The race to develop better antivirals for COVID-19 is heating up after Pfizer Inc. and Merck & Co. Inc. pushed ahead with clinical development of late-stage candidates, while Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced encouraging midstage data.
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: AC Immune, Adial, Amarin, Axerovision, Bayer, Curevac, Genentech, Gennova, Gensight, GSK, HDT, J&J, Nocion, Pharmaxis, Poseida, Roche, Senhwa, SK Bioscience, Tauriga.
Although COVID-19 is still dictating how things are done in the U.S. and throughout the world, the FDA looked beyond the pandemic in an update to its guidance on conducting clinical trials of medical products during the public health emergency.
Higher antibody titer levels were found in participants receiving two doses of Moderna Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine compared to those receiving the Pfizer Inc.-Biontech SE vaccine, according to a research letter published in JAMA.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Advaccine, Anixa, Diffusion, Epygenix, Inovio, Junshi, Lantern, Octapharma, Polaryx, Poseida, Therapeutic Solutions, UCB.
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Bayer, Bone, Daiichi, Janssen, Kinnov, Lysogene, Nrx, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi, Uniqure.
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Impedimed, Phase Scientific, Vapotherm, Visby Medical.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) heard a safety update on COVID-19 vaccines, took up the matter of booster shots, and voted on whether to recommend the vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and Biontech SE for people 16 and older, now that it’s fully licensed. Under an emergency use authorization, the vaccine can be given to people 12-15 years old.