The research on novel vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 with improved characteristics continues. These ideal features include rapid development to target variants of concern, easy manufacturing, and an excellent safety profile while inducing humoral and cellular immune responses.

Shionogi & Co. Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, gained standard approval from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for Xocova (ensitrelvir fumaric acid) on March 5, making it the first COVID-19 antiviral to win full approval in the country.

The World Trade Organization wrapped up its 13th ministerial conference and, as the saying goes, no news is good news. Life science trade associations in the U.S. lauded the end of the conference without an extension of intellectual property rights waivers for therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, although this outcome was not entirely surprising.

Imunon Inc. has released promising results from a live virus challenge study conducted by the Wistar Institute with IMNN-101 against the SARS-CoV-2 variant XBB.1.5. This study was conducted using the clinical vector that Imunon intends to bring into its phase I study during the second quarter, and showed IMNN-101 immunogenicity and protective activity in a live viral mouse challenge.

Osang Healthcare Co. Ltd. is attempting a second listing on the Kosdaq market with an IPO, planned sometime in March, to fund the company’s growth beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unless there’s a last-minute meeting of the minds, it looks like any extension of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) five-year intellectual property waiver for COVID-19 vaccines will be shelved, at least for now.

Trawsfynydd Therapeutics Inc. has received approval to initiate a first-in-man phase I trial of the novel best-in-class COVID-19 treatment, TRX-01, an inhibitor targeting the SARS-CoV-2 viral main protease (3CL, Mpro).