COVID-19 Update | July 22, 2022

COVID-19 News

COVID-19 Update | July 22, 2022

July 22, 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 22, 2022. Notable advancements include:

  • Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine has been recommended for use by an expert panel of advisers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • A fourth dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines is safe for immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years or older, according to new research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Recent News

  • Next era of COVID-19 protection could come in form of pill or spray
    CBS Miami – July 20, 2022
    Hospitalizations and deaths are rising, but not yet to the peaks we’ve seen in past surges. Health officials say it’s because of COVID-19 vaccines. The next era of protection could come in the form of a pill or spray. Both will need to go through more rigorous, larger scale testing before even trying to get FDA authorization. But some medical researchers say delivering vaccines via tablets or nasal sprays would deploy more immune defenders to the lining of the mouth, nose and throat, making the virus less able to replicate. That could slow the development of new coronavirus variants and finally bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control.
  • Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine wins backing of CDC advisory panel
    Stat News – July 19, 2022
    An expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine policy voted to recommend use of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is a recombinant protein product, developed with the same kind of approach that has been used for a number of vaccines over the years. This is the first product Novavax has brought to market. The vaccine showed impressive efficacy when it was tested in Phase 3 clinical trials, results that almost rivaled the mRNA vaccines. The U.S. government recently announced it has secured 3.2 million doses of the Novavax vaccine.
  • Fourth COVID-19 Vaccine Dose Safe for Immunocompromise
    Health Day – July 18, 2022
    A fourth dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine seems safe for immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years or older, according to research published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Researchers found that local and systemic reactions were less frequently reported among 4,015 v-safe registrants after the fourth dose compared with after dose 3 of the primary vaccination series.
  • Therapeutic Solutions to expand patient access to its JadiCell stem cell therapy for COVID
    Seeking Alpha – July 18, 2022
    Therapeutic Solutions International said it had been granted an emergency investigational new drug (IND) clearance by the U.S. FDA for expanded patient access to its JadiCell stem cell therapy for the treatment of COVID-19. As per the emergency IND and a so-called “May Proceed Notification” from the FDA, TSOI can now provide the JadiCell stem cell therapy outside of its ongoing phase 3 clinical trial.
  • Boost Now or Wait? Many Wonder How Best to Ride Out COVID-19’s Next Wave
    Kaiser Health News – July 18, 2022
    With the virus rapidly mutating, messaging around COVID-19 has been a challenge for health officials leaving the public unknowing of what to do. The agency currently recommends two booster shots after a primary vaccine series for adults 50 and older and for younger people with compromised immune systems. During the first White House COVID-19 briefing in nearly three weeks, the message from top federal health officials was clear: Don’t wait for an omicron-tailored shot. With worries about the BA.5 subvariant growing, the FDA that drugmakers Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna get to work producing a new, bivalent vaccine that combines the current version with a formulation that targets the new strains.
  • Anti-viral medication & antibody infusion are COVID-19 treatment options for pregnant people
    Fox 13 Seattle – July 18, 2022
    The midwives at Swedish Ballard, recommended two treatment options: Monoclonal antibodies, which is delivered through an infusion, or anti-viral medication called Paxlovid. Dr. Alisa Kachikis, an Assistant Professor of Maternal Medicine at the University of Washington who cares for people with high-risk pregnancies, said studies have shown the two COVID-19 treatments can make a difference. “There are studies on Paxlovid in the non-pregnant population showing that it does decrease the risk of hospitalization and death,” said Dr. Kachikis. The CDC said the overall risks are low, but if you are pregnant or were recently pregnant, you’re more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 compared to people who are not pregnant.

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].