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 October 2, 2020. Notable advancements include:

• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced early data from its COVID-19 treatment trial showing their antibody drugs decreased viral load and alleviated symptoms faster in non-hospitalized patients.
• Oxford University said it would study whether the world’s best-selling prescription medicine, adalimumab, was an effective treatment for COVID-19 patients.
• Johnson & Johnson is slated to begin a COVID-19 vaccine trial in San Diego, with an estimated 2,000 participants at UC San Diego Health.

Recent News:

• Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 International Vaccine Trial To Include San Diegans
  KPBS – October 1, 2020
  A COVID-19 vaccine trial sponsored by drugmaker Johnson & Johnson is slated to get underway soon in San Diego, and will include an estimated 2,000 participants at UC San Diego Health.
• What you need to know about coronavirus on Thursday, October 1
  MSN – October 1, 2020
  Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said Wednesday that the company will not have enough data to file for emergency use authorization of its vaccine candidate until November 25, weeks after Americans go to the polls.
• Gilead Takes Charge of Distributing Promising COVID-19 Treatment
  Bloomberg – October 1, 2020
  Remdesivir was one of the few experimental medicines that had shown promise in lab studies against a wide variety of coronaviruses. Like the rest of the world, Gilead knew next to nothing about this new one.
• Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine study to be the third massive trial to reach San Diego
  San Diego Union Tribune – October 1, 2020
  As the race for a COVID-19 vaccine intensifies, San Diego is set to take part in a massive international study of a vaccine developed by drugmaker Johnson & Johnson.
• Pfizer CEO says COVID vaccine trial won’t be rushed by political pressure
  NBC News – October 1, 2020
  The head of Pfizer, one of the drugmakers racing to develop a coronavirus vaccine, told employees he was disappointed that its work was politicized during this week’s presidential debate and tried to reassure U.S. staff that the company won’t bend to pressure to move more quickly.
• Moderna CEO says its COVID-19 vaccine won’t be ready until spring of next year
  CBS – October 1, 2020
  According to a recent report, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said that his company’s COVID-19 vaccine won’t be ready for widespread public distribution until the spring of next year.
• Early Data Shows Regeneron’s COVID-19 Antibody Drugs Helps Patients Recover Faster
  Biospace – September 30, 2020
  Although still preliminary, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced early data from its Phase I/II/III trial of its antibody drugs, REGN-COV2, against COVID-19. The analysis demonstrated that antibody drugs decreased viral load and alleviated symptoms faster in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
• UCSF testing promising new treatment that could lessen COVID-19 symptoms
  San Francisco Chronicle – September 30, 2020 
  UCSF researchers are testing a promising COVID-19 drug that could lessen symptoms and keep people out of the hospital. The medicine, made by Eli Lilly, is a type of drug called a monoclonal antibody that in preliminary studies, appears to help people in early or mild stages of the disease.
• Oxford to study anti-inflammatory drug Humira as potential COVID-19 treatment
  Reuters – September 30, 2020
  Oxford University said it would study whether the world’s best-selling prescription medicine, adalimumab, was an effective treatment for COVID-19 patients – the latest effort to repurpose existing drugs as potential coronavirus therapies.
• A layperson’s guide to how — and when — a COVID-19 vaccine could be authorized
  STAT – September 28, 2020
  The process of deciding when a vaccine appears to be safe and effective isn’t as straightforward as the general public might believe. But it’s important to understand it if we are to have confidence in these critical tools for helping to curb the pandemic.
• Pfizer to Supply $22 Million in Drugs to Covid Stockpile
  Bloomberg Law – September 28, 2020
  Pfizer Inc. will supply almost $22.2 million in drugs to the national medical stockpile to treat patients with COVID-19 and prepare for future emergencies.
• Inovio’s pending Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial put on hold as FDA seeks more information
  San Diego Union-Tribune – September 28, 2020 
  Inovio Pharmaceuticals’ bid to begin the final leg of clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine is under review after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had additional questions about the drug and smart device for injecting the DNA-based vaccine.
• California plans to independently vet COVID-19 vaccine data
  Mercury News – September 25, 2020 
  California will conduct its own independent review of potential COVID-19 vaccines, assembling a “review board” of leading scientists at academic institutions to assess the safety and effectiveness of any vaccine candidate.
• Why so many people are hopeful about an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine
  CNBC – September 25, 2020 
  The whole world is watching — including investors and public health specialists — as more than 30 biotech and pharmaceutical companies race to develop a safe COVID-19 vaccine.
• Sanofi isn’t cutting corners in COVID-19 vaccine development despite acceleration, CEO says
  CNBC – September 24, 2020 
  Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson told CNBC that the pharmaceutical company is not cutting any corners in its pursuit of developing a COVID-19 vaccine. “We have been making vaccines for over 100 years. We haven’t changed anything in the way we do things; we’ve just accelerated,” Hudson said.