COVID-19 convalescent plasma with greater antibody levels is safe and shows promise
- Details
- Category: Research
Convalescent plasma, the use of survivors' antibodies transfused into sick COVID-19 patients is safe and significantly improves clinical outcomes when using high levels of antibodies, according to a new publication by scientists at Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive health network.
Prioritizing who gets vaccinated for COVID-19 saves lives
- Details
- Category: Research
Waiting for your turn can be frustrating, especially when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations. But prioritizing who receives the limited supply of vaccines available saves lives and reduces spread of infection, according to a study published in the journal PNAS from the University of California, Davis.
Undetected coronavirus variant was in at least 15 countries before its discovery
- Details
- Category: Research
A highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 variant was unknowingly spreading for months in the United States by October 2020, according to a new study from researchers with The University of Texas at Austin COVID-19 Modeling Consortium. Scientists first discovered it in early December in the United Kingdom, where the highly contagious and more lethal variant is thought to have originated.
COVID-19 survivors might need just one dose of two-part vaccine
- Details
- Category: Research
A single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for individuals who previously had COVID-19 generates an immunologic response similar to that of individuals receiving the two-dose recommended sequence, according to a Cedars-Sinai study published today by the journal Nature Medicine.
B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19 spreading rapidly in United States
- Details
- Category: Research
The faster-spreading B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 first detected in the United Kingdom, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is quickly on its way to becoming the dominant variant of the virus in the United States, according to a study from scientists at Scripps Research and the COVID-19 test maker Helix.
Anti-inflammatory drug protects against lethal inflammation from COVID-19 in animal models
- Details
- Category: Research
Mount Sinai researchers have found that a widely available and inexpensive drug targeting inflammatory genes has reduced morbidity and mortality in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In a study published today in the journal Cell, the team reported that the drug, Topotecan (TPT), inhibited the expression of inflammatory genes in the lungs of mice as late as four days after infection, a finding with potential implications for treatment of humans.
Will COVID-19 vaccines need to be adapted regularly?
- Details
- Category: Research
Influenza vaccines need to be evaluated every year to ensure they remain effective against new influenza viruses. Will the same apply to COVID-19 vaccines? In order to gauge whether and to what extent this may be necessary, a team of researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin compared the evolution of endemic 'common cold' coronaviruses with that of influenza viruses.
More Pharma News ...
- Individual SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibody immunity lasts from days to decades
- Hormone drugs may disarm COVID-19 spike protein and stop disease progression
- Targeting a new antibody supersite key to COVID immunity
- Leprosy drug holds promise as at-home treatment for COVID-19
- Variant B.1.1.7 of COVID-19 associated with a significantly higher mortality rate
- New compound targets enzyme linked to autoimmune disorders, severe COVID-19
- New evidence COVID-19 antibodies, vaccines less effective against variants