27 October 2020
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced the closure of enrolment into the LY-CoV555 sub-study being conducted as part of the ACTIV-3 clinical trial. THis is because of a recommendation by the trial’s independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board and a review of the data that indicated low efficacy of monoclonal antibody drug LY-CoV555 in treating hospitalised Covid-19 patients. Developed by Eli Lilly in partnership with AbCellera, LY-CoV555 is one of several investigational agents being evaluated as part of the trial.
AstraZeneca has reported its Covid-19 vaccine, which is being developed in partnership with the University of Oxford, has generated a similar immunogenicity response in older and younger adults. The vaccine also generated lower adverse reactions in older adults reported CNBC.
GeoVax has signed a license agreement with the NIH for access to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ (NIAID) patent rights to stabilised Covid-19 spike protein. The company will use the protein in combination with its proprietary technology to develop a vaccine that boosts the immune system against Covid-19.
aTyr Pharma has completed enrolment for a Phase II clinical trial of the drug ATYR1923 in Covid-19 patients suffering from respiratory complications. A total of 32 patients have been enrolled in the US and Puerto Rico and results are expected to be available by the end of the year.
Premier and Baxter Healthcare have announced a partnership to provide dexmedetomidine hydrochloride to health providers to stabilise the long-term supply of the drug. The drug is used to treat acute cases of Covid-19 patients who require ventilation. Demand for the drug has increased by more than 360% compared to the same period in 2019.
