Zipline has executed the first-ever long-distance drone delivery of Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccines, requiring ultra-cold-chain, in Ghana. Earlier this year, the three companies collaborated to create and assess an end-to-end vaccine delivery system. This new vaccine supply model will enable the supply of nearly 50,000 doses of the vaccine in the country. Pfizer and BioNTech offered technical support, as well as expertise linked to vaccine management and storage at temperatures ranging from -90°C to -60°C, and financial aid for the pilot programme.
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency has recommended granting marketing authorisation to Roche’s antibody cocktail Ronapreve (casirivimab and imdevimab) and Celltrion’s Regkirona (regdanvimab) for Covid-19. The CHMP recommended authorisation of Ronapreve to treat or prevent Covid-19 in individuals aged 12 years and above who do not need additional oxygen and are at greater disease progression risk. Regkirona is intended for the treatment of adult Covid-19 patients who do not need supplemental oxygen but are at higher risk of severe disease.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Jiangsu Recbio Technology has reported positive initial data from the double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled, first-in-human clinical trial of its recombinant two-component Covid-19 subunit vaccine, ReCOV. Findings showed that the vaccine was well tolerated with a good safety profile. A 20μg dose of ReCOV elicited increased anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibody titers, at a level equivalent to already reported data on mRNA vaccines. The company plans to progress the vaccine into larger clinical trials in the coming days to assess its efficacy and safety.
