COVID-19: Vaccine/antidote and testing procedures Megathread [Mod Warning - Post #1]

hmmm · 23-09-2020 05:26PM

funnydoggy wrote: »

So asymptomatic cases don't really spread?

That's not quite what she was saying. Symptomatic spread is a bigger driver than those who are asymptomatic, but both can cause spread.

This is the paper she linked to:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.25.20079103v3

Hmmzis · 23-09-2020 06:30PM

FutureTeashock wrote: »

You can have the one I won't be taking.

That's very nice of you, he would most likely need it more.

(* no sarcasm or anything like that intended, I just sincerily think that's a very nice gesture)

scouserstation · 23-09-2020 08:18PM

I see Johnson & Johnson are at the final stages of testing their Covid 19 vaccine, it seem to differ from the moderna vaccine in how it works, it doesn't seem to contain the mRNA mechanism that moderna are using so in my view this would make it safer as an mRNA vaccine has never been rolled out before

ShineOn7 · 23-09-2020 08:18PM

UAE continue to test a phenomenal amount of people daily (population: almost 10 million)

UAE Health Ministry conducts 103,199 additional #COVID19 tests in past 24 hours, announces 1,083 new cases, 970 recoveries

There's many on the Dubai Reddit however saying the test being used is highly unreliable and most of them could be false positives. Can't remember what it's called, I think it's whichever of the two main tests isn't PCR

Hmmzis · 23-09-2020 09:08PM

scouserstation wrote: »

I see Johnson & Johnson are at the final stages of testing their Covid 19 vaccine, it seem to differ from the moderna vaccine in how it works, it doesn't seem to contain the mRNA mechanism that moderna are using so in my view this would make it safer as an mRNA vaccine has never been rolled out before

J&J candidate uses a viral vector platform, similar to Oxford/AstraZeneca, Russian Sputnik V and China's CanSino. In Oxford's case the viral vector is from a chimpanzee adenovirus strain while the others (including J&J) are based on human adenovirus strains (Ad26 for J&J, Ad5 in CanSino's case and both of them in the Russian case). I think there have been two approved vaccines for Ebola based on viral vectors.

The mRNA vaccines are actually way simpler than viral vectors as they're just a bit of mRNA in lipid shells. Both mRNA and viral vectors are capable of inducing a full T celll response (CD4 and CD8). The only other platform capable of doing that is live attenuated virus.

Gael23 · 23-09-2020 09:08PM

scouserstation wrote: »

I see Johnson & Johnson are at the final stages of testing their Covid 19 vaccine, it seem to differ from the moderna vaccine in how it works, it doesn't seem to contain the mRNA mechanism that moderna are using so in my view this would make it safer as an mRNA vaccine has never been rolled out before

This would be a game changer but they would need to big time ramp up supply if successful

Doc07 · 23-09-2020 09:38PM

scouserstation wrote: »

I see Johnson & Johnson are at the final stages of testing their Covid 19 vaccine, it seem to differ from the moderna vaccine in how it works, it doesn't seem to contain the mRNA mechanism that moderna are using so in my view this would make it safer as an mRNA vaccine has never been rolled out before

Probably more accurate to say they are just starting the final pre-approval stage (phase 3 trial)but could be into 2021 before the required amount of results in to decide if safe and effective

Hmmzis · 24-09-2020 03:41PM

It's a press release, so take the numbers with caution, but a 50-60% improvement rate would be hard to 'massage' with that n:

https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/oncoimmune-s-saccovid-cd24fc-exhibits-superb-therapeutic-efficacy-a-potential-breakthrough-in-treating-severe-and-critical-covid-19/

The question I have is why they didn't complete enrollment? Did the ethics board tell them to stop giving placebo? This did happen with Remdesivir with far less impressive numbers.

ACitizenErased · 24-09-2020 03:43PM

Hmmzis wrote: »

It's a press release, so take the numbers with caution, but a 50-60% improvement rate would be hard to 'massage' with that n:

https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/oncoimmune-s-saccovid-cd24fc-exhibits-superb-therapeutic-efficacy-a-potential-breakthrough-in-treating-severe-and-critical-covid-19/

The question I have is why they didn't complete enrollment? Did the ethics board tell them to stop giving placebo? This did happen with Remdesivir with far less impressive numbers.

72% of patients improved with only 203 enrollments, I assume it met their criteria?

Hmmzis · 24-09-2020 04:02PM

ACitizenErased wrote: »

72% of patients improved with only 203 enrollments, I assume it met their criteria?

That's kind of what I'm thinking/hoping here as well, it could have been stated in bit more plain English way, maybe.

Le Bruise · 24-09-2020 04:03PM

Hmmzis wrote: »

It's a press release, so take the numbers with caution, but a 50-60% improvement rate would be hard to 'massage' with that n:

https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/oncoimmune-s-saccovid-cd24fc-exhibits-superb-therapeutic-efficacy-a-potential-breakthrough-in-treating-severe-and-critical-covid-19/

The question I have is why they didn't complete enrollment? Did the ethics board tell them to stop giving placebo? This did happen with Remdesivir with far less impressive numbers.

So widespread use of this could cut the IFR of COVID by at least half if not two-thirds? Or am I reading it wrong?

Hmmzis · 24-09-2020 04:14PM

Le Bruise wrote: »

So widespread use of this could cut the IFR of COVID by at least half if not two-thirds? Or am I reading it wrong?

Taking the numbers at face value it would look that way.

Le Bruise · 24-09-2020 04:20PM

Hmmzis wrote: »

Taking the numbers at face value it would look that way.

That's excellent news, could really take the sting out of this things tail.

Gael23 · 24-09-2020 04:48PM

Le Bruise wrote: »

That's excellent news, could really take the sting out of this things tail.

Would a treatment take as long as a vaccine to be approved for mass administration?

Le Bruise · 24-09-2020 04:55PM

Gael23 wrote: »

Would a treatment take as long as a vaccine to be approved for mass administration?

That's above my pay grade I'm afraid!:)

I bow to either Hmmzis or hmmm on this, as they seem to have a very good insight into how these things work.

ACitizenErased · 24-09-2020 04:59PM

Surely if it's in Phase 3 it's almost ready to go? Manufacturing and distribution is probably the main issue.

hmmm · 24-09-2020 05:15PM

Gael23 wrote: »

Would a treatment take as long as a vaccine to be approved for mass administration?

I'm not a medical expert, but a potential treatment would be approved a lot quicker as it is being administered to already sick people. With a vaccine you are giving it to healthy people who may never come in contact with the virus, so the approval bar is much higher.

scouserstation · 24-09-2020 06:44PM

So all going well this treatment could be available for clinical use before the end of the year?

mean gene · 24-09-2020 08:12PM

any update on rtes top story of few days ago some blocker thats a game changer no other media running with it

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0922/1166648-covid-19-drug/

Hmmzis · 24-09-2020 08:30PM

mean gene wrote: »

any update on rtes top story of few days ago some blocker thats a game changer no other media running with it

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0922/1166648-covid-19-drug/

That's the linoleic acid pockets. It was all over the news and forums a few days ago.
It needs a bit more research into it and that would then potentially lead to some syntheric compounds able to clog the pockets.

Here are some comments from some people much smarter than me:

https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-study-on-druggable-pocket-in-structure-of-sars-cov-2-virus-spike/

ACitizenErased · 24-09-2020 11:37PM

And another one:
US biotech firm Novavax said Thursday it was initiating its final Phase 3 clinical trial for its experimental Covid-19 vaccine.
The trial will be carried out in the United Kingdom and aims to enroll 10,000 volunteers, aged 18-84, with and without underlying conditions, over the next four to six weeks.
https://www.france24.com/en/20200924-novavax-enters-late-stage-clinical-trials

ACitizenErased · 24-09-2020 11:38PM

And the press release:

Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a late stage biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, today announced that it has initiated its first Phase 3 study to evaluate the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373, Novavax’ COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The trial is being conducted in the United Kingdom (UK), in partnership with the UK Government’s Vaccines Taskforce, and is expected to enroll and immunize up to 10,000 individuals between 18-84 (inclusive) years of age, with and without relevant comorbidities, over the next four to six weeks.

“With a high level of SARS-CoV-2 transmission observed and expected to continue in the UK, we are optimistic that this pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial will enroll quickly and provide a near-term view of NVX-CoV2373’s efficacy,” said Gregory M. Glenn, M.D., President, Research and Development at Novavax. “The data from this trial is expected to support regulatory submissions for licensure in the UK, EU and other countries. We are grateful for the support of the UK Government, including from its Department of Health and Social Care and National Institute for Health Research, to advance this important research.”

NVX-CoV2373 is a stable, prefusion protein made using Novavax’ recombinant protein nanoparticle technology that includes Novavax’ proprietary MatrixM™ adjuvant. The vaccine has a favorable product profile that will allow handling in an unfrozen, liquid formulation that can be stored at 2°C to 8°C, allowing for distribution using standard vaccine channels.

Novavax has continued to scale-up its manufacturing capacity, currently at up to 2 billion annualized doses, once all capacity has been brought online by mid-2021.

About the Phase 3 Study

Consistent with its long-standing commitment to transparency and in order to enhance information-sharing during the worldwide pandemic, Novavax will be publishing its UK study protocol in the coming days.

The UK Phase 3 clinical trial is a randomized, placebo-controlled, observer-blinded study to evaluate the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 with Matrix-M in up to 10,000 subjects aged 18 to 84 years. Half the participants will receive two intramuscular injections of vaccine comprising 5 µg of protein antigen with 50 µg Matrix‑M adjuvant, administered 21 days apart, while half of the trial participants will receive placebo.

The trial is designed to enroll at least 25 percent of participants over the age of 65 as well as to prioritize groups that are most affected by COVID-19, including racial and ethnic minorities. Additionally, up to 400 participants will also receive a licensed seasonal influenza vaccine as part of a co-administration sub-study.

The trial has two primary endpoints. The first primary endpoint is first occurrence of PCR-confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 with onset at least 7 days after the second study vaccination in volunteers who have not been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. The second primary endpoint is first occurrence of PCR-confirmed symptomatic moderate or severe COVID-19 with onset at least 7 days after the second study vaccination in volunteers who have not been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. The primary efficacy analysis will be an event-driven analysis based on the number of participants with symptomatic or moderate/severe COVID-19 disease. An interim analysis will be performed when 67% of the desired number of these cases has been reached.

For further information, including media-ready images, b-roll, downloadable resources and more, click here.

About NVX-CoV2373

NVXCoV2373 is a vaccine candidate engineered from the genetic sequence of SARSCoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. NVXCoV2373 was created using Novavax’ recombinant nanoparticle technology to generate antigen derived from the coronavirus spike (S) protein and contains Novavax’ patented saponin-based Matrix-M™ adjuvant to enhance the immune response and stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies. NVX-CoV2373 contains purified protein antigens and cannot replicate, nor can it cause COVID-19. In preclinical trials, NVXCoV2373 demonstrated indication of antibodies that block binding of spike protein to receptors targeted by the virus, a critical aspect for effective vaccine protection. In its the Phase 1 portion of its Phase 1/2 clinical trial, NVXCoV2373 was generally well-tolerated and elicited robust antibody responses numerically superior to that seen in human convalescent sera. NVX-CoV2373 is also being evaluated in two ongoing Phase 2 studies, which began in August; a Phase 2b trial in South Africa, and a Phase 1/2 continuation in the U.S. and Australia. Novavax has secured $2 billion in funding for its global coronavirus vaccine program, including up to $388 million in funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

https://ir.novavax.com/news-releases/news-release-details/novavax-initiates-phase-3-efficacy-trial-covid-19-vaccine-united

hmmm · 25-09-2020 08:42AM

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-lufthansa-testing-idUSKCN26D2Z0

" airline trade group IATA on Tuesday touted antigen tests that can be processed on site and typically give results within about 15 minutes."

funnydoggy · 25-09-2020 09:44AM

hmmm wrote: »

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-lufthansa-testing-idUSKCN26D2Z0

" airline trade group IATA on Tuesday touted antigen tests that can be processed on site and typically give results within about 15 minutes."

That would be absolutely excellent if it was widespread.

Le Bruise · 25-09-2020 10:07AM

hmmm wrote: »

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-lufthansa-testing-idUSKCN26D2Z0

" airline trade group IATA on Tuesday touted antigen tests that can be processed on site and typically give results within about 15 minutes."

That's great. Always thought this was another way of getting back to a semblance of normality for travel/concerts/festivals etc.

Do these quick tests tend to give a high percentage of false positives, or would they be fairly accurate?

funnydoggy · 25-09-2020 11:11AM

So many people are unbelievably pessimistic about a vaccine.

"IF a vaccine is made"

"Takes years"

"We've never had one for a coronavirus"

Why don't they spend 5 minutes reading about it instead of repeating the same tropes constantly?

Charles Babbage · 25-09-2020 11:17AM

ACitizenErased wrote: »

And another one:
US biotech firm Novavax said Thursday it was initiating its final Phase 3 clinical trial for its experimental Covid-19 vaccine.
The trial will be carried out in the United Kingdom and aims to enroll 10,000 volunteers, aged 18-84, with and without underlying conditions, over the next four to six weeks.
https://www.france24.com/en/20200924-novavax-enters-late-stage-clinical-trials

Isn't 10,000 rather small? Covid is present in the UK but not that widespead, if 0.01% of people get Covid each day than that is only one person per day in 10,000.

funnydoggy wrote: »

So many people are unbelievably pessimistic about a vaccine.

"IF a vaccine is made"

"Takes years"

"We've never had one for a coronavirus"

Why don't they spend 5 minutes reading about it instead of repeating the same tropes constantly?

it suits some people's agenda to claim that there will be never a vaccine and you should just let the virus rip as there is no point waiting. Of course, vaccines are looking capable of helping at this stage even if they aren't a silver bullet, and better treatments and testing will also greatly improve things in 2021.

As for the airport testing, this is part of a solution but you need at least two tests some days apart to have good reliability and a system is needed for this.

mandrake04 · 25-09-2020 11:34AM

Le Bruise wrote: »

That's great. Always thought this was another way of getting back to a semblance of normality for travel/concerts/festivals etc.

Do these quick tests tend to give a high percentage of false positives, or would they be fairly accurate?

They are less sensitive and rely on the body being in an advanced state of infection, they produce higher percentage of false negatives compared to Molecular test.

hmmm · 25-09-2020 12:14PM

mandrake04 wrote: »

They are less sensitive and rely on the body being in an advanced state of infection, they produce higher percentage of false negatives compared to Molecular test.

I've read that most people are at their most infectious 2 days before symptoms, and 3-5 days afterwards. Would you know where in that scale one of those quick tests would detect the presence of the virus?

XsApollo · 25-09-2020 01:04PM

funnydoggy wrote: »

So many people are unbelievably pessimistic about a vaccine.

"IF a vaccine is made"

"Takes years"

"We've never had one for a coronavirus"

Why don't they spend 5 minutes reading about it instead of repeating the same tropes constantly?

I’m not a doom merchant , but they are right.
It is if a Vaccine will be successful .
It usually does take years.
And the fact remains until there is a proven vaccine then there is no vaccine.
Even the best minds in the world will not tell you 100% that any of the vaccines in trials at the moment will work.

I have high hopes we will have one but we don’t and until we have one we don’t have one, and that is a fact.

COVID-19: Vaccine/antidote and testing procedures Megathread [Mod Warning - Post #1]

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