INDIAN FIRM BIOLOGICAL E INITIATES CLINICAL TRIAL OF COVID-19 VACCINE CANDIDATE

Indian pharma firm Biological E has initiated a Phase I/II clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of its Covid-19 subunit vaccine candidate.

The move comes after the company obtained approval from the Drugs Controller General of India.

The vaccine candidate has an antigen in-licensed from US-based Baylor College of Medicine’s integrated commercialisation team, BCM Ventures. It also contains an advanced adjuvant CpG 1018 from Dynavax Technologies.

Adjuvant is a pharmacological or immunological agent and boosts the immune response of a vaccine.

Biological E managing director Mahima Datla said: “We are very happy indeed to transition our potential vaccine candidate to clinical trials and offer one more potential option for the prophylaxis of Covid-19.”

The trial will also analyse the ability to induce an immune response, of the vaccine candidate, which has the Receptor Binding Domain of the Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 at three dose levels adjuvanted with CpG 1018 plus alum.

UK STUDY SHOWS SNG001 AIDS IN FASTER COVID-19 RECOVERY

The University of Southampton in the UK has published the results from a clinical trial of an inhaled form of interferon beta-1a, SNG001, which reduced chances of hospitalised Covid-19 patients developing severe disease or death due to infection.

The naturally occurring protein, interferon beta, coordinates the immune response of the body to viral infections.

Studies in the laboratories have shown that the SARS CoV-2 virus directly suppresses the release of interferon beta. Decreased activity of the protein was also observed in Covid-19 patients during clinical trials.

The trial enrolled 101 hospitalised Covid-19 patients who were randomly given Synairgen’s SNG001 or placebo.

Results showed that patients who received SNG001 were twice as likely to show an improvement in their clinical condition at day 15 or 16 as compared with the placebo arm.

In the placebo group, 11 out of 50 patients developed severe disease needing mechanical ventilation or died between the first dose and day 15 or 16. All patients in the SNG001 group survived while three deaths were recorded in the placebo group.

ADAGIO THERAPEUTICS RAISES FUNDING TO ADVANCE COVID-19 ANTIBODIES

Adagio Therapeutics has raised $80m in funding to further advance best-in-class antibodies to both treat and protect against Covid-19.

The company plans to use the proceeds to advance its lead antibody candidate, ADG20, into clinical development early next year for the treatment of the disease.

ADG20 offers potential best-in-class treatment and durable protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 and future coronaviruses.

Previously known as Google Ventures, GV led the Series B funding round that involved participation from existing investors such as Polaris Partners, Mithril Capital, Fidelity Management & Research Company.

Other participants included OrbiMed, new investors, Population Health Partners and Omega Funds.

INDIAN RESEARCHERS DEVELOP VACCINE STRATEGIES FOR SARS-COV-2, HIV VIRUSES

Researchers at Indian Institute of Science’s (IISc) Molecular Biophysics Unit have announced the development of effective vaccine strategies against the SARS-CoV-2 and HIV viruses that cause Covid-19 and AIDS, respectively.

The researchers reported the design of a ‘heat-tolerant’ vaccine candidate for Covid-19 which contains a part of the spike protein of the novel coronavirus called the receptor binding domain, with the help of which the virus adheres to the host’s cell.

Molecular Biophysics Unit professor Raghavan Varadarajan is developing the vaccine candidate in partnership with startup Mynvax and other institutes.

The candidate triggered a strong immune response when it was tested in guinea pig models and also remained stable for a month at 37°C, IISc reported.

BRIDGE BIOTHERAPEUTICS TERMINATES COLLABORATION AGREEMENT WITH BOEHRINGER

Bridge Biotherapeutics and Boehringer Ingelheim have mutually agreed to terminate their previously signed collaboration and licence agreement to develop BBT-877.

In July 2019, Boehringer entered a deal with Bridge Biotherapeutics to develop the drug candidate, BBT-877, for the treatment of fibrosing interstitial lung diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

According to the deal, Boehringer agreed to make upfront and near-term payments of €45m to Bridge Biotherapeutics. This deal included milestone payments of up to €1.1bn.

BBT-877 is an autotaxin inhibitor being trialled for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and various fibrotic diseases.

Under the latest deal, Bridge Biotherapeutics will regain all rights to the drug candidate.

In the pre-clinical models for fibrosing interstitial lung diseases, the novel therapy yielded positive safety and efficacy data.

AUSTRALIA TO INITIATE MANUFACTURING OF VACCINE CANDIDATE FOR COVID-19

Australia is planning to commence the manufacturing of Covid-19 vaccine candidate, AZD1222, at biotech firm CSL’s advanced manufacturing facility in Broadmeadows, Victoria.

AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford are developing the vaccine. CSL signed separate deals with AstraZeneca and the Australian Government to produce approximately 30 million doses of AZD1222.

The company plans to make available the first set of vaccines in the first half of next year. The two-dose regimen can potentially vaccinate up to 15 million people.

Initially, the production process will begin with the thawing of vials containing vaccine cells, frozen under liquid nitrogen to preserve its integrity.

Thawing prepares for replication in the bioreactors. On growing in the bioreactors, the vaccine is filtered and purified, leaving just the antigen or vaccine product, which then gets formulated and filled into dosage vials.