While the biopharma industry was widely praised for its fast response to the COVID-19 pandemic, moves are afoot to ensure that the world is better prepared in case another pandemic hits. Moderna Inc. was one of the companies that blazed a trail in the early stages of the pandemic with its revolutionary mRNA vaccine. Now the firm is investing in manufacturing and R&D in the U.K. to make good on a pledge to respond to the next global disease threat within 100 days of its detection.
Afrigen Biologics (Pty) Ltd. is teaming up with two Belgian firms to co-develop and produce an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine intended for distribution throughout Africa. It’s an open question whether the vaccine will actually contribute to the present pandemic response, given the timelines involved in both validating the production facility that will produce the end product and in running the necessary trials in order to gain approval.
Ignoring congressional sentiment, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the formal establishment of the Advanced Research Project Agency for Health as an independent entity within the NIH.
Everest Medicines Ltd. has formed a partnership with China Resources Pharmaceutical Group (CR Pharma) to co-launch an independent company to focus on the development of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines.
Everest Medicines Ltd. has formed a partnership with China Resources Pharmaceutical Group (CR Pharma) to co-launch an independent company to focus on the development of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. The new entity will take over rights Everest obtained through a collaboration with Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc. They include the full technology platform and Everest’s mRNA manufacturing infrastructure.
Preclinical data on two newly designed mRNA molecules from Sunshine Biopharma Inc., of Montreal, showed they are effective at killing cancer cells grown in culture. Tests were performed on a variety of cancer cells, including multidrug-resistant breast cancer cells, ovarian adenocarcinoma cells and pancreatic cancer cells, while toxicology studies using normal human cells showed that the mRNA molecules had little or no cytotoxic effects.
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. has filed suits against both Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. over alleged infringements of its patent on biodegradable cationic lipids that it said "are foundational to the success of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines."
For years, a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been out of reach. But this could change thanks to several candidates in the late-stage pharma pipeline. Among them, Moderna Inc. became one of the front-runners in the race to develop a vaccine for the virus after this week announcing that its entrant in the contest, mRNA-1345, is moving into phase III development.
On the success of last year’s establishment of a global mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub in South Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced its next step Feb. 23: the creation of a global biomanufacturing training hub in South Korea that will serve low- and middle-income countries wanting to produce biologics, such as vaccines, insulin, monoclonal antibodies and cancer treatments.
