The FDA has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to the COVID-19 vaccine created by Pfizer Inc.-Biontech SE for use in children ages 5 through 11. This is the first EUA for a COVID-19 vaccine to be awarded for this group of roughly 28 million children in the U.S. and it comes after weeks of lengthy debate among experts about the wisdom of targeting the young demographic.
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Agilent, Detect, Renovia.
On target with last year, a total of 87% of funds recorded in 2021 through biopharma collaborations with nonprofit entities by the end of October are focused on COVID-19 pandemic efforts. The pandemic accounts for 54% of the money collected through grants, which is still a sturdy amount but down from 76% in 2020.
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Aivita, Awakn, Biontech, Bridgebio, Curacle, Eton, Gilead, Innovent, Merck, Neocura, Pfizer, Polyphor, PF Argentum, Trillium.
Plants could be an alternative vaccine platform for both COVID-19 and future pandemics, shaking up a biologics sector that is currently mostly protein-based. South Korean company Bioapplications Inc., for example, is aiming to have a plant-derived booster shot for COVID-19 in the clinic in 2022.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Agenus, Axial, Bharat, Biontech, Bio-Path, Eli Lilly, Medicenna, Novartis, Novavax, Ocugen, Pfizer, Quell, Vitti.