January 29, 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 January 29, 2021. Notable advancements include:

• Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 single-shot vaccine was shown to be 66% effective in preventing moderate and severe disease in a global Phase 3 trial.
• Novartis is developing a new COVID-19 treatment and expect to have more substantial data by Summer.
• A UCSF-led science team has identified an anti-cancer drug that kills COVID-19 in lab studies.

​Recent News:

• Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, how it works and why it matters
  CNN – January 29, 2021
  Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 single-shot vaccine was shown to be 66% effective in preventing moderate and severe disease in a global Phase 3 trial and could be authorized for use in the United States in the near future.
• Lilly jumps in with Vir, GSK on antibody-drug combo against COVID-19
  San Francisco Business Times – January 27, 2021
  Eli Lilly and Co. joined GlaxoSmithKline plc and the San Francisco biotech company in a study combining their antibody drugs to not only potentially block the virus that causes COVID-19 but clear already-infected cells.
• California launches My Turn COVID-19 vaccine eligibility tool
  East Bay Times – January 27, 2021
  State officials launched a trial run of the new vaccine eligibility tool My Turn, which all Californians will eventually be able to use to check if they’re eligible for a coronavirus shot and be notified when it’s their turn.
• Sanofi to help produce 100 million Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine doses
  CNN – January 27, 2021
  Sanofi will fill and pack millions of doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in an effort to help meet the huge demand for the U.S. drugmaker’s shots. The French company will aim to help supply more than 100 million doses of the vaccine this year from its German plant in Frankfurt.
• The UCSF-led team racing to find a COVID-19 cure may have found a promising candidate
  San Francisco Chronicle – January 26, 2021
  After a yearlong search for existing drugs that might help COVID-19 patients and point to a cure, a UCSF-led science team has identified what they say is an especially promising candidate.
• Novartis CEO discusses developing a new COVID-19 treatment
  CNBC – January 26, 2021
  Vas Narasimhan, Novartis CEO, talks about developing a new COVID-19 treatment that uses something called DARPin (Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins). “We hope by the summer to get additional data,” Narasimhan said.
• Tracking COVID-19 vaccinations in California
  LA Times – January 26, 2021
  Experts say about 85% of Americans will need to be vaccinated to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control. This page tracks California’s progress toward that goal using data from state and federal authorities.
• Can new Regeneron, Lilly data move the needle for COVID-19 antibody drugs?
  BioPharma Dive – January 26, 2021
  New study data released by Regeneron and Eli Lilly provide some of the most definitive proof to date that combinations of engineered antibody drugs can help either prevent COVID-19 or treat the disease in its earliest stages.
• Moderna says it’s working on COVID-19 booster shot for variant in South Africa, says current vaccine provides some protection
  CNBC – January 25, 2021
  Moderna said it’s accelerating work on a COVID-19 booster shot to guard against the recently discovered variant in South Africa. The company’s researchers said its current COVID-19 vaccine appears to work against the two highly transmissible strains found in the U.K. and South Africa, although it looks like it may be less effective against the latter.
• Remdesivir trial underway in Las Vegas, seeks volunteers with mild COVID-19 symptoms
  NBC 3 Las Vegas – January 24, 2021
  Remdesivir, an antiviral medicine, secured Food and Drug Administration approval in October as the first drug to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients.Now, trial investigators are testing the drug in hopes of preventing severe COVID-19 symptoms that often lead to hospitalizations.

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].