June 11, 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 June 11, 2021. Notable advancements include:

• Moderna has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand the emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents ages 12 to 17. If approved by the FDA, it would dramatically expand the number of shots available to middle and high school students ahead of the next school year.
• Pfizer will begin testing its COVID-19 vaccine on a larger cohort of children under 12 years old and plans to enroll up to 4,500 children at more than 90 clinical sites in the US, Finland, Poland, and Spain.
• According to data in a study from the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, scientists said that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine remains effective against COVID variants.

Recent News:

• Moderna asks FDA to clear COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents 12 to 17
  CNBC – June 10, 2021
  Moderna said it has asked the Food and Drug Administration to expand the emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents ages 12 to 17. If approved by the FDA, it would likely dramatically expand the number of shots available to middle and high school students ahead of the next school year. Pfizer and German partner BioNTech were cleared last month to use their vaccine for 12-to-15-year-olds.
• New Evidence Suggests COVID-19 Vaccines Remain Effective Against Variants
  NPR – June 9, 2021
  The emergence of new and more infectious variants of the coronavirus has raised a troubling question: Will the current crop of COVID-19 vaccine prevent these variants from causing disease? A study out in the journal Nature suggests the answer is yes. The research was fairly straightforward. Scientists took blood from volunteers who had received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and looked at the levels of neutralizing antibodies, the kind that prevent a virus from entering cells.
• Biden to Send 500 Million Doses of Pfizer Vaccine to 100 Countries Over a Year
  New York Times – June 9, 2021
  The Biden administration will buy 500 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and donate them among about 100 countries over the next year, according to people familiar with the plan.
• Merck signs deal with US government for COVID-19 treatment
  ABC News – June 9, 2021
  The United States government has agreed to purchase $1.2 billion worth of a COVID-19 treatment from Merck if the drug is approved by regulators, the pharmaceutical company announced. Molnupiravir, which is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials, is being tested on study participants who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, aren’t hospitalized and have one or more risk factors, such as diabetes, obesity or old age, associated with worse outcomes from the disease.
• After COVID-19 spotlighted supply chain weaknesses, Biden unveils plan to resurrect U.S. drug manufacturing
  Fierce Pharma – June 8, 2021
  After investigating America’s supply chains, including those for drugs and pharmaceutical ingredients, the Biden administration has revelations to share—and it’s proposing a sweeping strategy to boost domestic drug production. Under the plan, the White House is establishing a public-private partnership to select 50 to 100 essential medicines “to be the focus of an enhanced onshoring effort,” the plan says.
• In the U.S., vaccines for the youngest are expected this fall
  New York Times – June 8, 2021
  Coronavirus vaccines may be available in the fall for U.S. children as young as 6 months, drugmakers say. Pfizer and Moderna are testing their vaccines in children under 12 years, and are expected to have results in hand for children aged 5 through 11 by September.
• Pfizer to test larger cohort of children under 12 years old
  The Guardian – June 8, 2021
  Pfizer will begin testing its COVID-19 vaccine on a larger cohort of children under 12 years old after selecting a lower dose of the shot in an earlier stage of the trial. The study will enroll up to 4,500 children at more than 90 clinical sites in the US, Finland, Poland, and Spain, the company said.
• California has one of the lowest COVID-19 transmission levels in the U.S.
  Los Angeles Times – June 7, 2021
  California continues to record one of the lowest COVID-19 case rates in the nation, underscoring its sustained progress toward extinguishing the pandemic a week ahead of the state’s planned reopening.

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].