COVID-19 Update

Moderna’s investments will double the formulation fill/finish and drug substance manufacturing of its vaccine to up to three billion doses in 2022 at various manufacturing sites.

Avantor plans to increase its single-use manufacturing footprint by 30% and double its cleanroom space in the US and Europe.

Merck has entered into non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements with five Indian generic drug manufacturers for the development of molnupiravir, an investigational, oral antiviral agent for the treatment of non-hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19.

With a $5 million grant from DARPA, DNA Script and Moderna will develop a prototype for rapid mobile manufacturing of vaccines and therapeutics as part of the DARPA’s Nucleic Acids On-Demand World-Wide program.

Sanofi will perform the fill/finish of up to 200 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine at its Ridgefield, NJ, facility starting in September 2021.

The decision comes from the US CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices following the evaluation of data showing a rare adverse event involving blood clots in combination with low platelet counts within approximately one to two weeks following vaccination.

EMA's PRAC has concluded that there is a possible link to rare cases of blood clots with low blood platelets with Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Lipid production at Evonik’s Hanau, Germany, site was set up in eight weeks and met high-quality requirements, accelerating delivery time, which was originally set for mid-2021.

A FDA report cites multiple ongoing violations that undermine assurance of quality in products from this plant and the need for a continuing “pause” in production.

Post-inspection report reveals nine sanitary and process problems at Bayview, Md., facility.

FDA has called a halt in production of vaccine drug substance and to quarantine all remaining product at the Bayview plant.

Pending a completed FDA inspection, Emergent BioSolutions halts manufacture of vaccine drug substance at Maryland facility.

The additional doses are a result of the European Commission’s expanded advance purchase agreement, which brings the total number of doses delivered to the EU to 600 million.

The agency revoked EUA status for the monoclonal antibody bamlanivimab to be administered alone to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

The agency will use technology for “voluntary remote interactive evaluations” for pre- and post-approval and other types of inspections.

EMA's Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee is reviewing very rare cases of unusual blood clots in the US, following administration of Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine.

EMA is continuing to monitor the incidences of very rare blood clots with low blood platelets occurring after vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (Vaxzevria).

EMA has started its review of monoclonal antibody VIR-7831 (also known as GSK4182136) as a treatment for patients with COVID-19.

CDC and FDA are reviewing data from reported cases of a rare type of blood clot in people that received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

FDA has accepted Airway’s investigational new drug application for the development of its novel human recombinant protein, AT-100 (rhSP-D), as a treatment for COVID-19.

Eli Lilly has modified its purchase agreements with the US government for its emergency use authorized COVID-19 neutralizing antibody therapies, bamlanivimab and etesevimab, to be supplied and used together rather than individually.

A Phase III clinical trial of anti-coronavirus immunoglobulin did not meet its endpoints, concluding the year-long CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance, Takeda and CSL Behring announced.

Under the terms of the expanded agreement, Catalent will provide Moderna with a new high-speed vial filling line until June 2023 along with inspection, labeling, cartoning, and final packaging for potential pipeline programs.

The first revision further clarifies the number of doses per vial for the vials that are already available, while the second revision allows for the availability of an additional multi-dose vial.

Following a manufacturing mix-up, J&J will extend its oversight at Emergent’s Maryland facility; AstraZeneca manufacturing to relocate.

The availability of materials is a critical factor when it comes to vaccine capacity.

COVID-19 has placed bio/pharma in the spotlight of global media, but away from vaccines there are other prospective pipeline treatments that will be worth watching.

Human error at an Emergent BioSolutions facility cited as cause for the loss of a large batch of COVID-19 vaccines.

A Phase III trial evaluating the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, BNT162b2, in adolescents 12 to 15 years of age showed 100% efficacy and positive antibody responses.

GSK will provide filling capacity at its Barnard Castle facility in England.