The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a plan to provide approximately $185 million over five years to a consortium researching genomic variation. Initiated and funded by NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), the Impact of Genomic Variation on Function (IGVF) consortium will receive the $185 million over five years in the form of…
NIH to study third dose of COVID-19 vaccine in people with autoimmune disease
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched a study to gauge the antibody response of a third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in patients with autoimmune disease. Participants in the study had an insufficient immune response to the primary series of vaccination. The Phase 2 study will also test the impact of pausing immunosuppressive…
Pandemic and disease burden are ‘existential’ threats, experts argue
While the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the prowess of the pharmaceutical industry, it should also “serve as a major wake-up call,” said Dr. George Yancopoulos, co-founder, president and CSO of Regeneron (NSDQ:REGN), at a panel at the virtual USA India Chamber of Commerce meeting. COVID-19 has underscored the importance of preparing for infectious pandemics and…
NIH launches study of allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines
The NIH today announced that a clinical trial is underway to study whether people who are highly allergic or have a mast cell disorder are more likely to develop an allergic reaction to the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. Reports of severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines have made headlines since the rollout to the…
NIAID expresses concern over AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine data
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has announced concerns with data from AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine trial. NIAID, a wing of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said in a statement today that it was concerned that information the company released from its AZD1222 vaccine clinical trial may be outdated.In turn, that may…
NIH starts Phase 3 trial of blood clotting treatments for COVID-19
The NIH announced today that it has launched the last of three Phase 3 clinical trials to evaluate blood thinners to prevent life-threatening blood clots in adults with COVID-19. As part of the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) initiative, the trial will study the use of Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer’s Eliquis blood thinner in…
NIH halts COVID-19 convalescent plasma trial
The NIH announced today that it has halted a clinical trial of COVID-19 convalescent plasma among ER patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms after the trial found no significant benefit from the treatment. An independent data and safety monitoring board (DSMB) recommended on Feb. 25 that NIH’s stop enrolling new patients. The Clinical Trial of COVID-19 Convalescent…
What made rapid mRNA COVID-19 vaccine development possible
A segment of the population is wary of COVID-19 vaccines. One of the main reasons why is the rapid pace at which they were developed. But the mRNA vaccines FDA was able to authorize in late 2020 were years in the making, stressed Kizzmekia Corbett of the NIH at CDC’s National Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine…