We start the week with exciting news: BIO member Novavax Inc.’s coronavirus vaccine is showing huge promise—another example of why, as BIO’s Chair Dr. Jeremy Levin says, this is the industry’s “finest hour.”
First, the news: Novavax Inc., a small biotech based in Maryland, “reports early success with its experimental coronavirus vaccine, and has accelerated its timetable for human trials,” reports WTOP.
What does success look like right now? The vaccine has “shown to be highly immunogenic in animal models for antibodies that block the binding of the virus to cells,” with “neutralizing antibodies” observed after just one dose.
When will we know for sure? The company plans to start the Phase I trial in mid-May, with preliminary results expected in July.
This is another example of how the “engine of biotech” in the United States will lead us out of this crisis, explained BIO Chair Dr. Jeremy Levin, CEO of Ovid Therapeutics, in the latest episode of the I AM BIO podcast.
Yes, we’ll get through this: “We’ve revolutionized cancer. We’ve revolutionized viral disorders. And now, with all the knowledge that we’ve gained over that 25 years, this entire industry is pivoting to face the onslaught of the coronavirus,” he said. “Most certainly, we’re going to beat this back.”
But he has a message for his colleagues: “I’d like to urge you: this is your finest hour,” he said. “You will be able to tell your children or your grandchildren that you made a difference. And that difference is what matters. And that message needs to go to every single scientist, every single biotech CEO, every single one of us. This is the hour we stand up and we make a difference.”
Listen to the whole thing for Levin’s take on testing, why the U.S. biotech industry is uniquely positioned to discover coronavirus treatments and vaccines, and how BIO is facilitating collaboration between biotechs large and small.
You can listen at www.bio.org/podcast or wherever you get your podcast fix including Apple, Google, and Spotify.
More Health Care News:
Bloomberg: WHO says 70 vaccines in the works, with three leading candidates
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the Moderna and Inovio vaccines are among the most promising in the world right now.
The Wall Street Journal: Antiviral drug shows early promise in severely ill coronavirus patients
“Small group given experimental Gilead treatment under ‘compassionate use’ showed improvement, but clinical trials needed to assess its effectiveness.”
The Wall Street Journal (Opinion): The employer will test you now
“Reopening the economy will depend on companies diagnosing coronavirus cases in the workplace,” write former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb and former deputy director of FDA’s medical device center and chief of staff Dr. Lauren Silvis.
