Emerging Infectious Diseases
The ReVector program – an anti-mosquito Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) creation undertaken at Stanford University – entered its next research phase this month, advancing to animal testing.
“Phase 1 of the program focused on identifying microbial or metabolic targets... Read More »
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted breakthrough therapy designation to a Bavarian Nordic A/S vaccine candidate known as MVA-BN RSV this week, setting the preventative for RSV up for a hastened review and development cycle.
The vaccine’s focus, known as respiratory... Read More »
The COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment known as bebtelovimab was granted emergency use authorization (EUA) last week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), thanks to its displayed capabilities against the dominant Omicron variant.
Omicron has changed the field of the ongoing... Read More »
While monoclonal antibodies have made headway in some countries more than others, the World Health Organization (WHO), for the first time last week, offered prequalification to Roche’s tocilizumab treatment, smoothing the path to more widespread approval.
Prequalification guarantees that the... Read More »
With the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 now dominating the pandemic’s reach, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has sought ways to halt its effects, and as part of this effort, last week purchased 600,000 courses of a new monoclonal antibody.
This antibody, known as... Read More »
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) last week announced the allocation of $4.5 million across three grant awards to create collaborative research centers in the United States, focusing specifically on investigating treatments and vaccines specifically related to Valley Fever.
These centers... Read More »
Years into a global pandemic, the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator and affiliated world leaders have called for fair, shared-based financing of approximately $23 billion in 2022 to overcome inequalities in medical access, scale-up countermeasure efforts, and end the COVID-19... Read More »
Distribution of Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics’ oral antiviral COVID-19 medicine molnupiravir reached a new milestone this week, with approximately 3.1 million courses provided to the United States government.
The companies are increasing access to the drug internationally, and according... Read More »
Phase 2 testing of a Lyme disease vaccine candidate, VLA15, produced strong immune responses, according to the newest data from Valneva SE and Pfizer inc, prompting preparations for a Phase 3 study in the third quarter of 2022.
The VLA15-221 trial produced stronger responses in adult... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) awarded a contract to Detect, Inc. last week for the development of an over-the-counter test capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2, as well as influenza A and B, within 30 minutes.
This rapid diagnostic – the Detect COVID/Flu Test... Read More »
A combined legislative effort from U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Chris Coons (D-DE) brought the Agility in Manufacturing Preparedness Act (S.3553) to the Senate this week, offering a proposal of how to improve domestic biopharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities for public health... Read More »
The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) released a new Pandemic Preparedness Plan this week, directing its research efforts toward identifying pathogens with potential for significant spread among humans and those already known to be major threats.
Informed by a... Read More »
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded more than $4.5 million in total awards this week to support research into valley fever being conducted by the Universities of California-San Francisco, California-Los Angeles, and Texas-San Antonio.
That money will be... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will hold a virtual meeting on Feb. 15 to discuss the possibility of allowing Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine to be used on children as young as 6 months old.
The companies... Read More »
With the introduction of the Tracking Pathogens Act (S. 3534) this week, U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) proposed the institution of national genomic sequence-based surveillance as a means of charting circulating pathogens, transmission patterns, and... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awarded full approval to Moderna, Inc’s Spikevax vaccine for COVID-19 last week, greenlighting the mRNA vaccine for use without restriction on adults and making it the second COVID-19 vaccine to earn the measure.
Approval was based on endorsement of... Read More »
Citing data from six preclinical studies, Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics last week announced that their oral antiviral COVID-19 medicine, molnupiravir, maintained efficacy against the widespread Omicron variant.
These in vitro lab studies were independently organized and conducted by... Read More »
Results of a multinational, Phase 3 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)-funded trial last week showed that combining remdesivir with anti-coronavirus hyperimmune intravenous immunoglobulin (HIVIG) fails to do more for COVID-19 hospitalized adults than remdesivir... Read More »
Moderna, Inc. dosed the first participant this week for its Phase 2 study of a COVID-19 booster vaccine tailored to the omicron variant, mRNA-1273.529, kicking off a two cohort trial that will span the United States.
In all, approximately 300 participants will be enrolled in each cohort. One... Read More »
Drawing from a $200 million program meant to stimulate the development of vaccines with broad betacoronavirus protection, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced a $16.9 million award this week for development efforts by BioNet.
BioNet, a French-Thai vaccine... Read More »
Trying to bolster U.S. public health and medical preparedness and response systems after COVID-19 exposed their flaws, U.S. Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Burr (R-NC) have released a discussion draft of a new bill calling for overhaul across the board.
Known as the Prepare for and Respond... Read More »
In a move that prompted backlash from Florida in particular, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week announced revised and restricted authorizations of bamlanivimab/etesevimab and REGEN-COV for COVID-19 treatment.
While the two had been available before this, Dr. Patrizia... Read More »
Formerly only used for patients hospitalized with COVID-19, the Gilead Sciences Inc. drug veklury – also known as remdesivir – was expanded by order of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week to include treatment for mild to moderate cases as well.
Both non-hospitalized adults... Read More »
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations’ (CEPI) 100 Days Mission to reduce the vaccine development timeline received a $300 million investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome.
While a fraction of the organization’s overall fundraising goal of $3.5 billion,... Read More »
Citing the surge in Omicron cases nationwide, U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) urged President Joe Biden to use research and technology from academic medical centers in Central New York, like SUNY Upstate Medical University, to guide the nation’s public health response and to improve testing.
In a... Read More »
Under a long-term agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced this week, Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics have agreed to provide 3 million courses of COVID-19 oral antiviral molnupiravir for use in low and middle-income countries.
Distribution will occur throughout... Read More »
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) recently collaborated to advance COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing in Africa.
CEPI seeks to develop vaccines against future epidemics, while IPD is a non-profit public interest foundation located in... Read More »
A new partnership between governmental, military, and academic scientists seeks to collaboratively develop a vaccine over the next five years capable of protecting against tularemia, melioidosis, and plague from a single source.
Aided by a $10 million grant for the Defense Threat Reduction... Read More »
In the latest effort to get ahead of future medical equipment shortages, U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) announced plans for the Medical and Health Stockpile Accountability Act last week, proposing a new tracking system and data sharing guidelines, and more.
While building greater resilience... Read More »
Expanding options for individuals with COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) last week recommended two additional drugs for treatment: the oral inhibitor known as baricitinib and the monoclonal antibody drug sotrovimab.
Baricitinib is meant for use by those with severe or critical... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has coordinated with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to purchase 380 million over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits.
Contracts were awarded to Orlando, Florida-based Abbott Rapid Dx North America, LLC; Mountain View, California's iHealth Lab... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) this week introduced a bipartisan bill that would increase the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) collaboration efforts surrounding research and development of countermeasures for pathogens with pandemic potential.
“Two years... Read More »
In response to the Chinese government's refusal to allow a comprehensive investigation into the origins of COVID-19, a collection of Republican senators introduced the Coronavirus Origin Validation, Investigation and Determination (COVID) Act this week.
The bill seeks to authorize sanctions... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced Monday that it had awarded contracts to Atlantic Trading, LLC, of Austin, Texas and Medea, Inc., of Pleasanton, Calif., that would purchase a combined total of 27 million over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits.
The contracts will support President Joe... Read More »
In a letter to President Joe Biden this week, a collection of more than 40 sitting members of Congress led by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) urged administration action to expand access for and increase the supply of COVID-19 rapid tests.
Demanding more... Read More »
