During his first State of the Union Address, President Biden noted that the pandemic has been a disruptive force on multiple levels, not only for the United States but the entire globe. Among his pledges is a plan to distribute Pfizer’s antiviral drug Paxlovid free of charge to people who test positive.  

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 2 warned people against the use of unauthorized versions of certain COVID-19 rapid antigen tests currently being marketed in the United States.

Psychological stress from the pandemic may be widespread, but those who have had COVID-19 are at much higher risk for new mental health problems than individuals who have managed to avoid the virus, according to a new study. Additionally, researchers have found the BA.2 version of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus – while potentially more transmissible than its BA.1 predecessor – has not led to more hospitalizations or more severe disease in South Africa.

The pharmaceutical industry traditionally tests excipient compatibility by incubating binary mixtures of API and excipient at stress conditions and testing over time by HPLC. These tests take up to 3 months to complete, slowing the progress of formulation development. DSC/MDSC analysis is a better technique over HPLC as it is faster, can detect chemical and physical changes, and is more ecofriendly using less materials.

People who die of severe COVID-19 have brain abnormalities that resemble changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease – accumulation of a protein called tau inside brain cells, and abnormal amounts of the protein beta-amyloid that accumulates into amyloid plaques – small studies found. In other news, seniors can safely get the high-dose flu vaccine and an mRNA COVID-19 booster dose at the same time, a new study confirms.

Peregrine Market Access, a leading life science commercialization partner, was selected by Nonagen Bioscience to become its contract commercialization organization for Oncuria. The breakthrough bladder cancer diagnostic test Oncuria is being developed to aid in detection, therapy choice, and disease monitoring. Under a multiyear, multimillion dollar agreement, Peregrine Market Access will lead the U.S. launch of Oncuria.

COVID-19 vaccines using mRNA technology do not affect fertility outcomes during in-vitro fertilization (IVF), researchers found. Other new findings suggest the bacteria living in the small intestine may contribute to the risk for long COVID after infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Abbott

Abbott Laboratories beat fourth-quarter 2021 profit and sales estimates, aided by robust sales of COVID-19 test kits and strong demand for the company’s diagnostics products, but forecast lower-than-expected COVID-19 testing sales in 2022 due to uncertainties around the future of the pandemic.

The Omicron variant can survive longer than earlier versions of the coronavirus on plastic surfaces and human skin, Japanese researchers found in laboratory tests. Additionally, new research shows users of rapid antigen tests to detect COVID-19 should swab their nostrils as directed by the manufacturer and not swab the throat or cheek instead.

Insurance companies will be required to cover eight over-the-counter at-home coronavirus tests per person each month starting January 15, the Biden administration said, expanding access to highly sought-after kits as Americans grapple with a surge in coronavirus cases.