What are the top COVID-19 vaccine candidates?

This colorized scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (round blue objects), the virus that causes COVID-19, emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. [Image courtesy of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases]

As of yesterday, five COVID-19 vaccine candidates had begun Phase III clinical trials as they seek to determine the safety and efficacy of their formulas.

Researchers worldwide are testing 132 COVID-19 vaccine candidates, including 42 that are in clinical trials on humans and at least 92 in preclinical or animal trials, according to the New York Times.

With the U.S. alone topping 200,000 COVID-19 deaths this week and continued pressure to deliver a safe and effective vaccine, these companies and several others are working very quickly to make a vaccine that meets regulatory standards. Seven pharma companies have received funding for vaccine development and…

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Canada lining up millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines

Sanofi (NYSE:SNY), GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) and Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA) have all agreed to supply Canada with a total of more than 90 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Beginning in 2021, Government of Canada is set to receive up to 72 million doses of an adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine from Sanofi and GSK, while the country also increased its confirmed order commitment with Moderna to 20 million doses of its mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Sanofi and GSK initiated a Phase 1/2 study on Sept. 3, enrolling 440 subjects with the first results anticipated for early December 2020 with eyes on a pivotal Phase 3 study before the end of the year, lining it up for a regulatory approval request in the first half of 2021.

Both companies have vaccine manufacturing sites in Canada which will contribute to the vaccine production there and elsewhere, as they landed a $2.1 billion contract from the Trump administration for the vaccine candidate in July.

“Today’…

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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.
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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.

“FDA has established clear guidance for the development of COVID-19 vaccines and clear criteria for their potential authorization or approval in the US,” the pledge states. “FDA’s guidance and criteria are based on the scientific and medical principles necessary to clearly dem…

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MedTech 100 roundup: Stocks were practically unchanged last week

Despite plenty of ups and downs coming in the stock market for the medtech industry, there was hardly any movement from week to week.

MassDevice’s MedTech 100 Index — which includes stocks of the world’s largest medical device companies — sat at 89.6 points at the end of last week (Aug. 21). Overall, medtech stocks saw a -0.2% decrease from the 89.77-point total at the same time a week prior (Aug. 14).

Once again, the index nearly reached a high point during the COVID-19 pandemic, as on Aug. 18, it hit 90.4 points for the second time in as many weeks, a total that nearly poked past the previous mid-pandemic high (90.45), which came on Aug. 5.

The most recent high mark represents just a -2.1% dip from the Feb. 19 high point of 92.32, while the tally at the end of the week marks a -2.9% decrease from that pre-pandemic high.

Meanwhile, the S&P 500 Index saw a 0.72% increase from Aug. 14 to Aug. 21, having reached record highs on Aug. 18. Meanwhil…

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Sanofi to acquire MS drug-development partner for $3.68B

Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) announced today that it agreed to acquire all outstanding shares of Principia Biopharma (NSDQ:PRNB) in a deal worth approximately $3.68 billion.

The deal sets all outstanding shares of Principia at $100 per share, which will be acquired in cash. Sanofi and Principia both received unanimous approval from their respective boards of directors, according to a news release.

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

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Sanofi to acquire MS drug-development partner for $3.68B

Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) announced today that it agreed to acquire all outstanding shares of Principia Biopharma (NSDQ:PRNB) in a deal worth approximately $3.68 billion.

The deal sets all outstanding shares of Principia at $100 per share, which will be acquired in cash. Sanofi and Principia both received unanimous approval from their respective boards of directors, according to a news release.

San Francisco-based Principia develops Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors that are present in the signaling pathways of key innate and adaptive cell types in the immune system. Blocking or disrupting the signaling processes associated with BTK inhibitors can help in stopping inflammation and tissue destruction related to autoimmune diseases, while also targeting underlying pathophysiology.

Principia’s BTK inhibitor franchise is based on its proprietary Tailored Covalency platform designed to allow both reversible covalent and irreversible covalent small molecul…

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Sanofi, GSK to supply up to 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to UK

Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) and GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) announced that they reached an agreement with the UK government to supply up to 60 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Subject to a final contract, the UK government will receive the doses of a vaccine candidate developed by the two companies in partnership and based on the recombinant protein-based technology Sanofi used to produce an influenza vaccine, along with GSK’s pandemic adjuvant technology, according to a news release.

Sanofi expects a Phase 1/2 study for the vaccine candidate to begin in September, followed by a Phase 3 study by the end of 2020. If the sudies report positive data, regulatory approval could be garnered by the first half of 2021, while the two companies are scaling up manufacturing of the antigen and adjuvant to produce up to one billion doses per year overall.

“With our partner GSK, we are pleased to cooperate with the UK government as well as several other…

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MedTech 100 roundup: Industry hits another mid-pandemic high

Despite a minor regression week-over-week, the medtech industry’s stocks hit another milestone as the COVID-19 rebound remains in progress.

MassDevice’s MedTech 100 Index — which includes stocks of the world’s largest medical device companies — sat at 89.01 points at the end of last week (July 31). Overall, medtech stocks saw a -0.3% increase from the 89.29-point total at the same time a week prior (July 24).

On July 30, the index reached 90.37 points, marking its highest point since that pre-pandemic high, with the previous mid-pandemic high (90.11) coming last week.

The most recent high mark represents just a -2.1% dip from the Feb. 19 high point of 92.32, marking the smallest margin of decline over the past five months.

Meanwhile, the S&P 500 Index saw a 1.7% increase from July 24 to July 31, and the Dow Jones Index posted a -0.2% drop over the same period of time.

Medtech’s lowest point during the COVID-19 pandemic remains at …

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GSK, Sanofi land $2.1B from feds to develop COVID-19 vaccine

The Trump administration has awarded Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) and GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) a contract for up to $1.2 billion to develop, manufacture and deliver a vaccine for COVID-19, the companies announced today.

The vaccine candidate is based on the recombinant protein-based technology used by Sanofi to produce an influenza vaccine, and GSK’s established pandemic adjuvant (immunity-boosting) technology. Manufacturing will take place in the U.S.

Get the full story on our sister site, Pharmaceutical Processing World.

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