SARS-CoV-2 spike protein Archives

An experimental vaccine developed by GeoVax Labs Inc. succeeded in promoting development of antibodies that target two different sites on the virus in a small pilot study and was advanced to mid-stage clinical trials, researchers reported.
COVID-19 patients who receive one of the few antibody treatments that works against the Omicron variant must be carefully monitored because after the drug is infused, the virus may mutate and become resistant to it, researchers warned after seeing such cases with Delta variant patients.

March 11, 2022/by Reuters Health

U.S. Army Begins Human Trials of Pan-Coronavirus Vaccine

Clinical Trials, COVID-19 Vaccines, Long COVID, Messenger RNA (mRNA) Vaccines, Mutations, Pan-Coronavirus Vaccines, R&D, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, SARS-CoV-2 virus, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Amidst news of current COVID-19 vaccines proving less effective against infections with Delta and Omicron variants of the disease, researchers are turning toward the development of pan-coronavirus vaccines that would work effectively against multiple variants. Scientists and researchers at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMC) in Maryland have been doing just that over the past two years and announced they are testing the vaccine in humans in a Phase I study.

January 31, 2022/by BioSpace

New IHU Variant On CDC’s Radar But Currently Not a Concern

CDC, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, Covid-19 Variants, Mutations, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, United States

The newly discovered COVID-19 variant, dubbed IHU (also known as B.1.640.2), is the latest in a long string of variants as the SARS-CoV-2 virus inches closer to either becoming endemic or burning itself out.

January 6, 2022/by BioSpace

Llama Nanobodies May be Missing Link in COVID-19 Therapeutics

Clinical Trials, COVID-19 Therapeutics, Inhaled Formulations, llamas, Monoclonal Antibodies, Nanobodies, National Institutes of Health, R&D, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Monoclonal antibodies are playing a key therapeutic role in the treatment of some Covid-19 patients, but new research suggests that nanobodies derived from llamas could provide an alternative to monoclonal antibodies through a more effective delivery method—inhalation.

September 22, 2021/by BioSpace

Meissa’s Nasal Covid-19 Vaccine Uses Codon Deoptimization for Stronger Responses

Business, Clinical Trials, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), COVID-19 immunity, Fast Track Designation, Immune Response, R&D, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Meissa Vaccines’ intranasal live attenuated chimeric virus-based vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 (and its variants), which was cleared for Phase I trials, employs codon deoptimization to evoke a stronger-than-usual immune response.

March 25, 2021/by Andrew Humphreys

Vir and GSK Team Up with Eli Lilly for Double Monoclonal Antibody Study

Bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555), Business, Clinical Trials, Collaboration, COVID-19 Antibodies, Covid-19 Data, Deals, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, R&D, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Vir Biotechnology, Eli Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline struck a three-way collaborative deal to evaluate Vir’s investigational monoclonal antibody VIR-7831 in combination with Lilly’s bamlanivimab in low-risk patients with mild to moderate Covid-19.

January 27, 2021/by Andrew Humphreys

Moderna Developing Booster COVID-19 Shot to Quell Tide of New Variants

Business, CNBC, COVID-19 shots, COVID-19 Variant B.1.1.7, Data, Messenger RNA (mRNA) Vaccines, Moderna, mRNA-1273/Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (Moderna), Research, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, Shares, South Africa, Studies, United Kingdom

Moderna started development on a booster to the company’s Covid-19 vaccine, which is hoped to work against the recently discovered (and more transmissible) SARS-CoV-2 variant from South Africa.

January 25, 2021/by Andrew Humphreys

FDA Approves Roche Covid-19 Test that Aims to Test Vaccines’ Antibody Response

Antibody Response, Blood, Blood Samples, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, COVID-19 Antibodies, COVID-19 Testing, CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance, Emergency Use Authorization, FDA, Moderna, Pfizer, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, Testing Labs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to a Covid-19 test developed by Roche that measures antibodies within the blood.

December 2, 2020/by BioSpace

Johns Hopkins Scientists Discover Possible Key to Controlling Covid-19 Immune Response

Biological, Blood, Cells, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Factor D Protein, Immune System, Inflammation, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Membranes, R&D, Researchers, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, Sugar Molecules

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine identified a protein – known as factor D – that appears essential to the inflammatory process of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

October 19, 2020/by Andrew Humphreys

BioSpace reviews some of the more interesting recently published scientific studies, including whether the Covid-19 virus relieve pain.

October 9, 2020/by Andrew Humphreys

GeoVax vaccine targeting virus in two places shows promise; virus may become resistant to antibody drugs

U.S. Army Begins Human Trials of Pan-Coronavirus Vaccine

New IHU Variant On CDC’s Radar But Currently Not a Concern

Llama Nanobodies May be Missing Link in COVID-19 Therapeutics

Meissa’s Nasal Covid-19 Vaccine Uses Codon Deoptimization for Stronger Responses

Vir and GSK Team Up with Eli Lilly for Double Monoclonal Antibody Study

Moderna Developing Booster COVID-19 Shot to Quell Tide of New Variants

FDA Approves Roche Covid-19 Test that Aims to Test Vaccines’ Antibody Response

Johns Hopkins Scientists Discover Possible Key to Controlling Covid-19 Immune Response

Research Roundup: CovidD-19 Pain Relief and More