December 4, 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 4, 2020. Notable advancements include:

• Moderna announced they have applied to the FDA for authorization of their COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, and if approved, doses for Americans could begin as early as Dec. 21.
• If approved for its emergency use authorization, California will receive 327,000 doses of Pfizer’s COVID19 vaccine in mid-December which will be given to health care workers, said Gov. Gavin Newsom.
• AstraZeneca will likely get results of its U.S. COVID-19 vaccine trial in late-January and could potentially file for emergency authorization.

​Recent News:

• Roche’s COVID-19 antibody test gets emergency use authorization from the U.S.
  CNBC – December 2, 2020
  Roche received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a new test that measures COVID-19 antibodies within the blood.
• AstraZeneca U.S. COVID-19 vaccine trial results likely in late January, says health official
  CNBC – December 2, 2020
  AstraZeneca will likely get results of its U.S. COVID-19 vaccine trial in late-January and could potentially file for emergency authorization. The company said the vaccine could be 90% effective when given a half dose followed by a full dose, based on a relatively small number of volunteers.
• Before The Shot In The Arm
  NPR – December 2, 2020
  There is finally some light at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic tunnel: pharmaceutical companies have produced three promising COVID-19 vaccines.
• Amgen, Takeda and UCB join forces in new COVID-19 drug repurposing study
  Fierce Pharma – December 1, 2020
  Amgen, Takeda and UCB said they have kicked off an adaptive trial to see whether any one of three drugs can rein in the uncontrolled inflammatory responses that afflict some COVID-19 patients.
• How nanotechnology helps mRNA COVID-19 vaccines work
  STAT – December 1, 2020
  While the first two COVID-19 vaccines relying on messenger RNA technology speed toward regulatory approval in the U.S., it’s worth remembering the vehicle that gets them where they need to go in the body.
• Moderna Applies for Emergency F.D.A. Approval for Its COVID-19 Vaccine
  New York Times – November 30, 2020
  Moderna announced highly encouraging results, saying that complete data from a large study show its COVID-19 vaccine to be 94.1 percent effective. The company said that it applied to the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the vaccine for emergency use. If approved, doses for Americans could begin as early as Dec. 21.
• California to receive 327,000 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in December
  San Francisco Chronicle – November 30, 2020
  California will receive 327,000 doses of the first COVID-19 vaccine in mid-December, Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news briefing. The 327,000 doses will go to health care workers, but the state’s vaccine committee is still determining which health care workers will go first, Newsom said.
• Marin drug company develops COVID-19 nasal spray
  Mercury News – November 29, 2020
  Parnell Pharmaceuticals in San Rafael is seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market a nasal spray to prevent COVID-19 infection. The private company is seeking the FDA’s approval to conduct clinical trials on large groups.
• Doctors Deploy Antibody Drugs Against COVID-19 And Hope Effort’s Worthwhile
  NPR – November 25, 2020
  More than 2,400 hospitals and related facilities have received their first doses of new drugs designed to keep mild to moderately ill COVID-19 patients out of the hospital. The Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency authorization to two monoclonal antibody formulations – bamlanivimab, produced by Eli Lilly, and a two-antibody combination developed by Regeneron.

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].