U.S. President Joe Biden on February 10 said he expected inflation to start to ease during 2022 as supply chain logjams clear up, while saying his administration was already helping ease shortages, as new data showed the biggest jump in consumer prices in 40 years.

Novavax

Novavax Inc. said on February 10 the company’s two-dose vaccine was 80% effective against COVID-19 in a late-stage trial testing the shot in teens aged 12 to 17 years.

An antibody-based COVID-19 therapy developed by GSK and Vir Biotechnology retains neutralizing activity against the emerging BA.2 form of the Omicron coronavirus variant, according to data from a laboratory study cited by Vir on February 10.

Jane Qiu, a freelance science writer based in Beijing, published an overview of her efforts to investigate the lab-leak theory for the origin of COVID-19. In another update, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on February 15 to discuss an amended Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months through 4 years of age.

Novartis

One month after posting positive Phase II data, Novartis and Molecular Partners are seeking Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for ensovibep, a DARPin antiviral therapeutic candidate developed to treat COVID-19.

Pharmaceutical products developed in China could have a steep hill to climb to be approved for use within the United States, impacting the plans of several large companies who hoped to capitalize on clinical data accumulated in that country.

Rivus Pharmaceuticals, a biopharma company focused on therapies for cardiometabolic health, announced positive data from a Phase IIa clinical trial.

In a new white paper, Evidation – which measures health in everyday life – describes best practices for organizations seeking to use PGHD to enhance their clinical product development programs, including real-world examples and case studies.

With COVID-19 cases still high nationwide, “now is not the moment” to drop mask mandates in schools and other public places, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told Reuters on February 8.

At WORLDSymposium, Astellas Pharma presented interim safety data from a Phase I/II study assessing the company’s AAV gene therapy for the rare, autosomal metabolic disease Pompe disease.