COVID-19 News
COVID-19 Update | May 1, 2020
May 1, 2020
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The California Biotechnology Foundation is committed to keeping you up to date on COVID-19 testing, treatment and prevention advancements. The following resources track what progress has been made as of May 1, 2020. Notable advancements include:
- Government researchers reported Wednesday that the antiviral medication remdesivir helped patients with advanced COVID-19 recover more quickly than a placebo treatment.
- Pfizer Inc. announced that they have accelerated the timetable for testing and that their COVID-19 vaccine could be ready for emergency use in the fall.
- Astrazeneca announced that it has partnered with Oxford University to help develop and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine. The U.K. will know by July whether the vaccine is effective.
Recent News:
- UK researchers should know by July if coronavirus vaccine is effective
CNBC – April 30, 2020
Astrazeneca announced that it had partnered with Oxford University to help develop and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine. The U.K. will know by July whether the vaccine is effective. - UC San Diego Health Begins Trial Of Arthritis Drug As Coronavirus Treatment
KPBS – April 29, 2020
Researchers at UC San Diego Health have begun a global clinical trial to assess whether a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders might also have therapeutic value for COVID-19 patients who have developed or are at high risk of developing serious lung damage from the infection. - Diagnostics firm says new COVID-19 test could be used 1 million times a week
STAT – April 29, 2020
Hologic, a maker of diagnostic tests, said Wednesday that it is launching a new test for COVID-19 and that it could produce 1 million of them a week, a pace that would significantly expand testing capacity in the United States - Genetic Engineering Could Make a COVID-19 Vaccine in Months Rather Than Years
Scientific American – April 29, 2020
To quickly create potential vaccines against COVID-19, researchers are using genetic engineering rather than traditional methods, which can take years. - Race for Coronavirus Vaccine Accelerates as Pfizer Says U.S. Testing to Begin Next Week
Wall Street Journal – April 28, 2020
The race for a vaccine to combat the new coronavirus is moving faster than researchers and drugmakers expected, with Pfizer Inc. joining several other groups saying that they had accelerated the timetable for testing and that a vaccine could be ready for emergency use in the fall. - Merck and Institute for Systems Biology Initiate Large-Scale COVID-19 Study
Biospace – April 27, 2020
Merck is entering a collaboration agreement with the Seattle-based Institute for Systems Biology to investigate and define the molecular activity of COVID-19. The intention is to identify targets for drugs and vaccines. - Common Heartburn Drug Being Studied As Possible COVID-19 Treatment
Biospace – April 27, 2020
Researchers in New York are seeking to determine if the active ingredient in an over-the-counter heartburn medication will have any impact on the disease.
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].