COVID-19 vaccine development pipeline gears up

[artisans]

For a more positive read, no dredging for Argentina government fault or skulduggery in contractural details...
Today the plane arrives with the vaccines from Moscow SPUTNIK IS STILL IN ORBIT
Thanks to "the solid alliance" achieved with Argentina, the Russian fund that distributes the Gamaleya Institute vaccine assured that, beyond the manufacturing delays that affect all brands, "the country will continue to receive" its share. Until February 14 there will be deliveries of about 220,000 doses per week and then shipments of one million would begin.
Supportive information in depth, regional co-operation, realities of the rush to gain vaccines worldwide
Read: https://www.pagina12.com.ar/320116-coronavirus-como-sera-el-nuevo-cronograma-de-transporte-de-l

 

[gracielle]

Israel's Covid-19 vaccination enigma

en.globes.co.il

Research in Israel finds Pfizer vaccine effective

en.globes.co.il

AID to invest $200m in Jerusalem RNA vaccine plant

en.globes.co.il

Netanyahu: We'll need Covid vaccinations every year

en.globes.co.il

 

[gracielle]

Cómo será la vacuna argentina contra el coronavirus | El Conicet trabaja en base a un método innovador que consiste en inocular una proteína para que el cuerpo produzca los anticuerpos

En declaraciones al programa #Caimialaseis que se emite por AM750, el ministro de Ciencia Roberto Salvarezza explicó los detalles del diseño del antídoto de producción nacional que el organismo científico está desarrollando junto a la Universidad del L...

www.pagina12.com.ar

28 January 2021
The Conicet works based on an innovative method that consists of inoculating a protein so that the body produces antibodies.
What will the Argentine vaccine against the coronavirus be like. Speaking to the #Caimialaseis program that is broadcasted on AM750, the Minister of Science, Roberto Salvarezza, explained the details of the design of the nationally produced antidote that the scientific body is developing together with the Universidad del Litoral and that of San Martín.

President Alberto Fernández raised it as one of his aspirations since the campaign: to replace a government of CEOs with one of scientists. In this sense, the hierarchy of the task of the institutions that work in that area and the coronavirus pandemic were combined for this aspiration to give results: Conicet is working together with the Universidad del Litoral and San Martín in the design of an Argentine vaccine with an innovative strategy.

"We have been supporting the work of two laboratories for some months now. One from the Universidad del Litoral and the other from the Universidad de San Martín, which together with Conicet are developing a vaccine based on the use of a recombinant protein," said the Minister of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation on the #Caimialaseis program.

"It is a different strategy than the one that the different vaccines are using, but it is a platform that is using novak and it is in phase 3. It is an interesting strategy, directly inoculating a protein so that the human body produces antibodies. It is not about giving a virus or the genetic material but rather it is a protein that covers the virus so that our body directly generates antibodies ", the minister was enthusiastic, convinced that although there are still no deadlines for its completion and it will probably have to be produced in other countries, it is important that Argentina design its own vaccine.

"That Argentine development reached an advanced stage and now we have found a national partner that has the capacity to produce it," added Salvarezza, saying that "these days we are analyzing the schedule because it is important that Argentina can design a vaccine."

The other vaccines....
Asked about the problems that the world is having to obtain a precious and scarce commodity such as the coronavirus cure, Salvarezza said that "one sees that the laboratories are under strong tension. This means that in many cases the projection of delivery of vaccines to different countries cannot be achieved. This is happening with all vaccines, Pfizer's vaccine has supply shortages in all countries. In the case of the Oxford production, it is also being questioned by the delay. And regarding the Sputnik V vaccine there was also a delay, but there is a confirmation from the Russian investment fund that the commitments will be fulfilled and that there is a delay of a few weeks, but they will be delivered".

The minister added that the Oxford vaccine that is manufactured in the country does not have any delay and that the first 6 million doses that were sent to Mexico for packaging have already come out and that another 6 million doses will come out in the coming days. "We hope this is in March because production is doing very well."

The minister also spoke about the rest of the scientific developments that are helping to combat the pandemic: plasma from recovered patients and serum equipment, to give just two examples of what can be done when investing and betting on a key sector in such a critical moment.

 

[gracielle]

Novavax’s Vaccine Works Well — Except on Variant First Found in South Africa (Published 2021)

An early analysis in Britain found that the vaccine had an efficacy rate of nearly 90 percent. But in a small South Africa trial, the efficacy rate dropped to just under 50 percent.

www.nytimes.com

What is the Novavax vaccine, and how does it work?

Novavax's subunit vaccine approach is a tried and true method for generating effective vaccines.

qz.com

Science | AAAS

www.sciencemag.org

 

[gracielle]

Novavax informó que su vacuna contra coronavirus tuvo una eficacia del 89 por ciento | Utiliza la misma fórmula que el fármaco que desarrolla el Conicet en Argentina

La empresa estadounidense de biotecnología Novavax informó que su vacuna contra la Covid-19 tuvo una eficacia del 89,3 por ciento en ensayos clínicos realizados en el Reino Unido y Sudáfrica. El fármaco tiene la misma plataforma que están usando cientí...

www.pagina12.com.ar

28 January 2021
It uses the same formula as the drug developed by Conicet in Argentina
Novavax reported that its coronavirus vaccine was 89 percent effective.

American biotech company Novavax reported that its Covid-19 vaccine was 89.3 percent effective in clinical trials conducted in the United Kingdom and South Africa. The drug has the same platform that Argentine scientists are using to develop a nationally produced antidote, inoculating a recombinant protein for the human body to produce antibodies. The vaccine was more effective with the British variant than with the mutation found in South Africa. "NVX-CoV2373 has the potential to play an important role in solving this global public health crisis," said the company's president and CEO, Stanley Erck.

Through a statement, the firm indicated that 15,000 people between 18 and 84 years old participated in the studies and that 25 percent are over 65 years of age. The results will be used to request a regulatory review in Great Britain, the European Union and other countries. The trial was conducted at the same time that the more easily transmissible British variant was circulating, and preliminary analysis suggests that the drug was 85.6 percent effective against this mutation. In turn, the data showed that this vaccine is less effective against the variant of the coronavirus first identified in South Africa and that it is spreading rapidly around the world.

Novavax began its tests in the United States at the end of December and received 1.6 billion dollars from Operation Warp Speed, a program of the North American government.

Same formula as the Argentine vaccine
The Minister of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Roberto Salvarezza explained this Thursday that the national government has been promoting the work of two Argentine laboratories for months: that of the Universidad del Litoral and that of the Universidad de San Martín. Together with Conicet, both teams are developing a vaccine based on the use of a recombinant protein.

"It is a different strategy than the one that the different vaccines are using, but it is a platform that Novavax is using and it is in phase 3. It is an interesting strategy, directly inoculating a protein so that the human body produces the antibodies. to give a virus or the genetic material but it is a protein that covers the virus so that our body directly generates antibodies, "the minister explained in statements to the AM750.

And he added: "This Argentine development reached an advanced stage and now we have found a national partner that has the capacity to produce it." In the coming days, a schedule will be drawn up for Argentina to finish designing its own vaccine.

 

[gracielle]

Sinovac: Brazil results show Chinese vaccine 50.4% effective

Latest results show Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine is less effective in Brazil than previously suggested.

www.bbc.com

Coronavirus: aterrizó en Chile el avión con casi dos millones de vacunas Sinovac

Coronavirus: aterrizó en Chile el avión con casi dos millones de vacunas Sinovac

www.lanacion.com.ar

28 January 2021
Coronavirus: the plane with almost two million Sinovac vaccines landed in Chile.
This Thursday the plane that brings the first shipment with almost two million vaccines against Covid-19 made by the Chinese pharmaceutical Sinovac landed in Chile. The vaccination process will begin next week and will be voluntary and free.

"Plane with almost 2 million Sinovac vaccines lands in Chile!", reported the Chilean government through its official Twitter account that it expects another similar shipment of the Sinovac vaccine to arrive next Sunday, according to the authorities of the neighboring country.

....The plane arrived in the neighboring country with ten containers with 1,919,800 doses, which can be stored at temperatures between 2 and 8 degrees....Piñera explained that the vaccine will begin to be applied to health personnel, seniors over 80 years of age, clinical practice students, residents and officials of public nursing homes, as well as health residences and the National Service for Minors, the network of orphanages administered by the government....The 71-year-old president said that because of his age it will be applied to him on the second week of February.

The Chilean Public Health Institute approved a little over a week ago the emergency use of the CoronaVac vaccine, from the Chinese laboratory Sinovac, considering that it was safe and effective for the population and that it was 78% effective. The vaccine was tested in a phase 3 clinical trial in the country, in studies conducted by the Catholic University and the Millennium Institute. The application of the Sinovac vaccine has already been approved in China, Indonesia, Turkey and Brazil.

Although in principle it was recommended not to be used in people over 60 years of age until there is more history, in recent days the Chilean Ministry of Health reported that it is an effective injection for older people and that it will also be applied to that segment of the population. "The new information provided by the experts on the use of the Sinovac vaccine shows that the adverse effects are minimal in adults over 60 years of age and the preliminary immunogenicity data are very positive," said the Minister of Health, Enrique Paris.

The Chilean government pointed out that according to the preliminary results of clinical studies carried out in Brazil, the Sinovac vaccine shows 100% efficacy in preventing serious cases requiring hospitalization, 78% for mild cases, and globally it has an efficacy of 50, 4% when prevention of cases with very mild symptoms, which do not need medical attention, is included.

Chile also approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the first doses of which arrived in the country at the end of December and with which vaccination began on the 24th of that month. On Wednesday, the South American country gave the green light to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

As of Wednesday, Chile had vaccinated 55,798 people (less than 1% of its population), according to data from the Department of Health Statistics and Information of the Ministry of Health. Of that group, 8,488 critical unit health officials have already received the first and second doses.

Chile plans to receive a little more than ten million doses of vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech throughout 2021; just over ten million doses of Sinovac in the first three months of the year. To these would be added four million doses agreed with Oxford/ AstraZeneca, four million from Johnson & Johnson and 7.6 million from COVAX, the initiative of the World Health Organization, according to the authorities.

President Sebastián Piñera reiterated that Chile has plans to vaccinate five million people in the first quarter of 2021, the most vulnerable population, and 15 of the 19 million Chileans, the bulk of the population that can receive the vaccine, in the first six months. So far, Chile registers 709,888 accumulated cases and 18,040 deaths.

 

[gracielle]

UPDATE: 14 January 2021

Microsoft, Cigna form coalition for digital records of COVID-19 vaccination

Microsoft Corp, health insurer Cigna Corp and Mayo Clinic are part of a coalition pushing for digital records of people who get vaccinated against COVID-19.

www.reuters.com

UPDATE: 29 January 2021

Israel's green passport provides vaccination incentive

en.globes.co.il

3 January 2021
....What remains unclear is to what extent there will be international recognition of Israel's green passport by countries who would allow vaccinated Israelis to enter without the need for going into isolation. Cyprus, for example, has already announced that from March tourists can enter the country without going into isolation if they can present proof that they have been vaccinated along with a negative Covid-19 test. Cyprus, which has been hit hard by the absence of tourists, is the first European country to make such a move.

Update: Israel's Covid-19 project coordinator Prof. Nachman Ash has said that initially the green passport will be valid for six months and private businesses such as restaurants, cafes, events halls and more will be entitled to refuse entry, if they choose, to people without the vaccination document.

 

[Johnny]

More grist for the mill.

China And Russia Want To Be Vaccine Leaders. How's That Going?

The two countries are vying for a role in ending the pandemic by offering their vaccines to countries that can't afford or obtain other vaccines. And a new study reports a promising efficacy rate.

www.npr.org

 

[gracielle]

India is positioning itself to become the third contender....

To counter China, India pursues vaccine diplomacy in South Asia

India’s move draws praise from neighbours as it pushes back against China’s dominating presence in the region.

www.aljazeera.com

Covaxin: India approves two Covid vaccines for children under 12

Both Covaxin and Corbevax are already being administered to children above 12 years.

www.bbc.com

 

[gracielle]

Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine results 'next week': CFO

Johnson & Johnson expects to report results from the eagerly-anticipated clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine next week, the US pharmaceutical's chief financial officer told CNBC Tuesday.

medicalxpress.com

UPDATE: 29 January 2021

Covid vaccine: Single-dose Johnson & Johnson jab is 66% effective

An international trial shows the jab gives complete protection against hospitalisation and death.

www.bbc.com

'Simple is beautiful': One-shot vaccine proves effective

The first one-shot COVID-19 vaccine provides good protection against the illness, Johnson & Johnson reported in a key study released Friday, offering the world a potentially important new tool as it races to stay ahead of the rapidly mutating virus.

medicalxpress.com