Pharmafile.com’s top 10 news stories of the week
pharmafile | April 2, 2021 | News story | | COVID-19, covid 19 news, covid-19 news, news, news roundup, pharma news
In the last week, a number of new COVID-19 developments have emerged; Novavax has delayed 100 million vaccines to the EU, GSK and Vir’s new treatment has shown 85% efficacy in a Phase III trial, and Pfizer has begun vaccine testing on young children.
1. Novavax delays 100 million vaccines to the EU – Published 26/03/21
Novavax is delaying the signing of a contract to supply COVID-19 vaccines to the EU, as the company warned it was struggling to source some raw materials for the vaccine’s manufacture.
2. GSK & Vir’s COVID-19 treatment shows 85% efficacy in Phase III trial – Published 29/03/21
GSK and Vir Biotechnology have submitted an Emergency Use Authorization request to the FDA for their VIR-7831 therapy for the treatment of COVID-19.
3. Pfizer begins COVID-19 vaccine testing on young children – Published 26/03/21
Pfizer have begun testing its COVID-19 vaccine on children under the age of 12, with the trials’ first participants, a pair of nine-year-old twins, being immunised at Duke University on 24 March.
4. 500,000 Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to arrive in UK next month – Published 29/03/21
More than 500,000 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine are set to arrive in the UK next month, ministers have confirmed.
5. Roche’s SMA treatment Evrysdi approved by European Commission – Published 30/03/21
The European Commission has granted marketing authorisation to Roche and PTC Therapeutics’ Evrysdi, for the treatment of patients aged 2 months or older with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
6. GSK to support manufacture of 60m Novavax COVID-19 vaccines – Published 30/03/21
GSK has reached an agreement with Novavax and the UK Government Vaccines Taskforce to support the production of up to 60 million doses of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, for use in the UK.
7. Celonic to manufacture at least 100 million CureVac COVID-19 jabs – Published 31/03/21
Celonic are to manufacture more than 100 million doses of CureVac’s COVID-19 vaccine, with 50 million shots expected to be produced before the end of this year.
8. Novartis expands targeted radioligand therapy pipeline – Published 30/03/21
Novartis has announced today that it has obtained exclusive rights to develop therapeutic applications for a library of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) targeting agents, including FAPI-46 and FAPI-74, through an assignment agreement with iTheranostics Inc.
9. FDA approve Astellas’s Myrbetriq treatment for bladder dysfunction – Published 26/03/21
The FDA have approved a new indication for Astellas Pharma’s Myrbetriq and Myrbetriq Granules to treat neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO), a bladder dysfunction related to neurological impairment in children aged three years and older.
10. Incyte receives EC approval for Pemazyre – Published 30/03/21
Incyte have received approval from the European Commission (EC) for Pemazyre (pemigatinib), the first new treatment for adults with locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma in over a decade.
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