The CDC has recommended extending the interval between the first and second doses of the Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) COVID-19 vaccines up to eight weeks for some individuals. The guidance for those vaccines was formerly 21 and 28 days, respectively. CDC notes that an eight-week interval could be preferred for some individuals 12 and…
7 potential applications of mRNA-based therapies
Scientists have experimented with mRNA for decades, but the pandemic foisted the platform into the limelight. The Pfizer-BioNTech (NYSE:PFE/NSDQ:BNTX) and Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA) COVID-19 vaccines have since emerged as two of the best-selling pharmaceutical products in recent memory. Researchers are now exploring dozens of new possibilities for the mRNA platform. Here, we summarize several areas where…
Lancet study could bode well for mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccination
The mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech (NYSE:PFE/NSDQ:BNTX) and Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA) appear to work well as a second dose in recipients of a single dose of the AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) AZD1222 vaccine. A report in Lancet found that two doses of AstraZeneca’s AZD1222 vaccine were 50% effective. Recipients who received a dose of the AZD1222 vaccine followed by…
Sanofi to spend nearly half a billion dollars a year on mRNA vaccine research
Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) announced today that it plans to invest approximately $476.3 million (€400 million) per year on mRNA vaccine development. Paris-based Sanofi’s intends for its annual investment to go toward a first-of-its-kind vaccine “mRNA Center of Excellence” to accelerate the development and delivery of next-generation vaccines. Approximately 400 employees will integrate end-to-end mRNA vaccine capabilities…
FDA plans to warn of rare myocarditis risk following COVID-19 vaccination
FDA has acknowledged that myocarditis and pericarditis are rare possible complications for patients receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech. The agency, however, estimated that the condition occurs in 12.6 out of one million recipients of the vaccine aged 12 to 39. The conditions appear to be more common in males. The FDA warning…
mRNA vaccines do not negatively affect sperm county, study finds
One of the many urban legends related to COVID-19 vaccines is that they cause infertility. Researchers at the University of Miami set out to disprove that claim with a recent single-center prospective study. Unsurprisingly, the study that indicated the mRNA vaccines have no negative impact on male fertility. In fact, the researchers found that after…
Preliminary JAMA analysis finds no link between COVID-19 vaccines and sudden hearing loss
After the authorization of COVID-19 vaccines, a growing number of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) reports have emerged from recently vaccinated people. A recently published analysis in JAMA is among the first to consider whether COVID-19 vaccines play a role in SSNHL, which frequently occurs without a clear underlying cause. Drawing from a pool of SSNHL patients…
BioNTech and Moderna set their sights on treating cancer
COVID-19 vaccines launched BioNTech and Moderna into the limelight, making these once little-known companies prominent companies. But neither wants to be pigeonholed as a COVID-19 vaccine company. BioNTech cofounder Özlem Türeci stressed in a recent interview with AP that the mRNA vaccine technology that is its focus could be a powerful weapon against cancer. “We have several different…