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.
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Akero, Atai, Audion, Avidity, Berlin, Biocardia, Neurogene, Novartis, Nrx, Solascure, Ultimovacs, Vaxcyte, Vivoryon.
Macquarie University has identified 3C-like proteinase (3CLpro; Mpro; nsp5) (SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19 virus) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19).
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.
Avitar Biosciences Inc. has divulged 3C-like proteinase (3CLpro; Mpro; nsp5) (SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19 virus) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19).
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Akston, CG Oncology, Curadev, Healis, Imunon, Janux, Recce, Tonix, Viking.
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.
The biological processes giving rise to the central nervous system symptoms of long COVID remain a mystery. But multiple studies suggest they do not appear to be a result of a direct viral infection of brain tissue. The latest such research, which appeared online in Nature Neuroscience on Feb. 16, 2024, demonstrated that local immune response in brain tissues persisted long after SARS-CoV-2 virus had disappeared.
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