J&J reportedly asked COVID-19 vaccine developers to study blood clot risks  

[Image courtesy of Wikipedia]

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) privately contacted other COVID-19 vaccine makers last week to gauge their interest in studying blood clot risks, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Specifically, the company asked whether its rivals — AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer— had new information about blood clots following vaccination and if they were interested in forming an external panel to examine the issue, according to the article citing anonymous sources. 

None of the four companies have confirmed nor denied the report. 

J&J researchers did state in NEJM that there is insufficient evidence to link six cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) paired with low platelet counts to the company’s COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately seven million people in the U.S. have received the vaccine. 

AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) is said to have been interested in allying wit…

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A quick history of the tech behind J&J, AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccines

Adenovirus image from Wikipedia

Regulatory authorities in the U.S. and Europe have either paused or constrained the use of COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), causing some to wonder why the adenoviral-vector vaccines have been potentially linked to similar blood clotting events.

Researchers have observed blood clotting events associated with adenoviral vectors since the late-1990s in early experiments with the platform. But the safety of the platform has improved as genetic engineering has advanced.

Get the full story from our sister site, Drug Discovery & Development.

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A quick history of the tech behind J&J, AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccines

Transmission electron micrograph of two Adenovirus particles. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

After regulatory authorities in the U.S. and Europe have either paused or constrained the use of COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), some regulatory authorities wonder why the adenoviral-vector vaccines have been potentially linked to similar blood clotting events.

Researchers have observed blood clotting events associated with adenoviral vectors since the late-1990s in early experiments with the platform. But the safety of the platform has improved as genetic engineering has advanced.

The history of using viruses as vectors dates back to the mid-1970s when scientists Dr. J. Michael Bishop and Dr. Harold Varmus demonstrated that gamma-retroviruses could acquire cellular genes. 

Researchers began creating adenoviral vectors in the 1980s, testing replication-de…

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9 medical devices you should keep an eye out for in 2021

The medical device industry weathered the COVID-19 pandemic well — and is now set to roll out a host of innovations in 2021.

Economists generally expect the U.S. to see a boom as we emerge from the pandemic and resulting recession. Medtech companies appear set to ride the wave this year, with plans to seek approval or launch a wide range of new products.

Think surgical robotics, smart orthopedic implants, neurostimulation, single-use scopes and much more.

Here are nine devices to especially keep an eye out for this year.

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Vaccine panel postpones vote on J&J COVID-19 vaccine

A CDC advisory committee decided not to vote on how Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine should be deployed, reasoning that it needs more time to review data related to rare blood clots potentially linked to the vaccine.

The CDC and FDA announced on April 13 their recommendation to pause the vaccine’s use on safety grounds.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) could ultimately help the CDC decide whether to continue using the vaccine, constrain it or discontinue it altogether.

Get the full story from our sister site, Drug Discovery & Development. 

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Vaccine panel postpones vote on J&J COVID-19 vaccine clot connection

A CDC advisory committee decided not to vote on how Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine should be deployed, reasoning that it needs more time to review data related to rare blood clots potentially linked to the vaccine. 

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) could ultimately help the CDC decide whether to continue using the vaccine, constrain it or discontinue it altogether. 

The cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in J&J COVID-19 recipients deserve serious attention, said Dr. Sarah Long, an ACIP member in the meeting. “Even though it is a very small risk, it is very serious,” explained Long, who is also a professor of pediatrics at the Drexel University College of Medicine. The blood clotting disorder could pose “severe consequences,” Long said. 

Several members on the panel stressed they did not want to indefinitely pause the use of the J&J vaccine.

But continuing to roll out the vaccine without more data and…

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EU won’t renew J&J, AstraZeneca vaccine contracts, report says

[Photo by Daniel Schludi on Unsplash]Reports from Italy claim that the European Union Commission won’t renew COVID-19 vaccine contracts next year with AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

According to Reuters, Italian outlet La Stampa reported that sources from the Italian health ministry have said the commission does not want to pursue contract renewals with those two companies once those encompassing the current year expire, with Brussels reportedly emphasizing its focus on mRNA vaccines like those produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

Get the full story at our sister site, Drug Discovery & Development.

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EU won’t renew J&J, AstraZeneca vaccine contracts, report says

[Photo by Daniel Schludi on Unsplash]

Reports from Italy claim that the European Union Commission won’t renew COVID-19 vaccine contracts next year with AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

According to Reuters, Italian outlet La Stampa reported that sources from the Italian health ministry have said the commission does not want to pursue contract renewals with those two companies once those encompassing the current year expire, with Brussels reportedly emphasizing its focus on mRNA vaccines like those produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

The report quoted an EU Commission spokesperson as saying the commission is keeping all options open to prepare for the next stages of the pandemic, but it can’t comment on contractual matters.

Later on today, the EU Commission president stated that the EU was in talks with Pfizer and BioNTech over a new contract for 1.8 billion doses as well, …

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Pfizer to boost vaccine production for U.S. by 10%

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Pfizer will deliver 10% more of its COVID-19 vaccine to the U.S. by the end of May than originally planned, its CEO tweeted yesterday.

The tweet follows the federal government’s decision to recommend a temporary halt in the distribution of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, which has been tied to rare instances of blood clot formation in women.

Pfizer will deliver 220 million doses of its two-dose vaccine by the end of May and supply the full 300 million it agreed to for the end of July two weeks early, CEO Albert Bourla tweeted. “In the fight against COVID-19, we’re in this together,”  he added.

Get the full story on our sister site, Drug Discovery & Development.

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Pfizer to boost vaccine production for U.S. by 10%

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Pfizer will deliver 10% more of its COVID-19 vaccine to the U.S. by the end of May than originally planned, its CEO tweeted yesterday.

The tweet follows the federal government’s decision to recommend a temporary halt in the distribution of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, which has been tied to rare instances of blood clot formation in women.

Pfizer will deliver 220 million doses of its two-dose vaccine by the end of May and supply the full 300 million it agreed to for the end of July two weeks early, CEO Albert Bourla tweeted. “In the fight against COVID-19, we’re in this together,”  he added.

As of Monday, more than 6.8 million doses of the J&J single-dose vaccine had been administered in the U.S. Among recipients of those doses, six cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot have been reported. The CDC and FDA are reviewi…

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6 assumptions about COVID-19 vaccines as AstraZeneca and J&J face safety scrutiny

[Photo by Daniel Schludi on Unsplash]

With COVID-19 cases surging in many parts of the world, the need is high for multiple vaccines to slow the virus. 

But the fate of adenovirus-vectored vaccines from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson has become murky after a limited number of people receiving those vaccines have developed blood clot disorders. 

Officials in both the EU and the U.S. suspect there could be a link between adenovirus-based COVID-1 vaccines and blood clotting problems such as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Authorities in both countries have either temporarily halted or constrained the use of adenovirus vaccines. 

Russia’s Sputnik V and China’s CanSino Biologics also have COVID-19 vaccines based on an adenovirus platform.

1. The blood clotting problems seems rare but more common in women

Even though blood clotting problems have gotten a substantial amount of att…

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Feds halt J&J COVID-19 vaccine due to blood clot concern

The FDA and CDC issued a joint statement today recommending the pause in the administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

As of yesterday, more than 6.8 million doses of the J&J single-dose vaccine had been administered in the U.S. Among recipients of those doses, six cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot have been reported. The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving these cases.

Get the full story at our sister site, Drug Discovery & Development.

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