August 6, 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 August 6, 2021. Notable advancements include:

• Moderna said its COVID-19 vaccine remains 93% effective six months after full vaccination and is testing three potential booster shots against the variants.
• The Food and Drug Administration has approved Regeneron’s COVID-19 antibody treatment providing preventative treatment to people at considerable risk of developing severe COVID-19, including millions with compromised immune systems.
• The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine by early September.

​Recent News

• Moderna says its vaccine is 93 percent effective six months after full immunization
  Washington Post – August 5, 2021
  Moderna said that the protection offered by its COVID-19 shots remains strong — 93 percent effective — six months after full vaccination. The company also announced that it has tested three potential booster shots, which have demonstrated “robust antibody responses” and have topped off immunity, bringing antibodies back to the protective levels triggered by full vaccination.
• Moderna Recommends COVID-19 Vaccine Booster to Protect Against New Variants
  Wall Street Journal – August 5, 2021
  Moderna Inc. said Thursday that its vaccine remains more than 90% effective for at least six months, but added that people who received it will likely need a third dose before the winter to keep strong protection against newer variants of COVID-19.
• FDA targets early September for approving Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine
  Politico – August 4, 2021
  The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine by early September, amid a resurgence of cases that has heightened pressure on the administration to get more Americans vaccinated. While the agency had long eyed the fall for granting full licensure, officials have recently accelerated their work, and now hope to finalize approval in a matter of weeks, according to three people familiar with the matter.
• US planning to expand COVID-19 testing, Fauci says
  CNN – August 4, 2021
  COVID-19 testing in the United States is down from where is has been at previous points in the pandemic. However, health officials are working to get those numbers up again. In a discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said there are plans to expand testing capacity in the United States, and that research is ongoing into improving test access.
• Half of California now under mask mandates as Bay Area joins Sacramento, Los Angeles
  Sacramento Bee – August 2, 2021
  Seven Bay Area counties jointly announced renewed indoor mask requirements, regardless of vaccination status, to limit spread of the highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19. The public health offices of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties, along with the city of Berkeley, joined Sacramento, Los Angeles and Yolo counties in making masks mandatory in indoor public settings, with limited exceptions.
• FDA authorizes COVID-19 antibody treatment as preventive after exposure
  NBC News – August 2, 2021
  People at considerable risk of developing severe COVID-19, including millions of Americans with compromised immune systems, now have the option of receiving a preventive monoclonal antibody treatment if they have been or are at risk of being exposed to COVID-19. The Food and Drug Administration’s action brings hope to the estimated 3 percent of Americans who are immunocompromised, including those with autoimmune diseases, HIV patients, cancer patients and organ transplant recipients, who may still be vulnerable to COVID-19 even after being fully vaccinated.
• FDA Puts All Hands on Deck to Review Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Shot
  Bloomberg – July 30, 2021
  S. drug regulators are taking an “all-hands-on-deck approach” to reviewing Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s COVID-19 shot for full approval in an effort to persuade as many as possible to get immunized. The Food and Drug Administration is “identifying additional resources such as personnel and technological resources from across the agency and opportunities to reprioritize other activities, in order to complete our review to help combat this pandemic surge,” agency spokesperson Abby Capobianco said.

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].