Three of the frontrunners in the global coronavirus vaccine race announced Friday deals for hundreds of millions of doses with European countries, which will add to the demand on an all-too-severe supply chain as the global pandemic looms.
Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) struck a 30 million dose deal with the UK and are working together on a Phase 3 trial. The company is also in talks with the European Union to deliver 200 million doses. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca (AZN) announced a deal for 400 million doses, and Novavax (NVAX) struck a 60 million dose deal with the UK that also includes collaboration in a Phase 3 trial.
By comparison, the same companies promised 100 million doses (J&J and Novavax, each) and 300 million doses (AstraZeneca) to the US. All are in various stages of clinical trials, with AstraZeneca leading the way with its partnership with Oxford University.
Much of the focus of fax distribution has been on the developed West, while concerns about the impact on low- and middle-income countries are looming.
The World Health Organization (WHO), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Global Vaccine Alliance, GAVI, are all addressing the issue. The Serum Institute of India has been a dominant dealmaker, with commitments to produce the Oxford University vaccine candidate, as well as Novavax, and has partnered with the Gates Foundation to produce cheaper vaccines.
The global case counts over 21 million on this week’s cusp, with more than 760,000 dead. In the US, more than 5.2 million have been affected, and more than 167,000 have died from the coronavirus.
While there are hopes to confirm the vaccine to end the global pandemic, National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins said Thursday that no decision on a vaccine approval is likely due this fall, against the claims of President Donald Trump, who it calls for a fax machine to be ready for the November elections.
Meanwhile, CureVac (CVAC) announced its IPO price at $ 16 on Friday, even though the stock was set to open at $ 45 per share. Vaccine enthusiasm has stimulated small biotechs this year, such as Moderna (MRNA) and Novavax, raising concerns about the judgment of companies that have strong competition for their potential first product on the market.
Antibody treatments, at home
Growing momentum and optimism about the potential of anti-antibody therapies – seen as a bridge to getting vaccines – carries with it the same concerns about affordability and accessibility as vaccines. This is why one company is focusing on a potential topical anti-antibody treatment.
U.S. Director of BioDefense Institute Ravi Starzl told Yahoo Finance a treatment at home would remove a lot of accessibility for events, and move costs from hundreds to thousands of dollars to – potentially – less than $ 100 per month, without insurance coverage.
“Antibodies are the key to solving this pandemic,” Starzl said, noting that convalescent plasma, monoclonal antibodies and vaccines all have that important ingredient in common.
Jess O’Hara, a research technician, is working on the process of testing antibodies to see if they bind to the virus, in the laboratory at Imperial College London on Thursday 30 July 2020. Imperial College is working on the development of a COVID 19 fax. Scientists at Imperial College London say they are immunizing hundreds of people with an experimental coronavirus vaccine in an early trial, after not seeing any safety concerns in those who have been vaccinated so far. Dr Robin Shattock told the Associated Press that he and colleagues had a very slow and difficult process to test the vaccine at a low dose in a small number of participants and now the trial would expand to about 300 people, including those 75. (AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth)
But with monoclonal antibodies and convalescent plasma, there is a need for medical professionals in a healthcare system, and the costs that come with it are barriers to accessibility.
The company views avian antibodies as a way to suppress the virus with applications in the nasal and throat passages – where the virus is known to enter the body – and act as “passive immunity,” Starzl said.
The production of these home kits would be much cheaper to produce and customize, he said. But the total number of kits will also determine the success of each such potential product. At best, some of the largest monoclonal antibody factories can produce 400,000 treatments per month.
