Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
COVID Vaccine Developed In U.S. Shows Promising Immune System Reaction
AP: First COVID-19 Vaccine Tested In US Poised For Final Testing
The first COVID-19 vaccine tested in the U.S. revved up people’s immune systems just the way scientists had hoped, researchers reported Tuesday — as the shots are poised to begin key final testing. “No matter how you slice this, this is good news,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, told The Associated Press. (Neergaard, 7/15)
The Hill: Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Immune Response In Early Results
An experimental vaccine to treat COVID-19 manufactured by Moderna was able to induce an immune response in all of the volunteers in an early-stage trial, according to data published online in a medical journal. The initial results, published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday, showed the vaccine was generally safe and well tolerated in 45 volunteers, with no serious adverse events. (Weixel, 7/14)
Los Angeles Times: Clinical Trial Shows Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine On Right Track
Within 12 hours of getting the second dose of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Moderna Inc., Ian Haydon began to feel chills. Then came nausea, headaches, muscle pain and delirium. He took his temperature: 103.2 degrees. With fluids and rest, the symptoms faded. ... A day and half after getting the shot, he felt fine. Similar side effects of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine were described in a report published Tuesday by the New England Journal of Medicine. Its findings confirm the company’s preliminary announcement in May that the candidate vaccine prompted the production of coronavirus antibodies in human testers. (Curwen, 7/14)
The New York Times: First Coronavirus Vaccine Tested in Humans Shows Early Promise
Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease expert at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said that the neutralizing antibodies and other immune responses were a good sign, but that it was not known yet whether they would actually protect people against the virus, or how long they would last. The side effects were a “small price to pay” for protection against a potentially severe disease, he said, though fever may be a cause for concern once the vaccine is given to large numbers of people. (Grady, 7/14)
Stat: First Data For Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine Show An Immune Response
The data roughly mirror the results from a similar vaccine being produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, which were released July 1. Moderna posted a listing on clinicaltrials.gov, a government registry, that says it will start a Phase 3 study in 30,000 patients on July 27. Pfizer and BioNTech said they plan to start their own large study by the end of the month. There are 23 vaccines in human clinical trials against the virus, SARS-CoV-2, according to the World Health Organization, with more set to begin testing soon. (Herper and Garde, 7/14)
Reuters: Moderna Phase 1 Results Show Coronavirus Vaccine Safe, Induces Immune Response
The U.S. government is supporting Moderna’s vaccine with nearly half a billion dollars and has chosen it as one of the first to enter large-scale human trials. A successful vaccine could be a turning point for Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Moderna, which has never had a licensed product. (Steenhuysen, 7/14)
The Washington Post: Decades Of Research On An HIV Vaccine Boosts The Bid For One Against Coronavirus
The discovery of HIV was a long-awaited moment, and Health and Human Services Secretary Margaret Heckler vowed that the scourge of AIDS would soon end. A vaccine would be ready for testing within two years, she proclaimed. ... Thirty-six years later, there still is no HIV vaccine. But instead of being a cautionary tale of scientific hubris, that unsuccessful effort is leading to even greater confidence in the search for a coronavirus vaccine, from some of the same researchers who have spent their careers seeking a cure for AIDS. (Johnson and Bernstein, 7/14)
