A new study by Mayo Clinic and Nference Inc. researchers suggests that prior childhood and adult vaccinations for illnesses such as polio, measles and flu may provide protection against COVID-19 infection. The study, which analyzed patient data using Nference artificial intelligence (AI) software, underscores the critical role immunizations play in curbing the spread of diseases and preventing future pandemics. “What we discovered represents compelling evidence that vaccinations are a critical element in prevention of disease, even diseases one doesn’t anticipate,” said Venky Soundararajan, co-founder and chief scientific officer of the Cambridge, Mass.-based company.
China’s National Medical Products Administration granted conditional approval two Chinese-developed COVID-19 vaccines in less than 24 hours on Feb. 25. One of the vaccines approved was developed by Tianjin-based Cansino Biologics Inc., and the other by China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) through its Wuhan Institute of Biological Products subsidiary.
As expected, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) looked favorably upon the latest COVID-19 entry: Ad26.COV2.S, a one-shot product that emerged from the same Johnson & Johnson (J&J) platform, AdVac, that let the firm devise an Ebola vaccine cleared in Europe last year.
The EMA issued a guidance Feb. 25 outlining the requirements for manufacturers planning to modify COVID-19 vaccines to address emerging variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
Eight months after Beijing-based Yisheng Biopharma Co. Ltd. unveiled its recombinant protein vaccine candidate for COVID-19, YS-SC2-010, the company raised $130 million in a series B round to pave way for the vaccine to enter clinical trials in the second quarter of this year, the company’s CEO David Shao told BioWorld.
Briefing documents released by the FDA related to the Vaccines and Related Products Advisory Committee meeting slated for Friday suggest that the COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson (J&J) will sail smoothly to an emergency use authorization.
CAJICA, Colombia – A cooler box with 70 vials allegedly filled with counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines seized from a Chinese couple in Colombia’s El Dorado International Airport on Feb. 17 underscored the growing challenges facing pharmaceutical companies, law enforcement authorities and health care regulators around the world. Patient safety, company liability, and the security of distribution channels have all been areas of growing concern.
PERTH, Australia – With the first COVID-19 vaccine ready to be launched in Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has released guidance on its pharmacovigilance plan to track real-world safety data and adverse events following immunization.
Pfizer Inc. and Biontech SE submitted new data to the FDA showing its COVID-19 vaccine’s stability can be maintained at temperatures often found in pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators: -13°F to 5°F (-25°C to -15°C).
In the shadow of the COVID-19-related deaths of more than half a million Americans and far more deaths across the world, the Biden administration is reportedly rethinking its position on a proposal before the World Trade Organization to waive intellectual property protection for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
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