February 12, 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 February 12, 2021. Notable advancements include:

• Pfizer is boosting COVID-19 vaccine production and expects to reduce the time it takes to produce a batch of vaccines from 110 days to 60 days.
• The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to Eli Lilly’s monoclonal antibody treatment for patients with COVID-19, who may not be sick enough to be hospitalized but are at high risk of becoming seriously ill.
• A Roche arthritis drug is found to cut risk of COVID-19 death in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 according to data from a British trial.

Recent News:

• AstraZeneca plans for adapting vaccine to COVID-19 variants
  BioPharma Dive – February 11, 2021
  AstraZeneca is planning to adapt its COVID-19 vaccine to emerging variants that threaten to reduce the shot’s potency “if required” by ongoing testing.
• In surprise finding, Roche arthritis drug cuts risk of COVID-19 death in large UK study
  BioPharma Dive – February 11, 2021
  Investigators in a massive British trial known as RECOVERY reported an anti-inflammatory drug from Roche cut the risk of death in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19.
• The factory that’s racing to make Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine
  NBC News – February 11, 2021
  S. biotech company Emergent BioSolutions began helping to produce Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine by growing living tissue cultures, a tricky process, whereby cells are replicated after being infected with a a type of common cold virus that carries COVID-19’s signature spike protein.
• D.A. Authorizes Another Antibody Treatment
  New York Times – February 9, 2021
  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to a COVID-19 therapy that combines two monoclonal antibody drugs. The approval of the treatment, which is manufactured by the drug maker Eli Lilly, gives doctors another option for patients with COVID-19 who are not sick enough to be hospitalized but are at high risk of becoming seriously ill.
• The vaccines that could stop COVID-19  
  Politico – February 9, 2021
  The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a massive global effort by scientists and drug companies to develop vaccines that can thwart the virus. Here’s a look at some of the vaccines in use or development in the United States and around the world.
• Pfizer hopes to cut vaccine manufacturing time by almost half
  NBC News – February 8, 2021
  Pfizer hopes to get COVID-19 vaccines to the masses faster by cutting the manufacturing time by almost half. By ramping up production and being more efficient, the company expects to reduce the time it takes to produce a batch of vaccines from 110 days to around 60.

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].