COVID Pharma Update
Now that the first COVID vaccine has been authorized by the FDA through an Emergency Use Authorization and the first people not in clinical trials in the US are receiving vaccinations, the road to a true post COVID world has begun. Big Pharma will still be actively seeking more vaccines, therapies, and testing solutions. Here is the latest on these fronts.
Therapeutics
Regeneron COVID-19 treatment Now Delivering
The Hill reports that the federal government will begin distributing doses of Regeneron’s antibody drug treatment for COVID-19 on Tuesday, top health officials said.
Avalon GloboCare achieves major milestones in immunotherapeutic program to combat coronavirus
Avalon GloboCare Corp revealed that it has achieved “significant milestones” in advancing its immunotherapeutic AVA-Trap technology program towards combatting the cytokine storm associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) lung damage and mortality.
Vaccines
New AMA Policy Aimed at Combatting Misinformation through Public Education Campaign to Promote Safety and Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines
With misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine development process circulating widely, physicians at the Special Meeting of the American Medical Association (@AmerMedicalAssn) House of Delegates adopted policy aimed at educating physicians on speaking with patients about COVID-19 vaccination, bearing in mind the historical context of “experimentation” with vaccines and other medication in communities of color, and providing physicians with culturally appropriate patient education materials.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Reports Steep Decline in Childhood Vaccinations Due to COVID-19 Pandemic, Putting Community Protection at Risk
Millions of children have missed routine vaccinations this year, causing a precipitous drop in immunizations that threatens to leave communities throughout the U.S. at risk of losing protection against highly contagious diseases, including measles, whooping cough and polio, according to new data from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (@BCBSAssociation).
‘We’re being left behind’: Rural hospitals can’t afford ultra-cold freezers to store the leading Covid-19 vaccine
STAT reports that large urban hospitals across the U.S. are rushing to buy expensive ultra-cold freezers to store what’s likely to be the first approved Covid-19 vaccine. But most rural hospitals can’t afford these high-end units, meaning health workers and residents in those communities may have difficulty getting the shots.
Cyberattacks Discovered on Vaccine Distribution Operations
NYT (@nytimes) reports that a series of cyberattacks is underway aimed at the companies and government organizations that will be distributing coronavirus vaccines around the world, IBM’s cybersecurity division has found, though it is unclear whether the goal is to steal the technology for keeping the vaccines refrigerated in transit or to sabotage the movements.
AMA, AHA, ANA issue open letter backing science-based COVID-19 vaccine development, urging public to remain vigilant until widespread vaccination
As COVID-19 vaccine development continues to progress, leading U.S. medical, nursing and health organizations affirmed their commitment to ensuring COVID-19 vaccines are evaluated and ultimately authorized through a rigorous scientific and regulatory process. The groups called on the American people to continue public health precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 until the U.S. population has been broadly immunized against the illness.
AMDA Releases COVID-19 Vaccine Education Toolkit
AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (@AMDApaltc) has released a COVID-19 vaccine education toolkit to answer the questions PALTC staff, patients, residents, and family members have about the vaccines.
Tobin Scientific and PHCbi Collaborate on Solution for Regional Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccine to Address Ultra Low Temperature Requirements
Tobin Scientific and PHCbi have announced a collaboration that is designed to address the unique transportation requirements of one of the lead COVID-19 vaccines. The solution uses Tobin trailers fitted with PHCbi’s ultra-low temperature freezers to ensure that the vaccine is maintained at the correct temperature throughout transit.
AMA statement on FDA authorization of first COVID-19 vaccine
Read the latest statement from Susan R. Bailey, M.D. President of the American Medical Association.
Testing
APC Health, a Houston Area CLIA Certified High-complexity Laboratory, Receives Authorization for the Highly Accurate Non-Invasive COVID-19, SalivaDirect™
APC Health is pleased to announce that the company’s high-complexity CLIA-certified lab operating out of Pearland, Texas has been authorized to perform saliva-based SalivaDirect™ SARS-CoV-2 test effective immediately.
CarePlus Health Plans Sends At-home Screening Kits to Members During COVID-19
In an effort to increase access to important preventive healthcare screenings, CarePlus Health Plans, Inc. (@careplushp) is mailing in-home preventive screening kits to eligible members. CarePlus, a subsidiary of Humana Inc., serves more than 166,000* Medicare Advantage members across Florida.
LANES, Fulgent Genetics and LA County Department of Health Services Collaborate to Fast-Track COVID-19 Test Results to Local Healthcare Providers
The Los Angeles Network for Enhanced Services (@LANES_HIE) and The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) announced their co-partnership with Fulgent Genetics Inc. to support the data exchange of coronavirus tests performed at nearly 20 local drive-thru, walk-up and community clinic testing sites. As COVID-19 infections hit record levels in LA County, access to the most relevant test data is essential for healthcare providers to inform patient care decisions.
American Screening, LLC Carries Important Antibody Tests in Its Inventory
American Screening, LLC (@asc_drug_test) considers it its duty and privilege to support efforts for safeguarding the public health, making its contribution through providing an extensive inventory of top-quality, accurate, and affordable solutions. Its vast selection of products includes a number of essential antibody tests, the most recent addition being the CLIA-waived COVID-19 rapid serology kit.
COVID-19 Testing Appointments Are Readily Available in 45 States
This program is part of the public-private partnership announced on March 13, 2020. eTrueNorth is working with HHS, state and local officials, and pharmacy and lab partners to open testing sites in areas of need.
FDA Authorizes First COVID-19 Test for Self-Testing at Home
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first COVID-19 diagnostic test for self-testing at home and that provides rapid results. The Lucira COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit is a molecular (real-time loop mediated amplification reaction) single use test that is intended to detect the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19.
CareStart™ COVID-19 Antigen test kit using NanoAct™ launched in the U.S.
CareStart™ COVID-19 Antigen test kit developed by Access Bio, Inc., using Asahi Kasei’s NanoAct™ cellulose nanobeads, received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and its sale in the U.S. has begun.
ADEXUSDx® COVID-19 Antibody Test Filed for Point of Care Emergency Use Authorization
NOWDiagnostics, Inc. (@nowdx1) announced that it has filed for expanded Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the ADEXUSDx® COVID-19 antibody test for point-of-care (POC)/CLIA waived testing. A prospective clinical trial of the ADEXUSDx® COVID-19 Antibody Test performed across three geographically diverse clinical sites demonstrated a high level of analytical performance using the test’s revolutionary “touch-to-test” technology.
Clinical Trials
AstraZeneca Partners with CCT to Conduct COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials in Arizona
CCT Research (CCT), a community-based, embedded clinical research company, announced its partnership with AstraZeneca to advance COVID-19 research. Together with local healthcare providers, CCT will facilitate clinical trials for the AZD1222 COVID-19 VACCINE, an investigational vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19.
CCT Research Expands Clinical Trial Capabilities to Salt Lake City
CCT Research, a community-based, embedded clinical research company, announced the expansion of its clinical trial operations to the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. CCT will partner with Olympus Family Medicine, Ogden Clinic and Springville Dermatology, increasing CCT’s total site network to 17 locations nationwide.
eTrueNorth Recruiting COVID-Positive Individuals for ACTIV-2 Clinical Trial
eTrueNorth, the U.S.-based healthcare technology company that enables laboratory testing at retail pharmacies and enables all surge drive-through COVID-19 specimen collection sites, will begin proactively communicating with COVID-19 positive individuals to inform them about the possibility of their participation in National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s ACTIV-2 clinical research trial.
To Read
Flu vaccine may lower risk for severe COVID-19, study suggests By Brian P. Dunleavy, UPI – People who received the flu vaccine in the year before testing positive for COVID-19 are nearly 2 1/2 times less likely to be hospitalized with a severe form of the disease than those who were not vaccinated, an analysis published Wednesday by the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine found.
Survey: How Many Americans Will Get a COVID-19 Vaccination? by Harmony Healthcare IT (@HarmonyHIT) – As a health data management firm, Harmony Healthcare IT was curious to learn how many Americans would agree to receiving a COVID-19 vaccination if an effective one was produced. The firm surveyed 2,000 Americans to get a better understanding of the public’s views on a potential vaccine, who should be vaccinated first and when they expect a return to normalcy.
To Listen
COVID-19 Episodes
We have compiled a playlist from all our shows and podcasts on our network that discuss the current COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 Resources
HealthcareNOW Radio rounded up some health IT resources being offered by companies to help healthcare professionals, American citizens and all of those affected in the fight against the coronavirus.
COVID-19 Reports
This bi-weekly report on HealthITAnswers.net rounds up some of the latest news and announcements pertaining to the coronavirus and the healthcare industry along with suggested reading and a pick from our HealthcareNOW Radio channel podcast episodes for listening.
CMS COVID-19 Vaccine Policies & Guidance
Centralized resource where you’ll find specific information for providers, health plans and issuers, state Medicaid programs, and Children’s Health Insurance Programs.
