Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pfizer Vaccine Likely Works Just As Well Against Variant Identified In UK: Studies
CNBC: Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Found To Be Effective Against Covid Variant Discovered In The UK
The coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech is likely to be just as effective against a highly transmissible mutant strain of the virus that was first discovered in the U.K., according to a study by the two companies. The variant, known as B.1.1.7., was estimated to have first emerged in the U.K. in September 2020. It has an unusually high number of mutations and is associated with more efficient and rapid transmission. (Meredith, 1/20)
Stat: Study: Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine Effective With Variant First Detected In U.K.
The paper from company scientists, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, is a welcome signal that existing vaccines don’t seem to be weakened by the variant in question, dubbed B.1.1.7. Already, scientists had tested the Pfizer vaccine against one of the key mutations in the variant and found the immunization’s neutralization power was not affected. (Joseph, 1/20)
CNN: Variant Might Partially Evade Protection From Vaccines Or Prior Infection, Early Research Suggests
A new study suggests someone might be able to get infected with one of the new variants of the coronavirus even if they've had Covid-19 before or have been vaccinated. The variant was first spotted in South Africa in October and has now been found in more than a dozen countries. (Cohen, 1/19)
CNBC: Biden’s New CDC Director Says She’s ‘Optimistic’ Covid Vaccines Will Work Against New Variants
The currently deployed vaccines have proven to be so effective in clinical trials, the new variants likely won’t make them completely ineffective, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, President-elect Joe Biden’s pick to lead the CDC, told the JAMA Network. Both vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna have shown to be roughly 95% effective in preventing Covid-19 in large clinical trials. However, the new strains might cause a dip in how well the vaccines perform outside of those trials. (Higgins-Dunn, 1/19)
San Francisco Chronicle: Can Vaccines Keep Up With Coronavirus Mutations? Bay Area Variant Will Be A Test
“We’re really in a race now,” said Dr. Charles Chiu, the UCSF virologist who identified the L452R variant that’s blown up in parts of the Bay Area over the past month. “This only increases our urgency to mass vaccinate the population before additional variants evolve and emerge.” One worrisome aspect: The more the coronavirus is circulating in the community, the more chances it has to mutate and develop into new variants. And there has never been more virus in California and the United States than now — and many other countries are also struggling to contain it, creating more risk in an interconnected world. (Allday, 1/19)
Also on BioNTech —
Stat: Biotech Launches Human Trials Of Potential ‘Backstop’ For Covid-19 Vaccines
A small biotechnology firm said that it will start human testing of an experimental Covid-19 vaccine it hopes can target potential strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that could evade current vaccines — if such strains ever exist and become a problem. (Herper, 1/19)
Stat: Biotech’s Presence On New Social Media App Clubhouse Is Growing
For years, Twitter has been biotech’s social media app of choice. But the industry appears to be breaking into a newer, more exclusive social media app: Clubhouse. The app, which is only available for iPhones, lets people join conversations — think of a call-in radio show or a multiway phone call. (Sheridan, 1/20)
