Despite achieving strong responses against influenza A, a Phase 3 test of a Pfizer and BioNTech flu and Covid-19 combination vaccine did not meet goals against less common influenza B. These results come two months after Moderna’s combination vaccine succeeded in its Phase 3 trial.
Apple Tree Partners’ latest startup is Red Queen Therapeutics, developer of stapled peptide drugs that block viral fusion. Its lead program is on track for Phase 2 testing in immunocompromised Covid-19 patients; a preclinical pan-influenza program is in development under a BARDA contract.
As technology advances, AI-powered tools will increasingly reduce the administrative burdens on healthcare providers.
In the face of new variants and lower public acceptance of vaccination, it’s imperative that we take stock of lessons learned from previous seasons and examine key barriers to uptake as we prepare for this fall and winter – from adjusting approval timelines at the federal level, to implementing programs to address vaccine complacency, convenience and confidence.
An experimental Moderna combination vaccine for influenza and Covid-19 showed in a pivotal study that it can elicit a higher immune response compared to vaccines that are already available to protect against infection from both viruses.
GSK and Vir Biotechnology have ended their influenza collaboration, a move that follows last year’s Phase 2 failure for one of the partnered programs. Vir is now free to continue its flu research on its own, but the company says it’s actively pursuing other partners.
The FDA will decide this summer which strains the next Covid-19 vaccines should address. But companies are also taking a longer view, developing shots for the future that offer different features than the current ones and potentially broader protection against a wider range of pathogens.
The future looks bright for the integrated specialty pharmacy model – for health systems, providers, and most importantly, for patients.
Moderna’s mRNA vaccine for influenza has early data from a pivotal study showing it met trial goals assessing immune response against the more common strains of the virus, but missed against two less common types. A separate and ongoing Phase 3 study is assessing efficacy.
A webinar sponsored by BD scheduled for March 7 will explore how diagnostics companies are working with healthcare organizations to guard against the perfect storm of Covid-19, RSV and influenza. Register today!
GSK gave Vir Biotechnology a Valentine’s Day break-up message, but it’s not a complete goodbye. Though the two companies are ending their Covid-19 collaboration, they’ll still work together on other respiratory programs, including a prophylactic influenza antibody drug that is in mid-stage clinical development.
Xofluza, a flu antiviral drug developed by Roche and Shionogi, is now approved in Europe for children age 1 and older. The European Commission decision expands the patient population for the drug, which was previously approved for treating adolescents and adults.
Closing cancer health equity gaps require medical breakthroughs made possible by new funding approaches.
Leyden Labs is developing nasal spray medicines to prevent respiratory viral infections. The company’s Series B round of funding follows a licensing deal that gives the biotech rights to a Janssen antibody designed to address the two types of influenza that cause seasonal flu.
Diagnostics startup GRIP Molecular is developing an at-home test for Covid-19 and other respiratory infections. The technology builds on advances from several fields, including the discovery of graphene, a material that offers biocompatibility and conductivity.
The amended pact follows a collaboration begun last year when GlaxoSmithKline paid Vir Biotechnology $250 million to team up on potential treatments for Covid-19. The expansion includes an influenza treatment based on Vir's antibody technology.
Scripps Research launched a new study to see if data collective from wearable devices could be used to track flu-like illnesses, including Covid-19. In January, Scripps published a retrospective study using a similar methodology showing that sleep and resting heart rate data from Fitbits were correlated with the number of patients reporting influenza-like illness.
A new study by the Scripps Research Translational Institute suggests Fitbits could be used to detect the flu. By tracking resting heart rate and activity levels, researchers said Fitbits could improve detection of outbreaks at the state level.