November 20, 2020

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 November 20, 2020. Notable advancements include:

• Recent data from Moderna’s large trial indicates its COVID-19 vaccine candidate is 94.5% effective.
• Pfizer plans to apply for emergency approval after its COVID-19 vaccine was 95 percent effective and had no serious side effects.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the first COVID-19 diagnostic test for self-testing at home.

​Recent News:

• Novartis Invests in Stem Cell Therapy for COVID-19
  Bloomberg – November 20, 2020
  Novartis will invest in Mesoblast stock in a deal securing global rights for remestemcel-L. The stem cell therapy is being developed to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome, a complication often seen in advanced COVID-19 patients.
• New findings support current and planned clinical trials of Janssen COVID-19 vaccine
  News Medical Life Sciences – November 19, 2020
  Researchers from the United States and The Netherlands have conducted a pre-clinical study supporting the initiation of a Phase 3 trial to test a two-dose regimen of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine candidate among adult and elderly individuals.
• Oxford trial chief says its COVID-19 vaccine could still be ready at a similar time to others
  CNBC – November 19, 2020
  According to the head of Oxford’s vaccine trial, the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca could still be made available at a similar time to the other leading candidates.
• Pfizer and BioNTech Will Seek FDA Authorization for COVID-19 Vaccine ‘Within Days’
  Time – November 18, 2020
  Pfizer and BioNTech expect to ask for emergency permission within a matter of days to start distributing their COVID-19 vaccine, the companies said—as they released a trove of new data showing the vaccine is about 95% effective.
• New Pfizer Results: COVID-19 Vaccine Is Safe and 95% Effective
  New York Times – November 18, 2020
  The drug maker Pfizer said that its COVID-19 vaccine was 95 percent effective and had no serious side effects — the first set of complete results from a late-stage vaccine trial as Covid-19 cases skyrocket around the globe.
• COVID-19 vaccines could be available by the end of December. Here’s what needs to happen first.
  NBC News – November 18, 2020
  Submitting emergency use authorization, or EUA, applications moves a potential COVID-19 vaccine one step closer to patients, and experts say it’s possible for Americans to start receiving shots by the end of December.
• FDA Authorizes First COVID-19 Test for Self-Testing at Home
  FDA – November 17, 2020
  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first COVID-19 diagnostic test for self-testing at home and that provides rapid results.
• New COVID-19 treatment could help slow hospitalization surge in Southern California
  San Bernardino Sun – November 17, 2020
  San Bernardino County announced that the federal government is funding the distribution of a new antibody treatment, called Bamlanivimab, and that the county’s public health department will receive 484 units of the drug this week.
• S. hospitals to restrict Lilly COVID-19 antibody treatment due to limited supply
  Reuters – November 17, 2020
  U.S. hospitals, weighing high demand and tight supplies, said they may limit the use of a new Eli Lilly and Co antibody drug to COVID-19 patients with multiple risk factors for serious illness or those whose immune systems have not begun to fight the infection.
• Early Data Show Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Is 94.5% Effective
  New York Times – November 16, 2020
  Moderna announced that its COVID-19 vaccine was 94.5 percent effective, joining Pfizer as a front-runner in the global race to contain a raging pandemic that has killed 1.2 million people worldwide. Both companies plan to apply within weeks to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization to begin vaccinating the public.
• What Does COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Mean?
  Associated Press – November 16, 2020
  What does COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness mean? It refers to the likelihood that a coronavirus shot will work in people. Two vaccine makers have said that preliminary results from their late-stage studies suggest their experimental vaccines are strongly protective.
• Bay Area residents participate in AstraZeneca’s phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial
  ABC 7 News – November 13, 2020
  The Phase 3 AstraZeneca trial will enroll 40,000 participants worldwide. San Francisco’s Bridge HIV clinic will have 250 volunteers, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital has 100 volunteers, and the East Bay AIDS center in Oakland will have 50-75 volunteers.
• Multiple sclerosis drug helps COVID-19 patients recover, Phase 2 trial suggests
  CNN – November 12, 2020
  A drug normally prescribed to treat multiple sclerosis helped reduce the risk of severe disease from COVID-19, British researchers reported but more research is needed to show whether the drug, which calms down the immune system, can help people with severe coronavirus infections.

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].