LONDON – A third COVID-19 vaccine has turned in positive results in the phase III interim analysis, with Astrazeneca plc/Oxford University reporting an average of 70.4% efficacy across two dose regimens for AZD-1222. Significantly, efficacy increased to 90% in the prime-boost arm of the trial, in which volunteers received half a dose, followed by a full dose. In addition to greater protection, that will make supplies go further.
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: 1health.io, Aseptiscope, Becton, Dickinson and Co., Butterfield Engineering, Certtech, China Grand Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Holdings, Dante Labs, Drawbridge Health, Exagen, Fluidigm, Healthcare Merger Corp., Heraeus Medical Components, Hologic, Hygea, Implantica, Lidco, Masimo, Mimedx, Parexel, Polarityte, Poseida Therapeutics, Pulse Systems, Soc Telemed, Synexa Life Sciences, Telix Pharmaceuticals.
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Accuhealth, Applied DNA Sciences, Bendit Technologies, Biocartis Group, Bone Therapeutics, Catalent Pharma Solutions, Closedloop.ai, DNAfit Life Sciences, Exact Sciences, Fitbit, Genomic Health, Health Catalyst, Livongo Health, Mammoth Biosciences, Mayo Clinic, Myapps, Natera, Optomec, Oxsed, Prenetics, Ping An, Premier Medical Laboratory Services, Progressive Care, Sanara Medical, Teladoc, Telli Health, Vocalis, Zerigo.
Developers of tests for the COVID-19 pandemic are deploying an increasingly wider range of test systems for molecular testing, but the FDA’s Toby Lowe said that despite the seeming interchangeability of real-time PCR (rt-PCR) systems, performance of a reference panel for a tweaked test must reflect the use of the rt-PCR system that is listed in the existing emergency use authorization (EUA).
LONDON – COVID-19 research is generating a wealth of data every day, but it is coming from many and disparate sources, making it difficult to assess its quality, dovetail datasets together and decide how to apply it.
LONDON – The world’s first COVID-19 human challenge trial is due to start in London next year, after the government announced £33.6 million (US$43.5 million) funding for the project.
“It’s coming. We know it’s coming.” That was Nevan Krogan’s blunt reminder that SARS-CoV-2 is not the first virus to wreak temporary havoc on humanity, nor will it be the last.
