainable levels, organ-on-a-chip technology has the promise to address what cell biologist and bioengineer Donald Ingber called the “broken” […]
Ivermectin not supported for mild COVID-19, study says
The antiparasitic drug ivermectin does not appear to be an efficacious COVID-19 treatment for mild COVID-19 cases, based on a randomized study recently published in JAMA. Ivermectin — which is widely used in veterinary medicine to get rid of worms and other parasites— emerged as a potential COVID-19 treatment, owing to its ability to inhibit […]
Is there a link between Bell’s palsy and COVID-19 vaccines?
One adverse event common to clinical trials for currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines is Bell’s palsy, an asymmetrical weakness or paralysis of the face that is often temporary. Two vaccine recipients in the Johnson & Johnson Phase 3 clinical trial developed Bell’s palsy, as did two people in the placebo group. Another patient developed facial swelling […]
FDA authorizes J&J’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine
Americans will start receiving Johnson & Johnson‘s COVID-19 vaccine within the next 24 to 48 hours, J&J CEO Alex Gorsky told NBC’s Today this morning. FDA issued an EUA for J&J’s Ad26.COV2-S vaccine on Feb. 27, a day after an advisory panel unanimously recommended that the agency authorize the vaccine for adults 18 and over. […]
Is J&J’s COVID-19 vaccine linked to tinnitus?
In Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) Phase 3 trial for the Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccine, six vaccine recipients developed tinnitus or ringing in the ears. In five of those individuals, tinnitus had either resolved or was resolving. The condition was unresolved in the other trial volunteer. No placebo recipients developed the condition. Get the full story from Drug […]
Is COVID-19 herd immunity elusive or within reach?
Last year, herd immunity seemed like a comforting promise as researchers worked on dozens of COVID-19 vaccine candidates and a silver-lining to the rampant spread of the virus — the more people who got infected, the more natural immunity that would develop over time. There are now dissenting opinions about how the term relates to […]
Pfizer vaccine stable at standard freezer temps, effective with single dose
Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX) have submitted data to FDA indicating that their vaccine is stable at –25° C to –15°C. Currently, the vaccine can be stored in an ultra-cold freezer between –80° C and –60° C, according to current CDC guidelines. Updating the companies’ emergency use authorization prescribing information would be simplify logistics. It would […]
EU and US take steps to battle coronavirus mutations
The EU recently added clauses to COVID-19 vaccine contracts to prioritize vaccines that are effective against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Meanwhile, a U.S. House bill that would provide $1.75 billion for genomic sequencing of coronavirus samples is scheduled for floor debate and the Senate is considering similar legislation. The UK variant (B.1.1.7) that is spreading across […]
4 things to keep in mind as COVID-19 vaccination efforts scale
In the early days of the pandemic, hopes were high that a vaccine could return society to normalcy. But now that FDA has authorized two vaccines, much of the general public is waiting for them to become broadly available. Some 4.5% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated as of Feb. 17, according to […]