Reports from Italy claim that the European Union Commission won’t renew COVID-19 vaccine contracts next year with AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. According to Reuters, Italian outlet La Stampa reported that sources from the Italian health ministry have said the commission does not want to pursue contract renewals with those two companies once those encompassing the current year expire, […]
BioNTech
NIH launches study of allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines
The NIH today announced that a clinical trial is underway to study whether people who are highly allergic or have a mast cell disorder are more likely to develop an allergic reaction to the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. Reports of severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines have made headlines since the rollout to the […]
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 91.3% effective after six months
The first COVID-19 vaccine to win emergency use authorization in the U.S. is highly effective for at least six months after the second dose. Developed jointly by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech (NSDQ: BNTX), the BNT162b2 vaccine The durability of COVID-19 vaccines had been something of an open question, although early clinical data suggested that Moderna’s mRNA-1273 […]
Pfizer, BioNTech report COVID-19 vaccine works well among adolescents
Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX) announced today that their COVID-19 vaccine produced 100% efficacy among adolescents. In adolescents aged 12 to 15 years old with or without prior evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the BNT162b2 vaccine demonstrated 100% efficacy and robust antibody responses, exceeding those recorded earlier in vaccinated participants between 16 and 25. The vaccine […]
EU allows Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be stored at higher temperatures
Pfizer and BioNTech announced today that European authorities approved storage of their COVID-19 vaccine at a new temperature. Based on data showing stability in standard pharmaceutical freezers, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved storage of the vaccine at -25°C to -15°C for a total of two weeks. The FDA’s requirements include two-week storage at the same temperatures, […]
BioNTech and Moderna set their sights on treating cancer
COVID-19 vaccines launched BioNTech and Moderna into the limelight, making these once little-known companies prominent companies. But neither wants to be pigeonholed as a COVID-19 vaccine company. BioNTech cofounder Özlem Türeci stressed in a recent interview with AP that the mRNA vaccine technology that is its focus could be a powerful weapon against cancer. “We have several different […]
Pfizer exec reportedly says COVID-19 vaccine pricing is a ‘signficant opportunity’ post-pandemic
Pfizer CFO & EVP of supply chain Frank D’Amelio has said there could be an opportunity to potentially hike up prices on its COVID-19 vaccine in a post-pandemic state. Speaking last week at the Barclays Global Healthcare Conference, D’Amelio revealed that the company is considering what will become of the vaccine situation, especially involving pricing, […]
Novax could have one of the most-effective COVID-19 vaccines
Novavax (Gaithersburg, Md.) may not be the best-known vaccine developer, but its COVID-19 vaccine offers performance in line with those from Moderna and Pfizer. Its vaccine was 96.4% effective at preventing COVID-19 caused by the original strain of the virus in a Phase 3 study. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines offered efficacy in the mid-90% […]
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dramatically reduces death risk from COVID-19, study finds
Recent real-world data from the Israel Ministry of Health found that unvaccinated individuals were 29 times more likely to die due to COVID-19 complications than those who received two doses of the BNT162b2 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Also, those who were unvaccinated were 44 times more likely to contract symptomatic COVID-19. The data also suggest that the […]
Pfizer wins FDA nod to store COVID vaccine at normal freezer temps
The FDA announced today that it is allowing undiluted, frozen vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be transported and stored for up to two weeks at conventional temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers. The decision should allow for wider distribution of the vaccine to sites that do not have ultra-low temperature freezers. Get the […]
FDA issues guidelines to address COVID-19 variants
The FDA today issued guidance for medical product developers to address the emergence of variants of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. Variants of the virus have been detected in multiple countries across the globe, including the U.S., and they pose a major threat to potentially ending the COVID-19 pandemic as protocols such as mask-wearing and hand-washing […]