July 15, 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 15, 2022. Notable advancements include:

• Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine was more likely to elicit a stronger response in patients with varying degrees of immunosuppression than other vaccines, according to recent data.
  
• Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine was granted emergency use authorization from the U.S Food and Drug Administration, creating another vaccination option for adults.

Recent News

• Novavax COVID-19 vaccine wins FDA authorization
  Politico – July 13, 2022
  The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, creating another vaccination option for adults who have not received immunization against the virus. The new vaccine is authorized for people ages 18 and older as a primary series, helpful to efforts intending to vaccinate the remaining 10 of adults who have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Patients with lupus benefit from COVID-19 vaccine booster
  Science Daily – July 13, 2022
  People with systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE, who received a “booster” dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine after full vaccination are roughly half as likely to have a subsequent “breakthrough” COVID-19 infection, a new study shows. The finding, researchers say, should offer reassurance to the more than 200,000 Americans who have SLE, a condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues, especially joints and skin. Immune-suppressing drugs, such as steroids, needed to control symptoms of the disease, place patients at increased risk of infection.
• Pfizer vaccine reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection in children
  Nursing In Practice – July 13, 2022
  A single dose of the Pfizer vaccine reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection in children, new research has found. If infected with the Delta or Omicron variants, children vaccinated with one dose of Pfizer were found to have a milder case of COVID-19 and a reduced risk of re-infection for at least 90 days. The vaccine was well tolerated in children, and the benefits were seen even if children had previously been infected with COVID-19, the study found. But the researchers found that vaccinated children infected with the Delta variant, generally had milder symptoms of COVID-19, with a reduction in multiple symptoms in younger children and a reduced chance of specific symptoms such as fatigue, sore throat and fever in older children.
• Moderna founder launches Apriori with $50M to stay ahead of virus variants
  Biopharma Dive – July 11, 2022
  Flagship Pioneering, a creator of new biotech companies and founder of COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Moderna, announced the launch of an infectious disease startup called Apriori Bio. Apriori has been formed with a $50 million funding commitment from Flagship and plans to build upon technologies meant to predict what future forms a virus might evolve into and counter them. Apriori plans to develop antibody drugs and vaccines in-house as well as form partnerships with companies and governments.
• Moderna COVID-19 vaccine offers stronger protection in immunocompromised patients
  Healio – July 11, 2022
  The Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccine was more likely to elicit a stronger response in patients with varying degrees of immunosuppression than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to data published in JAMA Network Open. The groups ranged from patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases who were not receiving immunosuppressive therapy, to solid-organ transplant recipients receiving mycophenolic acid or mycophenolate mofetil.
• Biden-Harris Administration secures 3.2 million doses of Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine
  Department of Health and Human Services – July 11, 2022
  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Department of Defense (DOD), announced that it has secured 3.2 million doses of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine. The protein-based, adjuvanted vaccine will be made available, for free, to states, jurisdictions, federal pharmacy partners, and federally qualified health centers if it receives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), and recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• About 300,000 Children Under 5 Have Received At Least One COVID-19 Shot, White House Says
  The Seattle Medium – July 8, 2022
  Approximately 300,000 children under the age of 5 in the US — about 2% of that age group — have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine since it was recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month, a senior White House official told CNN. The official says rates align with expectations, though are lower than other age groups. Officials had previously warned that the nation’s youngest would be slower to adopt COVID-19 vaccines once eligible.

Rely on California Biotechnology Foundation to monitor breaking news and provide updates on the latest advancements in COVID-19 diagnostics, vaccines and treatments.

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If you have any questions about informational briefings contact California Biotechnology Foundation Executive Director Patty Cooper at (916)764-2434 or [email protected].