July 1, 2022

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 July 1, 2022. Notable advancements include:

• Pfizer announced that their Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated a high immune response against the variant, according to a recent trial.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleared Moderna’s two-dose COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 6 to 17 after examining its safety and effectiveness.

Recent News

• Omicron-based coronavirus booster shots will roll out this fall
  The Washington Post – June 30, 2022
  This fall, vaccine makers will begin rolling out coronavirus booster vaccines better tailored to fight the current phase of the pandemic. Two days after outside experts voted in favor of a new vaccine adapted to protect against omicron, the Food and Drug Administration announced that the fall shots would include a component from BA.4 and BA.5, the omicron subvariants gaining ground in the United States.
• Still testing positive after day 10? How to decide when to end your COVID isolation
  NPR – June 30, 2022
  When can you stop isolating after a COVID-19 infection? The question is especially vexing if you’re feeling better, but still testing positive on a rapid test. Even with the arrival of new subvariants, the basic ground ruleshaven’t changed since omicron first came onto the scene: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says someone can stop isolating after five days if they’re fever-free for 24 hours and are starting to get better — as long as they keep wearing a mask around others for another five days.
• Eli Lilly to supply additional doses of COVID antibody drug to U.S.
  Reuters – June 29, 2022
  Eli Lilly and Co said it will supply additional doses of its COVID-19 antibody drug to the U.S. government in order to meet demand through late August. As per the modified supply agreement with the government, Lilly will provide an additional 150,000 doses of bebtelovimab for about $275 million. The drug has also shown effectiveness against the Omicron variant. The FDA authorized the drug earlier this year for emergency use in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of progression to severe disease, including hospitalization or death.
• Biden-Harris Administration secures 105 million doses of Pfizer’s latest COVID-19 vaccine for fall vaccination campaign
  Department of Health and Human services – June 29, 2022
  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , in collaboration with the Department of Defense, announced an agreement to purchase 105 milliondoses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for a fall vaccination campaign, with options for up to 300 million doses.
• In California, vaccines closed gap in COVID-related deaths for Latinos
  NBC News – June 29, 2022
  A newdata analysis from the Public Policy Institute of California shows that the major racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 related deaths experienced by Latinos in California at the height of the pandemic have significantly narrowed. In January 2021, the monthly death rate for Latinos over 18 in California was 55 per 100,000 — the highest of any racial and ethnic group — according to the California Department of Public Health. The death rate for white Californians during the same period was 38 per 100,000. By this month, as monthly Covid-related death rates had significantly decreased overall due to increased vaccinations, the rate for Latinos had fallen to about 1 per 100,000 — below that of white Californians, whose death rate is about 2.5 per 100,000.
• Gift helps fund USC coronavirus research
  Daily Trojan – June 29, 2022
  A gift to the Keck School of Medicine from the W.M. Keck Foundation is helping fund researchers conducting studies to further the medical field’s understanding of the coronavirus. The school has since awarded a total of more than $5 million to 28 various research applications from the USC COVID-19 Research Fund. These studies aim to advance scientific research and public health collaborations on the coronavirus.
• FDA advisers recommend updating COVID booster shots for the fall
  NPR – June 28, 2022
  Some U.S. adults are a step closer to getting updated COVID-19 boosters this fall, as government advisers voted that it’s time to tweak shots to better match the most recent virus variants. The Food and Drug Administration will have to decide the exact recipe but expect combination shot that adds protection against a version of the super-contagious omicron variantto the original vaccine. Advisers to the FDA voted 19-2 that some version of omicron should be part a fall booster campaign, an effort to blunt an expected COVID-19 surge. But panelists cautioned that the recommendation doesn’t necessarily mean everyone would get a tweaked booster — they might be urged only for older adults or those at high risk from the virus.
• Pfizer says tweaked COVID-19 shots boost omicron protection
  NBC News – June 25, 2022
  Pfizer announced that tweaking its COVID-19 vaccine to better target the omicron variant is safe and works — just days before regulators debate whether to offer Americans updated booster shotsthis fall. The vaccines currently used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe COVID-19 disease and death — especially if people have gotten a booster dose. But those vaccines target the original coronavirus strain and their effectiveness against any infection dropped markedly when the super-contagious omicron mutant emerged.
• CDC recommends Moderna two-dose COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 6 to 17
  CNBC – June 23, 2022
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleared Moderna’s two-dose COVID-19 vaccine for kindergartners through high schoolers for public distribution. The CDC’s committee of independent vaccine experts on unanimously endorsed Moderna’s shots for kids ages 6 to 17 after examining its safety and effectiveness during a public meeting

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].