A third shot of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine produces a strong immune response, researchers said on June 28, adding there was not yet evidence that such shots were needed, especially given shortages in some countries.

AstraZeneca said a late-stage trial failed to provide evidence that the company’s Covid-19 antibody therapy protected people who had contact with an infected person from the disease, a small setback in its efforts to find alternatives to vaccines.

Novavax

Novavax Inc. said vaccine efficacy appeared to be preserved in those receiving an approved influenza vaccine along with the company’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate compared to those receiving its Covid-19 vaccine alone.

UK researchers led by a group at Newcastle University identified a gene, HLA-DRB1*04:01, which was three times more common in asymptomatic Covid-19 patients than in people with symptomatic disease. The research was published in the journal HLA.

AstraZeneca’s $39 billion acquisition of Alexion is being investigated by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to determine if the deal is anti-competitive.

A double dose of Covid-19 vaccines is almost as effective against the fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus first identified in India as it is against Britain’s dominant strain, English health officials said on May 22.

Two doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine are around 85 percent to 90 percent effective against symptomatic disease, Public Health England (PHE) said on May 20, citing an analysis of real-world data from the rollout of the shot.

Giving a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine but delaying a second dose among people younger than 65 could lead to fewer people dying of the disease, but only if certain conditions are met, a predictive modelling study showed.

Metabolic comorbidities, including obesity and type 2 diabetes increase the risk of morbidity and mortality in patients who contract coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). But findings published in the journal Nature show that not only are patients with diabetes more at risk of more severe outcomes, patients without diabetes who develop Covid-19 may also be at a higher risk of actually developing diabetes following recovery. 

An experimental monoclonal antibody treatment for Covid-19 being developed by Eli Lilly and Co. and AbCellera Biologics Inc. can “potently” neutralize numerous coronavirus variants, including those first identified in the UK, Brazil, South Africa, California and New York, scientists found in test tube experiments. According to another study, some Covid-19 survivors infected early in the pandemic still have detectable antibodies against the virus a year later.