The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reported that there are no heart inflammation or other safety concerns with regard to  Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine. The announcement comes after cases of myocarditis were reported in Israel among people who had received Pfizer’s vaccine. The MHRA’s statement follows similar comments from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that there were no observed links between Pfizer’s vaccine and heart inflammation.

Turkey has ordered 50 million doses of Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik V. The vaccines will be supplied starting from May, helping to bridge the country’s short-term vaccine supply gap. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said the Sputnik V vaccine will also be manufactured by Turkish pharmaceutical firms at their plants.

Biopharma company Organicell has reported positive early-stage results for its biologic Covid-19 therapy Zofin. The results come from an initial trial conducted in ten Covid-19 patients in India. The trial was performed in partnership with CWI India in moderate and severe Covid-19 patients who recovered from their symptoms after administration of Zofin. The trial will be expanded to another 65 patients with Covid-19 symptoms over the next few weeks. Organicell and CWI will apply to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for granting emergency use authorisation (EUA) to Zofin, if the results of the expanded trial are similar to the initial trial.