April 2, 2021

The California Biotechnology Foundation is committed to keeping you up to date about COVID-19 testing, treatment and prevention advancements. The following resources track what progress has been made as of April 2, 2021. Notable advancements include:

• Pfizer and BioNTech released new results from a large, international study, showing its COVID-19 vaccine remained 91.3 percent effective and offered near-complete protection against severe disease for at least six months.
• Both Abbott’s and Quidel’s rapid COVID-19 at-home tests have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and will soon be sold over the counter on drugstore shelves.
• Moderna is conducting a large COVID-19 vaccine trial with as many as 12,000 U.S. college students. The trial study intends to answer whether the Moderna vaccine, which has been shown to protect against serious symptoms, also prevents those who get infected from spreading the disease to others.
• Pfizer and BioNTech‘s COVID-19 vaccine was strongly protective against COVID-19 in a Phase 3 study of adolescents, which could clear the way for expanded use of the shot beyond its current authorization for people 16 years and older.

Recent News:

• Backed by Millions in Public and Private Cash, Rapid Covid Tests Are Coming to Stores Near Yo
  California Healthline – April 1, 2021
  Scientists and lawmakers agree that over-the-counter covid tests could allow desk workers to settle back into their cubicles and make it easier to reopen schools and travel. Delays have also kept rapid tests from hitting store shelves in large numbers, though the industry was energized by the Food and Drug Administration’s greenlighting of two more over-the-counter tests.
• Pfizer vaccine data show durable protection, hint at efficacy against virus variant
  BioPharma Dive – April 1, 2021
  Pfizer and BioNTech released new results from the large, international study that led to U.S. authorization of their COVID-19 vaccine last year, showing the shot’s protective effects appear to hold up for at least six months. Pfizer’s vaccine remained 91.3% effective and offered near-complete protection against severe disease.
• FDA Authorizes 2 Rapid, At-Home COVID-19 Tests
  NPR – April 1, 2021
  Imagine waking up, brushing your teeth, and quickly swabbing your nose to test for COVID-19 — whether you feel sick or not. That reality just got a bit closer with an announcement from the Food and Drug Administration that two rapid antigen at-home tests will soon be sold over the counter on drugstore shelves. The newly authorized tests in the fight against COVID-19 are Abbott’s BinaxNOW test and Quidel’s QuickVue.
• Newsom receives COVID-19 vaccine in Los Angeles
  KCRA – April 1, 2021
  The governor getting the shot comes as eligibility to receive the vaccine expands to Californians ages 50 years and older starting Thursday, April 1. Later in the month, residents ages 16 and older will also become eligible.
• Pfizer, BioNTech’s vaccine protects 12- to 15-year-olds from COVID-19 in study
  BioPharma Dive – March 31, 2021
  Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine was strongly protective against COVID-19 in a Phase 3 study of adolescents, which could clear the way for expanded use of the shot beyond its current authorization for people 16 years and older.
• How mRNA Technology Could Change the World
  The Atlantic – March 29, 2021
  The ingenious technology behind the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, might seem like a sudden breakthrough, or a new discovery. One year ago, almost nobody in the world knew what an mRNA vaccine was, for the good reason that no country in the world had ever approved one. Months later, the same technology powered the two fastest vaccine trials in the history of science.
• Large National Study To Test Moderna Vaccine’s Impact On Spread Of Virus Among College Students
  Forbes – March 30, 2021
  A national study of the effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine ultimately involving as many as 12,000 U.S. college students is underway. The “Prevent COVID U” is intended to answer whether the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which has been shown to protect against serious symptoms in infected individuals, also prevents those who get infected from spreading the disease to others.
• Lilly, Vir Biotechnology and GSK Announce Positive Topline Data from the Phase 2 BLAZE-4 Trial Evaluating Bamlanivimab with VIR-7831 in Low-Risk Adults with COVID-19
  Biospace – March 29, 2021
  Eli Lilly and Company, Vir Biotechnology, Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline plc today announced topline data from the expanded Phase 2 BLAZE-4 trial studying low-risk adult patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Results showed that investigational bamlanivimab co-administered with VIR-7831 demonstrated a 70 percent relative reduction in persistently high viral load at day 7 compared to placebo.

Rely on California Biotechnology Foundation to monitor breaking news and provide updates on the latest advancements in COVID-19 diagnostics, vaccines and treatments.

Stay informed on the latest news and trends on the economic and health benefits of this industry by visiting the new CABiotech.org

If you have any questions about informational briefings contact California Biotechnology Foundation Executive Director Patty Cooper at (916)764-2434 or [email protected].