December 11, 2020

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 December 11, 2020. Notable advancements include:

• Pfizer has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel and could receive emergency use authorization as early as Friday.
• AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, according to a study from a peer-reviewed journal.
• Moderna has dosed the first adolescents in a phase 2/3 clinical trial designed to position its COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 12 years old.

​Recent News:

• FDA panel recommends approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
  CNBC – December 10, 2020
  A key Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended the approval of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in people over 16 years old, the last step before the FDA gives the final OK to broadly distribute the first doses throughout the United States.
• Moderna doses adolescents in a COVID-19 vaccine study, setting it up to target 2021-22 school year
  FierceBiotech – December 10, 2020
  Moderna has dosed the first adolescents in a phase 2/3 clinical trial designed to position its COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 12 years old before starting the 2021-22 school year.
• J&J says cutting enrollment for COVID-19 vaccine trial by 20,000 as cases rise
  Reuters – December 9, 2020
  Johnson & Johnson said it had cut enrollment for its pivotal COVID-19 vaccine trial to 40,000 volunteers from its original plan for 60,000. Higher rates of COVID-19 infections amid a worsening pandemic should generate the data it needs with fewer study subjects.
• Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine clears an FDA hurdle in U.S. as Britain begins administering doses
  Washington Post – December 8, 2020
  The Food and Drug Administration has confirmed the safety and efficacy of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine candidate. The review also found evidence that the vaccine — which is given in two doses, three weeks apart — began to protect people after the first dose.
• Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective, researchers confirm in peer-reviewed study
  CNBC – December 8, 2020
  The COVID-19 vaccine developed by British pharmaceuticals company AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford is the first to have its late-stage trial results independently reviewed and published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
• Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Offers Strong Protection After First Dose
  New York Times – December 8, 2020
  The COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech provides strong protection against COVID-19 within about 10 days of the first dose, according to documents published by the Food and Drug Administration before a meeting of its vaccine advisory group.
• California’s First Wave of COVID-19 Vaccine Will Include 2 Million Doses
  NBC Bay Area – December 7, 2020
  California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday said the state is now likely getting more than 2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine before the year ends, which would be enough to vaccinate a million people.

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].