Atea Pharmaceuticals’ oral direct-acting antiviral AT-527 has failed to meet the primary goal of reducing the amount of SARS-CoV-2 virus in patients with mild or moderate Covid-19 in a global study. AT-527 is being jointly developed by Atea and Roche as an antiviral pill for treating Covid-19. Atea and Roche are now assessing potential modifications to the Phase III MORNINGSKY trial, including changing its primary endpoint and patient population. The partners therefore expect trial data to be available in the second half of 2022.

An analysis released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine provides strong protection in the population group aged 12 to 18. The study was conducted between June and September, reported Reuters. The vaccine was found to be 93% effective in preventing hospitalisations.

German biopharmaceutical company InflaRx has received a grant of up to €43.7m from the German government to support the development of vilobelimab for treating severely ill, mechanically ventilated Covid-19 patients. The grant was awarded through a government initiative that seeks to fuel the development of promising Covid-19 therapeutic options. Initially, InflaRx will receive €25.8m. The remaining grant will be awarded in three tranches upon achieving specific development milestones. The Phase III part of vilobelimab’s Phase II/III study is currently underway with results expected in Q1 2022.