Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Atea Pharmaceuticals has announced positive interim results from its global Phase II study that examines the role of AT-527, an oral antiviral drug, in the treatment of hospitalised Covid-19 patients suffering from mild-to-moderate symptoms. Roche and Atea are jointly developing the oral direct-acting antiviral agent derived from Atea’s purine nucleotide prodrug platform. AT-527 is also undergoing evaluation in multiple clinical studies, such as the global Phase II MOONSONG and Phase III MORNINGSKY trials, with results being expected in the second half of 2021.

Biotech OSE Immunotherapeutics and Cenexi, a French contract development and manufacturing organisation, have entered into a manufacturing agreement where Cenexi will create and process the peptides, produce sterile emulsions, and package clinical batches of CoVepiT, OSE Immunotherapeutics’ Covid-19 vaccine candidate in the ongoing Phase I trial. It is expected to be used in the product’s further development phases, subject to positive results from the Phase I study. The manufacturing line is set up at Cenexi’s Hérouville-Saint-Clair site in Normandy, France, which has a filling capacity of 40 million bottles per year.

Clover Biopharmaceuticals, a global clinical-stage biotechnology company, has entered into an advance purchase agreement with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to provide up to 414 million doses of its protein-based Covid-19 vaccine to the COVAX facility that ensures global equitable procurement of Covid-19 vaccines. While the company awaits emergency use listing from the World Health Organization, it is expected to make an initial 64 million doses available for procurement through COVAX in 2021. Gavi also has the option to procure an additional 350 million doses to be supplied in 2022. The agreement also includes opportunities to access Clover’s variant-adapted Covid-19 vaccines.