Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) revealed that its COVID-19 drug Paxlovid retained in vitro efficacy against the omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant. The company said that the research indicates that the drug can potentially maintain plasma concentrates “many-fold” times higher than the level needed to prevent replication of the highly transmissible variant. “These data suggest that our oral COVID-19 therapy…

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,…

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…

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…

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 15 to 0 to prioritize the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines over Johnson & Johnson’s. One of the main reasons for the recommendation is a rare side effect associated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that results in low blood clots and blood-platelet levels. CDC officials revealed…

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that the country will accelerate its coronavirus vaccination booster initiative to fight a “tidal wave” of cases resulting from the infectious Omicron variant. Johnson acknowledged that two doses of vaccine were unlikely sufficient to fight off the recent surge in infections, which hit the second-highest level in the…

In May, the World Health Assembly set the goal of fully vaccinating 10% of each country’s population by September 30. A number of countries hit the goal, including 15 in Africa, but more than 50 didn’t. “It’s very concerning,” said Donna Patterson, a fellow at the Wilson Center, in a recent webinar from that organization. Uneven…

Fujifilm (TSE:4901) is spending big to double the size of its United Kingdom-based vaccine manufacturing facility. According to a news release, Fujifilm is spending about $532.8 million (£400 million) to expand its Teesside (north-east England) plant making the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine. The expansion includes facilities specializing in antibody treatments and viral gene therapies. Fujifilm said…

The U.K. government has put a manufacturing plant up for sale that was instrumental in the country’s plan to battle future pandemics. According to The Financial Times, the plant, dubbed the Vaccine Manufacturing Innovation Centre (VMIC), had received at least £215 million of public funding since it was launched in 2018. A handful of companies…