Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Human Test Subjects Injected With Experimental Coronavirus Vaccine As Trial Kicks Off
The New York Times: Trial Of Coronavirus Vaccine Made By Moderna Begins In Seattle
The first testing in humans of an experimental vaccine for the new coronavirus began on Monday, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announced. The main goal of this first set of tests is to find out if the potential vaccine is safe. If it is, later study will determine how well it works. The trial was “launched in record speed,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the institute’s director, said in a statement. (Grady, 3/16)
The Wall Street Journal: Human Testing Begins Earlier Than Expected For U.S. Coronavirus Vaccine
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the NIH, said the study began at the Kaiser Permanente National Health Institute in Seattle and that four people were given the vaccine on Monday. The NIAID, which is funding the research, said that as far as it knows, these are the first people to get the vaccine. The vaccine is known as mRNA-1273 and was developed by scientists at NIAID and those at Moderna. Shares of the biotechnology firm soared 24% to $26.49 on Monday. (Burton and Loftus, 3/16)
The Hill: Researchers Launch First Coronavirus Vaccine Trial
Researchers on Monday administered the first shot in a trial for a potential vaccine for the novel coronavirus, federal officials said. The trial is taking place at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle and aims to enroll 45 healthy adults over a six-week period, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Study participants will receive two doses of the vaccine approximately 28 days apart. (Weixel, 3/16)
Reuters: Pfizer, BioNTech To Co-Develop Potential Coronavirus Vaccine
U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc has signed a deal with Germany's BioNTech SE to co-develop a potential vaccine for the coronavirus using BioNTech's mRNA-based drug development platform, the companies said on Tuesday. The drugmakers will start the collaboration immediately and have signed a letter of intent for the vaccine's distribution outside China, they said in a joint statement. (3/17)
And in news on possible COVID-19 treatments in development —
Stat: Regeneron: Potential Covid-19 Drugs Could Start Human Tests This Summer
The biotechnology firm Regeneron said it has now developed hundreds of potential medicines that could work against the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19, and that it may enter clinical trials by early summer. Regeneron’s drugs are what are known as monoclonal antibodies, proteins produced by the immune system that can neutralize pathogens. Regeneron’s antibodies are made in mice that have been genetically modified to have human-like immune systems, which means that, when they are given to a patient, his or her immune system will not attack the antibody. (Herper, 3/17)
Modern Healthcare: Coronavirus Treatment Could Top $20,000 For Patients With Job-Based Insurance
The cost of a coronavirus-related hospitalization for people with job-based health insurance could exceed $20,000, according to an analysis by the Peterson Center on Healthcare and Kaiser Family Foundation. While employers would pick up most of that tab, employees could face out of pocket costs of nearly $1,500, researchers estimated. (Livingston, 3/16)
