Drug delivery platforms innovator Lexaria has announced that remdesivir and ebastine along with DehydraTECH were effective in preventing the SARS-CoV-2 virus, using an in vitro screening assay in infected cells in Lexaria’s VIRAL-C21-3 study. The study was conducted to evaluate whether the company’s DehydraTECH formulation negated the known antiviral efficacy of the compounds before proceeding to in vivo efficacy testing. Lexaria CEO Chris Bunka said: “These preliminary findings evidenced SARS-CoV-2 inhibitory performance commensurate with our expectations warranting ongoing and further investigation in animal testing.”
Moderna has entered into a supply agreement with the Republic of Botswana for the company’s Covid-19 jab in order to support the government in securing access to coronavirus vaccines for the country. As a result, the Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority has authorised Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate for emergency use.
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The Serum Institute of India (SII) is seeking regulatory approval to manufacture Russia’s Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, sources have said. If approved, the SII will join a pool of six drugmakers in India that are expected to produce approximately 1 billion doses annually. The world’s largest vaccine producer, SII is already producing the AstraZeneca and Novavax coronavirus vaccines. The government expects 156 million doses of Sputnik V to be manufactured between August and December 2021.
