COVID-19 Update

Bio/pharma works hard today to change the calendar to tomorrow.

Distribution of the first one-dose vaccine for COVID-19 to start in early March.

To prevent future production delays of critical products, the Biden administration is examining supply chain vulnerabilities for pharmaceutical ingredients as part of a longer-range consideration of products important to public health.

EMA's CHMP has started a rolling review of regdanvimab (CT-P59), which is a monoclonal antibody being developed by Celltrion for the treatment of COVID-19.

The company will join the network of approved manufacturers of the lipid excipients.

New data shows that the COVID-19 vaccines can be stored at standard freezer temperatures for up to two weeks.

The agency issued guidance for developers of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics to address variants of the COVID-19 virus.

Once the vaccine has been authorized, Sanofi will provide Johnson & Johnson with access to its vaccine manufacturing plant in Marcy l’Etoile, France, to formulate and fill vials of the vaccine, at a rate of 12 million doses per month.

The companies have expanded their agreement to include the research and development of new therapies for influenza and other respiratory viruses.

The companies have expanded their existing partnership to include 40 Million Doses of COVID-19 vaccine for South Korea.

The US government will pay $1.95 billion for the additional 100 million doses, bringing the total number of doses supplied by the companies up to 300 million.

Scientists and policy makers are looking more sharply at the lag in identifying and producing medicines to moderate early infections and to treat seriously ill patients.

The EUA is based on positive results from a Phase III trial that showed bamlanivimab and etesevimab together reduced the risk of COVID-19 hospitalizations and death by 70%.

EMA has clarified its position on the European approval process of the Sputnik V vaccine.

Evonik has revealed plans for investment in the short-term expansion of its specialty lipids production, which are used with mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines.

The companies will build capacity in Germany that will be ready in 2022 and are exploring options for increasing volume in 2021.

The agency is developing guidance to help manufacturers make changes to existing COVID-19 vaccines to treat new variants in the coronavirus.

FDA considers regulatory flexibility to allow the agency and sponsors to adapt and pivot to changes in coronavirus.

FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet on Feb. 26, 2021 to discuss the request for emergency use authorization for Janssen Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

The CGMP manufacturing agreement will expand production of lenzilumab, a candidate for COVID-19 therapy, to support a potential emergency use authorization filing.

As demand for COVID-19 vaccines increases, Big Pharma offers its manufacturing capacity and expertise.

Both companies will provide resources and expertise to research, develop, and manufacture multiple mRNA vaccine candidates, including multi-valent and monovalent approaches.

More work is needed to educate businesses on the value of innovation and the availability of funding.

The EC intends to get tougher on issues such as reliability of drug supplies, particularly essential medicines.

COVID-19 vaccine supplies are breaking news headlines, in both ‘good’ and ‘not so good’ ways.

Viewpoint: Mike Hennessy, Sr., founder and chairman of MJH Life Sciences, commends the leadership of the pharmaceutical industry in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.

A complicated vaccination rollout and mixed messages may derail the pandemic endgame.

The companies previously entered into a collaboration in November 2020 with the goal of producing more than 100 million doses of the CureVac vaccine per year at Rentschler’s Laupheim, Germany facility.

Contract development and manufacturing organizations provide vital services to rush COVID-19 vaccines to patients.

Bayer will support CureVac by providing the company with further development, supply, and territory operations via its clinical operations, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, medical information, and supply chain management expertise.