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Common FDA-approved drug may effectively neutralize virus that causes COVID-19

A common drug, already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), may also be a powerful tool in fighting COVID-19, according to research published this week in Antiviral Research.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, uses a surface spike protein to latch onto human cells and initiate infection.

Pfizer and BioNTech granted FDA Fast Track designation for two investigational mRNA-based vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX, "BioNTech") announced that two of the companies' four investigational vaccine candidates from their BNT162 mRNA-based vaccine program (BNT162b1 and BNT162b2) being developed to help protect against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Drug linked to 45% lower risk of dying among COVID-19 patients on ventilators

Critically ill COVID-19 patients who received a single dose of a drug that calms an overreacting immune system were 45% less likely to die overall, and more likely to be out of the hospital or off a ventilator one month after treatment, compared with those who didn't receive the drug, according to a new study by a team from the University of Michigan.

Sanofi and Regeneron provide update on Kevzara® (sarilumab) Phase 3 U.S. trial in COVID-19 patients

Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) announced that the U.S. Phase 3 trial of Kevzara® (sarilumab) 400 mg in COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation did not meet its primary and key secondary endpoints when Kevzara was added to best supportive care compared to best supportive care alone (placebo).

Researchers call for worldwide biosurveillance network to protect from diseases

The emergence of COVID-19 is a powerful reminder of how unchecked wildlife trade can lead to the spillover spread of viruses between wildlife and humans. Understanding that wholesale bans on trade can affect community livelihoods and food security, the pandemic underscores the need for widespread pathogen screening and monitoring to better understand, predict and contain outbreaks in wildlife and humans.

New study supports remdesivir as COVID-19 treatment

The news about remdesivir, the investigational anti-viral drug that has shown early promise in the fight against COVID-19, keeps getting better. This week researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Gilead Sciences reported that remdesivir potently inhibited SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, in human lung cell cultures and that it improved lung function in mice infected with the virus.

Neutralizing antibodies in the battle against COVID-19

An important line of defence in the fight against the new corona virus SARS-CoV-2 is the formation of neutralising antibodies. These can eliminate the intruders and have great potential to be used for prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. A team of researchers led by Prof. Florian Klein (Cologne University Hospital) and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) has further elucidated how these antibodies develop and has isolated potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies.

Remdesivir can save more lives where ICUs are overwhelmed

Amid news that the United States has bought up virtually the entire global supply of remdesivir, a new Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) study outlines how the drug could save lives in countries with less hospital capacity, such as South Africa, where COVID-19 is beginning to overwhelm intensive care units (ICUs).

GSK and Medicago announce collaboration to develop a novel adjuvanted COVID-19 candidate vaccine

GSK and Medicago announced a collaboration to develop and evaluate a COVID-19 candidate vaccine combining Medicago's recombinant Coronavirus Virus-Like Particles (CoVLP) with GSK's pandemic adjuvant system. CoVLPs mimic the structure of the virus responsible for COVID-19 disease, allowing them to be recognised by the immune system.

Using Epo against COVID-19

Erythropoietin (Epo) is actually a medication for anaemia. According to researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Göttingen, the doping agent Epo could also be effective against COVID-19. The growth factor could mitigate severe disease progression and protect patients from long-term neurological effects when the Sars-CoV-2 virus attacks the brain.

WORLDPHARMANEWS

Breaking World Pharma News

Common FDA-approved drug may effectively neutralize virus that causes COVID-19

Pfizer and BioNTech granted FDA Fast Track designation for two investigational mRNA-based vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2

Drug linked to 45% lower risk of dying among COVID-19 patients on ventilators

Sanofi and Regeneron provide update on Kevzara® (sarilumab) Phase 3 U.S. trial in COVID-19 patients

Researchers call for worldwide biosurveillance network to protect from diseases

New study supports remdesivir as COVID-19 treatment

Neutralizing antibodies in the battle against COVID-19

Remdesivir can save more lives where ICUs are overwhelmed

GSK and Medicago announce collaboration to develop a novel adjuvanted COVID-19 candidate vaccine

Using Epo against COVID-19

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