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4 ways COVID-19 variants could impact the battle against the pandemic

SARS-CoV-2 electron microscope image from Wikipedia

Highly-transmissible COVID-19 variants have likely been circulating undetected for months in places like the U.K., South Africa and Brazil. They then seemed to burst onto the scene, fueling large outbreaks that dwarfed preceding ones.

While the variants aren’t well understood, they suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is mutating in ways that confer an evolutionary advantage. They thus threaten to become dominant throughout much of the world in coming months unless protocols such as growing vaccination, mask-wearing and social distancing can slow their spread.

The new variants are also likely to change the fight against COVID-19 in crucial ways. Here are four facts to consider:

1. New variants could delay herd immunity and make vaccinating children more important

After FDA authorized mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna in late 2020, it seemed t…

BREAKING: J&J’s Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine study results raise more alarms about new variants

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) announced results from its COVID-19 vaccine trial that show decreased effectiveness against new virus variants.

The vaccine candidate from Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, which was 66% effective overall in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 28 days after vaccination, proved less effective in South Africa, where a new variant of the virus has appeared, offering just 57% protection from moderate-to-severe infection there (where 95% of cases were due to infection from the variant). The level of protection in the U.S. was 72% and it was 66% in Latin America.

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

BREAKING: J&J’s Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine study results raise more alarms about new variants

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) announced results from its COVID-19 vaccine trial that show decreased effectiveness against new virus variants.

The vaccine candidate from Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, which was 66% effective overall in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 28 days after vaccination, proved less effective in South Africa, where a new variant of the virus has appeared, offering just 57% protection from moderate-to-severe infection there (where 95% of cases were due to infection from the variant). The level of protection in the U.S. was 72% and it was 66% in Latin America.

“These results are a testament to the extraordinary efforts of everyone involved in our COVID-19 vaccine candidate clinical program, and we are extremely grateful to the clinical trial staff and trial participants for their invaluable contributions,” Janssen R&D global head Dr. Mathai Mamment said in a news release. “Changing the trajector…

Novavax launches Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial in UK

Novavax (NSDQ:NVAX) today announced that it has begun its first Phase 3 study to evaluate the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373.

The trial is underway in the UK, in partnership with the UK government’s Vaccines Taskforce. Gaithersburg, Md.-based Novavax said it expects to enroll up to 10,000 individuals between 18 and 84 years of age, with and without relevant comorbidities, over the next four to six weeks and to make its UK study protocol public “in the coming days.”

“With a high level of SARS-CoV-2 transmission observed and expected to continue in the UK, we are optimistic that this pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial will enroll quickly and provide a near-term view of NVX-CoV2373’s efficacy,” said Novavax R&D president Dr. Gregory M. Glenn, M.D. in a news release. “The data from this trial is expected to support regulatory submissions for licensure in the UK, EU and other countries. We are grateful…

Drug companies agree not to release COVID-19 vaccine until it’s ready

[Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash]

Executives from nine different drug companies today announced a pledge to ensure safety with a potential COVID-19 vaccine.

The CEOs of AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN), BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX), GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Merck (NYSE:MRK), Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA), Novavax (NSDQ:NVAX), Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Sanofi (NYSE:SNY), all of whom are developing vaccine candidates, all signed the pledge, which vows to “uphold the integrity of the scientific process” as they pursue regulatory approvals of the first vaccines for the novel coronavirus.

Get the full story at our sister site, MassDevice.