COVID-19

Looking to expand its mRNA franchise, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) announced a pact with Acuitas, which specializes in lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation technology. The deal allows Pfizer to license Acuitas’ LNP technology in up to 10 targets for vaccine or therapeutic development. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech currently use Acuitas’ LNP in their Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer…

The FDA announced earlier this week that it made some temporary changes to its inspectional activities due to COVID-19. With the omicron variant of the virus causing surges across the world, the FDA implemented the changes in the U.S. on Dec. 29, 2021, to ensure the safety of its employees and the firms it regulates,…

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Exelead (Indianapolis), a biopharma contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO). Not to be confused with the similarly named Merck & Co., the German company will pay roughly $780 million in the acquisition. Exelead specializes in creating lipid nanoparticle and pegylated…

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted almost unanimously to support the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster for individuals aged 12 to 17. As with adults, the recommendation applies to individuals who received the second dose at least five months in the past. ACIP also recommended that the CDC bolster its suggestion that adolescents between the…

Early data from Israel’s Sheba Medical Center showed that an additional booster of COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX) led to a fivefold increase in antibodies one week after receipt of the vaccine.  Pfizer had earlier announced that a third dose of the vaccine increased antibody levels 25-fold compared to a two-dose primary…

As COVID-19 infections in the U.S. hit new highs, President Joe Biden announced that the country would buy at least 20 million courses of Pfizer’s (NYSE:PFE) COVID-19 pill Paxlovid.  The government had planned on purchasing half as much of the drug, which won regulatory authorization in late December for certain patients with a high risk of developing…

With the pandemic continuing to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry, drug makers find themselves torn between the traditional domain of drug making and an emerging domain of new platforms and focuses. This disparity was reflected in the most popular pieces of content from Pharmaceutical Processing World in 2021. 1. GSK, Pfizer and J&J among the most-fined drug…

WHO head Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus faulted wealthy nations for advocating widespread use of COVID-19 boosters while billions of people across the globe remain unvaccinated. Ghebreyesus concluded that the situation could lead to more potentially dangerous SARS-CoV-2 mutations. The WHO has asked wealthy countries to prioritize vaccine initiatives in countries with low vaccination rates over…

Last month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued nasal spray company Xlear for claiming that its xylitol-containing saline nasal spray could help fight COVID-19. Specifically, the FTC alleged that Xlear had violated the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act. The Department of Justice also accused the company of violating the Federal Trade Commission Act. American Fork, Utah–based…

Mere months ago, health experts were divided on whether COVID-19 boosters were necessary for the broader public.  Then came delta and then came omicron.  Now, Israel is moving to become one of the first countries to offer a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to people at least 60 years old and those at high risk…