Covid-19 roundup: Russia prices vaccine ‘two or more times cheaper’ than mRNA shots; Sinovac PhIII data expected in early December

November 24, 2020 07:38 AM EST

Covid-19 roundup: Russia prices vaccine 'two or more times cheaper' than mRNA shots; Sinovac PhIII data expected in early December

Amber Tong

Senior Editor

The world can now purchase its first registered vaccine — at less than $10 per dose.

RDIF, the Russian sovereign wealth fund and an avid backer of Sputnik V, said the vaccine will be available internationally starting from March 2021. A two-dose regimen of the adenovirus-based vaccine, which it has said is more than 90% effective, will cost less than $20.

And they are not shy about inserting themselves right into a rivalry with Western frontrunners, namely Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

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At the Inflection Point for the Next Generation of Cancer Immunotherapy

Willem Overwijk, Ph.D.

Vice President, Oncology Research, Nektar Therapeutics

While oncology researchers have long pursued the potential of cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, it was unclear whether these therapies would ever reach patients due to the complexity of manufacturing and costs of development. Fortunately, the recent successful development and regulatory approval of chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T (CAR-T) cells have demonstrated the significant benefit of these therapies to patients.

Stéphane Bancel, Moderna CEO

November 30, 2021 07:15 AM EST

R&D

'This is not going to be good': Moderna CEO Bancel warns of a 'material drop' in vaccine efficacy as Omicron spreads

John Carroll

Editor & Founder

Even as public health officials remain guarded about their comments on the likelihood Omicron will escape the reach of the currently approved Covid-19 vaccines, there’s growing scientific consensus that we’re facing a variant that threatens to overwhelm the vaccine barricades that have been erected.

Stéphane Bancel, the CEO of Moderna, one of the leading mRNA players whose quick vault into the markets with a highly effective vaccine created an instant multibillion-dollar market, added his voice to the rising chorus early Tuesday. According to Bancel, there will be a significant drop in efficacy when the average immune system is confronted by Omicron. The only question now is: How much?

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November 30, 2021 04:51 PM ESTUpdated 05:09 PM

FDA+

Coronavirus

FDA adcomm narrowly votes in favor of Merck's antiviral for outpatient Covid-19

Zachary Brennan

Senior Editor

With little explanation for why Merck’s potential Covid-19 antiviral was less effective in reducing Covid hospitalizations and deaths in a full analysis of a Phase III trial versus an interim look, the FDA’s antimicrobial drugs advisory committee on Tuesday voted 13-10 in favor of the pill’s benefits outweighing the risks for adults within 5 days of developing Covid symptoms.

Molnupiravir will likely be authorized by FDA in the coming days for adults with mild or moderate Covid-19. While Pfizer’s antiviral may prove to be more effective, Merck’s pill will be another weapon in the armamentarium of Covid-19 treatments for countries around the world, adding to the mAb treatments already in use in the outpatient space from Regeneron, Eli Lilly and Vir/GlaxoSmithKline.

ENDPOINTS CAREERS

Lead Manager / Associate Director of Statistical Genetics

Deep Genomics

Boston, MA, USA

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Philip Dormitzer, new GSK global head of vaccines R&D

November 30, 2021 08:30 AM ESTUpdated 03:30 PM

People

GlaxoSmithKline poaches Pfizer's viral vaccines lead in rush to capitalize on future of mRNA

Kyle Blankenship

Managing Editor

GlaxoSmithKline has appointed Philip Dormitzer, formerly chief scientific officer of Pfizer’s viral vaccines unit, as its newest global head of vaccines R&D, looking to leverage one of the leading minds behind Pfizer and BioNTech’s RNA collaboration that led to Covid-19 jab Comirnaty, the British drug giant said Tuesday.

Dormitzer had been with Pfizer for a little more than six years, joining up after a seven-year stint with Novartis, where he reached the role of US head of research and head of global virology for the company’s vaccines and diagnostics unit.

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November 30, 2021 07:25 AM EST

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November 30, 2021 03:57 PM EST

Pharma

Appeals court puts the final nail in the coffin for Tecfidera patent, adding to Biogen's burgeoning setbacks

Max Gelman

Editor

In another setback for Biogen, the big biotech lost its appeal to revive a patent for the once-blockbuster drug Tecfidera, marking a likely conclusion to the case.

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued the ruling Tuesday morning, saying Biogen failed to satisfy the “written description” requirement for patent law. As a result, Mylan-turned-Viatris will be able to sell its multiple sclerosis generic without fear of infringement and Biogen will have to find a new revenue driver elsewhere.

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November 30, 2021 07:22 AM ESTUpdated 10:00 AM

Coronavirus

Covid-19 roundup: Aspen to produce generic J&J vaccine for Africa; First boosters for under-18-year-olds could come next week — report

Josh Sullivan

Associate Editor

After some ups and downs surrounding the manufacturing of J&J’s Covid-19 vaccine as the South African company’s site, Aspen Pharmacare has announced an agreement with the pharma to make and sell an Aspen-branded Covid-19 vaccine through the continent.

The agreement will expand the already-existing tech transfer and agreement to give Aspen the right to make vaccines from drug substance supplied by J&J, and sell the finished form under the name Aspenovax to public sector markets in Africa.

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ENDPOINTS CAREERS

Executive Director - Data Analysis - Science & Technology

Alexandria Real Estate Equities

Pasadena, CA

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Tillman Gerngross (Adagio)

November 29, 2021 07:04 AM ESTUpdated 02:20 PM

Tillman Gerngross on Omicron: 'It is a grim situation...we’re going to see a significant drop in vaccine efficacy'

John Carroll

Editor & Founder

Tillman Gerngross, the rarely shy Dartmouth professor, biotech entrepreneur and antibody expert, has been warning for over a year that the virus behind Covid-19 would likely continue to mutate, potentially in ways that avoid immunity from infection and the best defenses scientists developed. He spun out a company, Adagio, to build a universal antibody, one that could snuff out any potential mutation.

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Incorporating External Data into Clinical Trials: Comparing Digital Twins to External Control Arms

Unlearn.AI

Most drug development professionals are familiar with the nerve-racking wait for the read-out of a large trial. If it’s negative, is the investigational therapy ineffective? Or could the failure result from an unforeseen flaw in the design or execution of the protocol, rather than a lack of efficacy? The team could spend weeks analyzing data, but a definitive answer may be elusive due to insufficient power for such analyses in the already completed trial. These problems are only made worse if the trial had lower enrollment, or higher dropout than expected due to an unanticipated event like COVID-19. And if a trial is negative, the next one is likely to be larger and more costly — if it happens at all.