July 30, 2020
AstraZeneca has been granted protection from future product liability claims related to its COVID-19 vaccine hopeful by most of the countries with which it has struck supply agreements, a senior executive told Reuters.
Archiv: medicine / drugs / vaccines
Mexican president orders creation of state-run medicine agency
“This means breaking up the monopoly of companies that had control in Mexico. They sold medications that were expensive, of poor quality and there were often shortages,” said President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at a regular news conference.
EU buys 30,000 doses of remdesivir to treat severe Covid-19 cases
Remdesivir is the first drug that received EU approval for coronavirus treatment.
U.K. Orders 90 Million Vaccine Doses from Pfizer and Valneva
“It’s the right thing to be doing to be at the absolute front of the queue to make sure we’re in a position to get those vaccines first when they become available,” Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told the BBC during the government’s media round on Monday.
Oxford coronavirus vaccine is safe and induces immune reaction, findings suggest
Initial trials on 1,077 British adults found that the vaccine induced strong antibody and T-cell responses, which may improve further after a booster jab, as reported by the Telegraph.
There were found to be no serious adverse events, and minor side effects could be controlled by paracetamol, two papers in The Lancet reported.
Coronavirus: ‚There may never be a COVID-19 vaccine‘
The chair of the UK Vaccine Taskforce says there may never be a vaccine for coronavirus.
Kate Bingham told Kay Burley @Breakfast if a vaccine was found, it may not prevent people from getting the virus but will reduce symptoms.
Scientists from the Wuhan virus lab have ‚defected‘ to the West, reveals senior Trump ally Steve Bannon – as FBI gathers evidence that coronavirus pandemic was caused by an accidental leak
He said: ‘The thing was built with French help, so don’t think that there aren’t some monitoring devices in there. I think what you are going to find out is that these guys were doing experiments which they weren’t fully authorised [for] or knew what they were doing and that somehow, either through an inadvertent mistake, or on a lab technician, one of these things got out.
‘It’s not that hard for these viruses to get out. That is why these labs are so dangerous.
‘You essentially had a biological Chernobyl in Wuhan, but the centre of gravity, the Ground Zero, was round the Wuhan lab, in terms of the casualty rates. And like Chernobyl, you also had the cover-up – the state apparatus reports to itself and just protects itself.’
Why the Bill Gates global health empire promises more empire and less public health
Behind a veil of corporate media PR, the Gates Foundation has served as a vehicle for Western capital while exploiting the Global South as a human laboratory. The coronavirus pandemic is likely to intensify this disturbing agenda.
Big Price, Modest COVID-19 Drug
(29.06.2020)
Congressman Doggett has been seeking information from both Secretary Azar and Gilead on remdesivir pricing for almost two months. Neither disclosed the huge taxpayer expenditure that the Trump Administration is making today to purchase remdesivir supplies through September. Copies of related correspondence are available upon request.
Remdesivir Priced At More Than $3,100 For A Course Of Treatment
(29.06.2020)
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, called the price „outrageous.“
„Without a taxpayer investment of $99 million, this drug would have been abandoned. It would be on the scrap heap of failures,“ he tells NPR. „So it’s the taxpayer who’s really taking the risk here and ought to get the reward of the angel investors that taxpayers are.“
Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, echoed his remarks with a similar sentiment.
Hydroxychloroquine Knocked Again: WHO Shuts Down Trials For It, HIV Drug As Coronavirus Treatments
According to Reuters, the WHO is also leading a trial into whether remdesivir, Gilead’s antiviral treatment, can be used for Covid-19 infections.
Study finds hydroxychloroquine may have boosted survival, but other researchers have doubts
(03.06.2020)
The US Food and Drug Administration withdrew its emergency use authorization for the drug earlier this month and trials around the world, including trials sponsored by the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health, were halted.
A surprising new study found that the controversial antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine helped Covid-19 patients better survive in the hospital.
(03.07.2020)
Why Gilead Sciences Shares Rose 18.4% in the First Half
Early into the health crisis, Gilead began testing remdesivir as a possible treatment for the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. The antiviral initially had been studied in other coronaviruses — severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). More recently, remdesivir entered clinical trials for COVID-19, and as promising data emerged, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the drug Emergency Use Authorization.
UN recruits an army of social media coronavirus “misinformation” correctors
The fight against COVID-19 misinformation will be “long-term, without a clear end in sight,” according to Fleming.
WHO expert says anti-malaria drug to be stopped from Solidarity Trial in fighting COVID-19
„Based on the analysis and on the review of the published evidence, the executive group of the Solidarity / recovery trial has … after the deliberation … concluded that hydroxychloroquine arm will be stopped from the Solidarity Trial,“ Ana Maria Henao Restrepo, Medical Officer, Department of Immunization Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO said on Wednesday at a press conference in Geneva.
WHO welcomes preliminary results about dexamethasone use in treating critically ill COVID-19 patients
Dexamethasone is a steroid that has been used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation in a range of conditions, including inflammatory disorders and certain cancers. It has been listed on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines since 1977 in multiple formulations, and is currently off-patent and affordably available in most countries.
Dexamethasone: Coronavirus breakthrough as £5 steroid dexamethasone could have saved lives of 5,000 who died in UK claims Professor Martin Landray
The RECOVERY trial (which stands for ‘Randomised Evaluation of COVid-19 thERapY’) was funded by UKRI as part of the UKRI/DHSC/NIHR COVID-19 rapid research response.
The drug, which is currently used to treat ulcerative colitis, arthritis and some types of cancer, was found to have reduced the number of deaths of patients on ventilators and patients requiring oxygen by a third and by a fifth respectively.
The Mount Vernon Police Tapes: In Secretly Recorded Phone Calls, Officers Say Innocent People Were Framed
Bovell’s first batch of recordings landed in the lap of Thomas Drake, an investigator for the Westchester County District Attorney’s office, on February 19, 2019, according to a text message he sent Bovell. On March 4, 2019, Drake texted Bovell saying that he had listened to some of them. The whistleblower recalls being hopeful.
“I gave them that information, and I thought this is it. Something big, positive will happen,” Bovell said.
But nine months later, at a meeting with Bovell and his attorney, Joseph Murray, at the DA’s office, Drake told them that the probe had not moved forward because they had been expecting Bovell to send more recordings, according to both men.
Bovell gave them more recordings in February of this year, and they say they haven’t heard anything since.
Flu Misinformation and Coronavirus Fears: My Letter to Dr. Sanjay Gupta
9. CNN assertion: Sanjay, I’ve watched your video assuring the public that getting the flu shot cannot increase one’s chances of getting the flu.
Fact: While that assertion has some meager support from a very small number of studies, the overwhelming weight of published science suggests that getting an annual flu shot can actually increase your risk of both flu and flu-like illnesses.
Only about 7 percent to 15 percent of what are called “influenza-like illnesses” are actually caused by influenza viruses. Many studies suggest the flu vaccine increases vulnerability to both flu infections and the remaining 85% -93% of non-flu respiratory infections.
A 2011 study of healthy Australian children published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal found that seasonal flu shots increase the risk of flu by 73% and doubled the risk of non-flu respiratory infections.
Similarly, another 2012 randomized controlled trial published in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that influenza-vaccinated children had no significantly lessened risk from influenza and also a higher risk of infection from non-influenza viruses.
Furthermore, the flu vaccine depletes capacity to fight off future flu infections. In April 2010, a study (by Skowronek, et al) published in the journal PLoS Medicine reported the “unexpected” finding from four epidemiologic studies in Canada that receipt of the influenza vaccine for the 2008 – 2009 season, while apparently effective in reducing the risk of illness due to the seasonal flu, was associated with an increased risk of illness due to the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) “swine flu” virus during the spring and summer of 2009. The scientists suggested that this finding could be due to the difference in the way the vaccine affects the immune system compared with natural infection.
GLOBAL VACCINATION SUMMIT: PANEL MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES ROUNDTABLE 1: „In Vaccines we trust: Stepping up action to increase vaccine confidence”
(12.09.2019)
JASON HIRSCH, Public Policy Manager,
Jason Hirsch joined Facebook’s Public Policy team in October 2018, where he focuses on development of policies to help guide Facebook’s approach to content distribution and moderation. Within that role, Mr. Hirsch heads up Facebook’s Health Integrity Policy efforts, including leading the development of Facebook’s multi-faceted approach to combatting misinformation about vaccinations.
ROADMAP FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIONS BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION BASED ON THE COMMISSION COMMUNICATION AND THE COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION ON STRENGTHENING COOPERATION AGAINST VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASE
(March 2019)
Examine the feasibility of developing a common vaccination card/passport for EU citizens (that takes into account potentially different national vaccination schedules and), that is compatible with electronic immunisation information systems and recognised for use across borders, without duplicating work at nati
Remdesivir in adults with severe COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial
(29.04.2020)
Remdesivir use was not associated with a difference in time to clinical improvement (hazard ratio 1·23 [95% CI 0·87–1·75]). Although not statistically significant, patients receiving remdesivir had a numerically faster time to clinical improvement than those receiving placebo among patients with symptom duration of 10 days or less (hazard ratio 1·52 [0·95–2·43]). Adverse events were reported in 102 (66%) of 155 remdesivir recipients versus 50 (64%) of 78 placebo recipients. Remdesivir was stopped early because of adverse events in 18 (12%) patients versus four (5%) patients who stopped placebo early.
Leaked data on Gilead’s remdesivir suggest drug didn’t help patients with COVID-19
(23.04.2020)
According to STAT’s screenshot, 14% of the 158 patients treated with remdesivir died 28 days after treatment, compared to 13% of the 79 who were on placebo. Notably, investigators in China stopped giving remdesivir due to side effects in 18 patients versus in just four who received placebo.
Fauci Calls Early Data From Gilead Virus-drug Trial ‘Good News’
Anthony Fauci, the head of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is conducting the study, said at a White House meeting with President Donald Trump and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards that the trial showed a significant positive effect in treating the virus.
WHO and UN launch drive to accelerate vaccine development
As the deaths caused by the coronavirus passed 190,000 at the global level and the number of cases crossed the 2.7 million threshold (Johns Hopkins University data updated Friday), a „historic collaboration“ was launched to accelerate the arrival of a vaccine.
Secretary-General’s remarks at the launch of the Statement of Commitment and Call for Support for the Global Collaboration to Accelerate the Development, Production and Equitable Access to New COVID-19 Tools [as delivered]
This launch brings together world leaders, the private sector, scientific and humanitarian actors and other partners to promote health, keep the world safe and advance the public good.
Human health is the quintessential global public good.
And today, we face a global public enemy like no other.
$8-billion effort aims to speed development of coronavirus vaccines and treatments
Friday’s launch event was co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates.
Leaders from South Africa, Rwanda, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Finland and Costa Rica joined the call to pledge their commitment to work with and support the ACT Accelerator.
Representatives from the United States and China were noticeably absent.
Global collaboration to accelerate new COVID-19 health technologies
The launch of the new collaboration is being co-hosted by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The virtual event will include senior United Nations, government and public health and industry leaders from around the world.
World leaders call for global collaboration in COVID-19 fight
World leaders have joined the World Health Organisation in calling for global collaboration to accelerate the development and equitable access to new COVID-19 tools, including vaccines.
Study of malaria drug on VA virus patients shows no benefit, more deaths
There were more deaths among those patients who were given the drug, hydroxychloroquine, than patients who received standard care, researchers found.
Gates’ Globalist Vaccine Agenda: A Win-Win for Pharma and Mandatory Vaccination
Vaccines, for Bill Gates, are a strategic philanthropy that feed his many vaccine-related businesses (including Microsoft’s ambition to control a global vaccination ID enterprise) and give him dictatorial control of global health policy.
Next they’ll be doing this if you don’t take the vaccine
Gates fordert Impfstoff-Finanzierung von G-20
Viele Länder hätten CEPI in den vergangenen zwei Wochen Unterstützung zukommen lassen, „doch benötigt die Koalition für ihre Arbeit mindestens zwei Milliarden Dollar“, so Gates. Die Gates-Stiftung hatte CEPI gemeinsam mit der Wellcome-Stiftung und mehreren Regierungen gegründet.
The first patient tests new drug against COVID-19
(06.04.2020)
The Japanese drug camostat mesylate has now arrived in Denmark and the first patient at Aarhus University Hospital is now testing the effect of the drug against COVID-19.
Just one week ago, researchers at Aarhus University Hospital and Aarhus University received DKK 5 million from the Lundbeck Foundation to test if a new Japanese drug against heartburn – camostat mesylate – is useful to treat the new coronavirus (COVID-19).
Lockdowns can’t end until Covid-19 vaccine found, study says
“While these control measures appear to have reduced the number of infections to very low levels, without herd immunity against Covid-19, cases could easily resurge as businesses, factory operations, and schools gradually resume and increase social mixing, particularly given the increasing risk of imported cases from overseas as Covid-19 continues to spread globally,” says Prof Joseph T Wu from the University of Hong Kong, who co-led the research.
Chloroquine May Fight Covid-19—and Silicon Valley’s Into It
A blockchain investor named James Todaro tweeted that an 85-year-old malaria drug called chloroquine was a potential treatment and preventative against the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Todaro linked to a Google doc he’d cowritten, explaining the idea.
Japanese flu drug ‚clearly effective‘ in treating coronavirus, says China
(18.03.2020)
Zhang Xinmin, an official at China’s science and technology ministry, said favipiravir, developed by a subsidiary of Fujifilm, had produced encouraging outcomes in clinical trials in Wuhan and Shenzhen involving 340 patients.
“It has a high degree of safety and is clearly effective in treatment,” Zhang told reporters on Tuesday.
Patients who were given the medicine in Shenzhen turned negative for the virus after a median of four days after becoming positive, compared with a median of 11 days for those who were not treated with the drug, public broadcaster NHK said.
Ebola Drug From Japan May Emerge Among Key Candidates
(August 7, 2014)
Favipiravir is in the final stages of human studies in the U.S. as a treatment for flu. A Phase II study in the U.S. using 10 grams of the drug showed the medicine reduced flu symptoms against a placebo. The U.S. phase III study of the treatment for flu is scheduled to be completed around March 2015, the company said last month.
The U.S. Department of Defense funded the trials to improve the country’s response capability and protect the military from flu pandemics, its BioDefense Therapeutics unit said in an October statement.
Israel among the first countries to receive new Japanese coronavirus drug
(today)
Katz praised the work of Jerusalem’s diplomatic mission in Tokyo, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Health Ministry for „having successfully brought this groundbreaking research to Israel.“
Cuomo: Use of antimalarial drug in New York hospitals ‚anecdotally‘ positive
“There has been anecdotal evidence that it is promising; that’s why we’re going ahead,” he added, noting that some patients have a pre-existing condition or medication regimen that prevents them from taking it.
An increase in the supply from the federal government, Cuomo added, would allow New York to lift the 14-day restriction.
Trump aide Peter Navarro says ’second opinion‘ needed on Fauci’s view of anti-malaria drug
(06.03.2020)
Peter Navarro, the top trade and manufacturing aide to the president who is coordinating the use of the Defense Production Act for the White House, told CNN’s John Berman Monday that he believes a „second opinion“ is needed about hydroxychloroquine as a treatment.
„I let (Fauci) speak for himself, John, but I would have two words for you: second opinion,“ Navarro said. „Doctors disagree about things all the time.“
Trump touts hydroxychloroquine as a cure for Covid-19. Don’t believe the hype
(06.03.2020)
Trump has been repeatedly contradicted by public health experts including his own top infectious diseases adviser, Dr Anthony Fauci, who has warned that there is only “anecdotal evidence” that the drugs could be helpful.
Social Security advocate says pharmaceutical companies ‚looking at a pandemic as a massive profit potential‘
Lawson discussed how drugmaker Gilead Sciences asked the Food and Drug administration last week to give it the rare „orphan“ status for remdesivir, the company’s experimental coronavirus treatment.
Germany hopes Bayer malaria drug could treat COVID-19
In an interview with Bild newspaper (link in German), federal health minister Jens Spahn said that there “are early indications that certain medications seem to help,” and that there were ongoing studies in Germany into what drugs could potentially work in treating coronavirus, “including with this old malaria drug.”
He added that more studies are needed as all drugs have side effects. However, he expects an effective drug to treat COVID-19 to come on the market much earlier than a vaccine.
My good news contribution for today: Researchers in Denmark are starting to test a promising drug in #covid19 patients, barely a month after research appeared showing the drug could stop the virus in cell culture.
KroganLab Camostat mesylate binds to a protein on human cells called TMPRSS2. And SARS-CoV-2 needs this protein to efficiently enter human cells: The spike protein on top of the virus attaches to the ACE2 receptor on human cells. And then TMPRSS2 needs to make a cut in the spike.
Denmark will start a clinical trial of a drug named camostat mesylate tomorrow—barely 1 month after a Cell paper showed the compound can prevent the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, from entering human cells…
Coronavirus | Germany says low death rate is due to widespread testing
(26.03.2020)
“The reason why Germany has so few deaths compared to the number of infected people can be explained by the fact that we carry out an extremely large number of laboratory diagnostic tests,” said Mr. Drosten, who heads the Institute of Virology at Berlin’s Charite University Hospital.
The Trumpian French Doctor Behind the Chloroquine Hype
(30.03.2020)
The founder and director of Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire, or IHU, in Marseille, the 68-year-old Raoult has compiled a sometimes dazzling, sometimes disturbing career that could have been scripted by Marcel Pagnol or Honoré de Balzac. Born in Senegal, Raoult defied his father, who was serving there as a military doctor, and quit high school in his junior year. Signing up with the French merchant marine, the young Raoult spent the next two years at sea.
Column: The suspect science behind Trump’s chloroquine claims
(01.04.2020)
Chloroquine is dangerous when not taken under a doctor’s rigorous supervision, and its shortage can cause life-threatening consequences for lupus patients and serious health effects for rheumatoid or inflammatory arthritis patients.
The bottom line is that evidence for chloroquine’s effectiveness in COVID-19 is unsubstantiated. It derives heavily from the work of a controversial French expert in infectious diseases, Didier Raoult,
Jens Spahn reserved huge amounts Chloroquine against Corona at the German pharma giant Bayer. Bayer also assured the US a big amount of it
(20.03.2020)
BILL GATES: A new kind of terrorism could wipe out 30 million people in less than a year — and we are not prepared
(18. Februar 2017)
When I decided 20 years ago to make global health the focus of my philanthropic work, I didn’t imagine that I’d be speaking at a conference on international security policy. But I’m speaking here at the Munich Security Conference because I believe our worlds are more tightly linked than most people realize.
Event 201: Bill Gates & World Economic Forum Simulated Coronavirus Outbreak 6 Weeks Before First Case in Wuhan
(27.01.2020)
Event 201 is a pandemic tabletop exercise hosted by The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in partnership with the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on October 18, 2019, in New York, NY. The exercise illustrated the pandemic preparedness efforts needed to diminish the large-scale economic and societal consequences of a severe pandemic. Drawing from actual events, Event 201 identifies important policy issues and preparedness challenges that could be solved with sufficient political will and attention. These issues were designed in a narrative to engage and educate the participants and the audience.
Does a Japanese medication for heartburn work on corona patients?
At the moment, the researchers are waiting for the actual drug to arrive from Japan.
Coronavirus Round-Up: Eight more deaths in Denmark
Researchers at the University of Aarhus are assessing an already established drug that could prevent the coronavirus from spreading into the human lungs and perhaps slow down the pandemic. Camostat mesylate was developed several years ago for the treatment of heartburn and pancreatitis in Japan, where it was approved by the Japanese Medicines Agency. A trial is planned to test it on 180 coronavirus patients across Denmark as early as next week.
There Is A Drug Already Used In Japan Which May Treat COVID-19, Says New Study
(03.03.2020)
“We knew from our previous work that camostat mesylate was active against other coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV. Therefore, we tested whether it is also active against SARS-CoV-2,” said Stefan Pöhlmann, PhD, Professor in the same institute in Göttingen. “Our study shows that camostat mesylate blocks infection of cells with SARS-CoV-2-like particles and with authentic, patient-derived SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, camostat mesylate inhibited infection of important target cells – human lung epithelial cells,” he added.
The novel coronavirus 2019 (2019-nCoV) uses the SARS-coronavirus receptor ACE2 and the cellular protease TMPRSS2 for entry into target cells
(31.01.2020)
Here, we demonstrate that 2019-nCoV-S uses the SARS-coronavirus receptor, ACE2, for entry and the cellular protease TMPRSS2 for 2019-nCoV-S priming. A TMPRSS2 inhibitor blocked entry and might constitute a treatment option. Finally, we show that the serum form a convalescent SARS patient neutralized 2019-nCoV-S-driven entry. Our results reveal important commonalities between 2019-nCoV and SARS-coronavirus infection, which might translate into similar transmissibility and disease pathogenesis. Moreover, they identify a target for antiviral intervention.
(…)
The present study suggests that 2019-nCoV spread might also depend on TMPRSS2 activity and it is noteworthy that the serine protease inhibitor camostat mesylate blocks TMPRSS2 activity (24, 26) and has been approved in Japan for human use, although for an unrelated indication. This compound or related ones should be considered for treatment of 2019-nCoV infected patients.
Preventing spread of SARS coronavirus-2 in humans: Göttingen infection researchers identify potential drug
(05.03.2020)
Since it is known that the drug camostat mesilate inhibits the protease TMPRSS2, the researchers have investigated whether it can also prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2. „We have tested SARS-CoV-2 isolated from a patient and found that camostat mesilate blocks entry of the virus into lung cells,“ says Markus Hoffmann, the lead author of the study. Camostat mesilate is a drug approved in Japan for use in pancreatic inflammation. „Our results suggest that camostat mesilate might also protect against COVID-19,“ says Markus Hoffmann. „This should be investigated in clinical trials.“
(Yonhap Interview) COVID-19 vaccine, drugs on fast track for development: IVI chief
Phases 3 studies of Remdesivir made by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Gilead could take place in South Korea soon.
President Maduro thanks China’s support to fight COVID-19 in Venezuela
(12.03.2020)
He informed that the Venezuelan government has formally requested Xi Jinping’s government to send specialists, scientists and doctors that took part in controlling coronavirus in China “to unite knowledge and efforts.”
President Maduro pointed out that Venezuela has received 10,000 doses of Interferon alfa 2b, a Cuban antiviral used to fight COVID-19 in China.
COUNTING ON CUBA: Chief Medical Officer seeks more info to combat COVID-19
Trinidad and Tobago’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Roshan Parasram, says he has requested more information on a Cuban drug known as Interferon alfa-2b which is said to be successful in treating the deadly COVID-19 virus and has saved the lives of thousands in China.
The drug is giving hope in the face of the pandemic and neighbouring governments such as St Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela and Panama have already turned to Cuba for help.
Ecuadorian government asked to purchase interferon from Cuba
Quito, March 17 (Prensa Latina) The Communist Party of Ecuador on Tuesday demanded the government to make every effort to acquire the recombinant Alpha 2B, a drug produced in Cuba, which has proven effective in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
The political party pointed out that the request is made under the protection of Article 358 of the Constitution,
Salvador requests Interferon Alpha 2B from Cuba to treat COVID-19
San Salvador, Mar 16, (Prensa Latina) The governemnt of Salvador informed that it requisitioned some six thousand units of the Interferon Alpha 2B medicine, used successfully in China to treat the COVID-19.
According to a statement of the Presidential House, the request responds to the policy of President Nayib Bukele of anticipating the eventual impact of the pandemic, although so far no positive cases have been reported in the country.
China approves vaccine trials for coronavirus, on par with US
Dozens of countries and regions have joined a „vaccine race“ since the outbreak. Now as China and the US come to the same position in vaccine development, Chinese experts held that China would probably go one step ahead due to systematic advantages.
Cuba leads global efforts against COVID-19 in spite of blockade
The drug, developed in Cuba, is produced in China at the Changchun Heber Biological Technology, located in Jilin province, in a joint venture as part of an agreement between the two socialist countries in biotechnology.
It has prevented thousands of deaths in South Korea. Out of the 8,000 infected peoples, only 72 died. Germany has also bought these antivirals from the ChangHeber to fight the pandemic. Out of the 3,156 infected people, only 3 died.
Phillips asks Cuba for drug to fight coronavirus
KINGSTON, Jamaica — President of the opposition People’s National Party (PNP), Dr Peter Phillips, has reached out to the Government of Cuba for Jamaica to access the anti-viral drug Interferon Alpha 2B, which is said to be among 30 such drugs being used in the fight against the COVID-19 virus in other jurisdictions.
This drug is being used in 14 other jurisdictions in Asia, Europe and South America, the PNP said in a statement today.
Molecular characterization of recombinant human interferon alpha-2b produced in Cuba
(January 1999)
The recombinant human interferon α 2b (IFN-α2b) produced by Cuban technology is obtained from Escherichia coli.This is the active principle of the product registered in Cuba as Heberon alfa R® trademark (IFN-α2b, CIGB, Havana),which has been successfully used worldwide for the therapy of several viral diseases and neoplasms. Here wedescribe the purity and identity tests used for its molecular characterization.
Cuban drug used to tackle COVID-19
(13.03.2020)
Developed in 1986 by a team of researchers from the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), human recombinant Interferon Alfa 2B has benefited thousands of Cuban patients since its introduction into the national health system, and is one of the drugs currently used to combat the new coronavirus COVID-19.
Battle of the Biotech Unicorns: CureVac vs. Moderna
(06.11.2017)
But despite being competitors, the companies’ CEOs seem to have quite a good relationship and consider each other collaborators rather than enemies. Every year, they organize an mRNA conference together that takes turns between Boston and Berlin to bring together all the stakeholders in the field. It was at this year’s edition, in Berlin, that I had the chance to bring them together for an interview regarding the future of mRNA therapies.
Coronavirus: Biotech company ships first batches of vaccine, to be tested on humans: report
The trials will be held at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. Testing will involve 45 young, healthy volunteers and it uses Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine.
„Unlike a normal vaccine, RNA vaccines work by introducing an mRNA sequence (the molecule which tells cells what to build) which is coded for a disease-specific antigen, once produced within the body, the antigen is recognized by the immune system, preparing it to fight the real thing,“ according to the University of Cambridge.
CureVac works on mRNA vaccine for coronavirus
Since 2006, the company has been manufacturing mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics. It is currently looking to boost its manufacturing capacity to supply up to billions of doses during outbreaks.
CureVac chief technology officer Mariola Fotin-Mleczek said: “Nature has invented mechanisms to activate our immune system against infectious diseases. With our unique messenger RNA technology, we mimic nature and give our body the information on how to fight against the virus.
Moderna : Germany tries to halt U.S. interest in firm working on coronavirus vaccine
CureVac in 2015 and 2018 secured financial backing for development projects from its investor the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, working on shots to prevent malaria and influenza.
In the field of so-called mRNA therapeutics, CureVac competes with U.S. biotech firm Moderna and German rival BioNTech, which Pfizer has identified as a potential collaboration partner.
German officials to discuss report of U.S. seeking to secure rights to coronavirus vaccine
CureVac said on its website that CureVac CEO Daniel Menichella met with President Trump and Vice President Pence earlier this month to discuss a coronavirus vaccine. The CEO said at the time he was “very confident that we will be able to develop a potent vaccine candidate within a few months.”
Potential coronavirus vaccine trial set to start on Monday: AP
According to the AP, the trial will start testing 45 young, healthy participants with different doses of the vaccine, which was developed by both the NIH and Moderna Inc.
CureVac, Sanofi Pasteur, and In-Cell-Art Collaborate on €33.1M DARPA-Supported Vaccine Program
(November 15, 2011)
The four-year DARPA-supported program will exploit CureVac’s RNActive technology along with In-Cell-Art’s nanoparticle expertise and Sanofi’s vaccine development capabilities.
The option agreement signed between Sanofi and CureVac in parallel with the DARPA collaboration covers pre-agreed license terms for the development of vaccines against a number of predefined pathogens.
CureVac and CEPI extend their Cooperation to Develop a Vaccine against Coronavirus nCoV-2019
(31.01.2020)
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is one of the founding members of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and has committed a total of 90 million euro to its work. CEPI brings together a range of diverse stakeholders to develop much-needed vaccines for the prevention of future pandemics. Anja Karliczek, Federal Minister of Education and Research, said:
“The Coronavirus is currently the source of concern for many people. The development of a vaccine is an extremely important element in the effort to combat this viral infection. It is encouraging to see that this process now has the support of the international CEPI alliance, which is also making use of German research and development expertise. I hope that good results can soon be achieved for which so many people are waiting at this time.”
Germany and US in tug of war as Donald Trump tries to buy rights to coronavirus vaccine
While more than two dozen pharmaceutical firms are in a race to develop the first effective vaccine against the coronavirus, CureVac may have an edge thanks to an experimental technology that allows it to deliver the prophylactic in extremely small doses.
It appears to have caught Mr Trump’s eye when he met the company’s chief executive during a crisis summit
Not true. The Welt story was wrong. But Business Insider, Reuters and others went with it anyway despite not having their own sources. Now everyone is back peddling.
Germany tries to stop Trump from luring away firm working on coronavirus vaccine
(March 15, 2020, 4:54 PM CET)
She declined to comment on any takeover possibilities but referred to Germany’s foreign trade law, under which Berlin can examine takeover bids from non-EU, so-called third countries „if national or European security interests are at stake“.
There was no comment immediately available from the U.S. embassy in Berlin when contacted by Reuters on Sunday over the report, and nobody was available to comment at CureVac. Welt am Sonntag said CureVac declined to comment.
Timetable For A Vaccine Against The New Coronavirus? Maybe This Fall: NPR
(12.02.2020)
CEPI is a global partnership of public, private and philanthropic organizations; it’s also supporting efforts at the biotech companies Moderna and CureVac.
(…)
Even in the rosiest of scenarios, Hatchett says, once the vaccine is in hand, it still needs to get to the people who need it, and that takes time — at least weeks to months, depending on the urgency.
The Event 201 scenario
(October 2019)
The disease starts in pig farms in Brazil, quietly and slowly at first, but then it starts to spread more rapidly in healthcare settings. When it starts to spread efficiently from person to person in the low-income, densely packed neighborhoods of some of the megacities in South America, the epidemic explodes. It is first exported by air travel to Portugal, the United States, and China and then to many other countries. Although at first some countries are able to control it, it continues to spread and be reintroduced, and eventually no country can maintain control.
There is no possibility of a vaccine being available in the first year.
Germany tries to stop U.S. from luring away firm seeking coronavirus vaccine
German government sources told Reuters on Sunday that the U.S. administration was looking into how it could gain access to a potential vaccine being developed by a German firm, CureVac.
Earlier, the Welt am Sonntag German newspaper reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had offered funds to lure CureVac to the United States, and the German government was making counter-offers to tempt it to stay.
Germany’s CureVac says low-dose coronavirus vaccine could allow for mass production
(13.03.2020)
Privately held Curevac, which was granted up to $8.3 million by CEPI in January, is working to draw on its low-dose vaccine technology, which has showed promise in an early-stage rabies trial, for use against the coronavirus.
The Tuebingen, Germany, based company hopes to have an experimental vaccine ready by June or July to then seek the go-ahead from regulators for testing on humans.
COVID-19 Coronavirus “Fake” Pandemic: Timeline and Analysis
(08.03.2020)
In the Event 201 Simulation of a Coronavirus Pandemic, a 15% collapse of financial markets had been “simulated”.
It was not “predicted” according to the organizers and sponsors of the event.
Private sector initiative. Participation of corporate execs, foundations, financial institutions, Banks, Big Pharma, CIA, CDC, No health officials on behalf of national governments or the WHO. The simulation exercise was held on the same day as the opening of the CISM World Militaty Sports Games in Wuhan.
Coronavirus treatment: Vaccines/drugs in the pipeline for Covid-19
Here is a list of the major coronavirus drugs that pharmaceutical companies across the world are developing that have the potential to become major coronavirus vaccines or antivirals for treating the contagious coronavirus infection.
Preventing spread of SARS coronavirus-2 in humans: Göttingen infection researchers identify potential drug
Viruses must enter cells of the human body to cause disease. For this, they attach to suitable cells and inject their genetic information into these cells. Infection biologists from the German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen, together with colleagues at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, have investigated how the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 penetrates cells. They have identified a cellular enzyme that is essential for viral entry into lung cells: the protease TMPRSS2. A clinically proven drug known to be active against TMPRSS2 was found to block SARS-CoV-2 infection and might constitute a novel treatment option (Cell).
Trump says he will hold off designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist groups
“However, at the request of a man who I like and respect, and has worked so well with us, President Andres Manuel @lopezobrador we will temporarily hold off this designation and step up our joint efforts to deal decisively with these vicious and ever-growing organizations!” he said.
Mexico will not accept intervention from abroad, president says
Referring to recent outbreaks of gang violence that have fed concern that the United States could try to intervene in Mexico, Lopez Obrador thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his support and said his government would handle the country’s security challenges.
Operation Condor 2.0: After Bolivia coup, Trump dubs Nicaragua ‘national security threat’ and targets Mexico
After presiding over a far-right coup in Bolivia, the US dubbed Nicaragua a “national security threat” and announced new sanctions, while Trump designated drug cartels in Mexico as “terrorists” and refused to rule out military intervention.
Venezuela Captures Paramilitary Photographed With Guaido
Venezuela’s Minister of Communication and Information, Jorge Rodríguez, announced on Friday the capture of Argenis Vaca, alias ‚Vaquita‘, who was in charge of the finances of the Colombian paramilitary group ‚Los Rastrojos‘.
Venezuela inks agreement with Iran in medical sector amid sanctions
The Venezuelan science minister has paid a visit to Iran’s Science and Technology Park in Tehran to buy medical equipment from Iran amid the US sanctions on both countries.
Thousands protest against Honduran president after drug link surfaces
The demonstration against Hernandez was called by the Platform for the Defense of Education and Public Health, a coalition of trade unionists and public workers that have sought the president’s ouster over his plans for public services.
A conservative ally of the United States, Hernandez has come under increasing pressure since his younger brother Tony was arrested in Miami in November on drug trafficking charges.
DEA Investigated Honduras President for Cocaine Trafficking
The document, filed Tuesday, sought a court order to force tech companies including Apple, Google and Microsoft, to turn over email information from eight targets of the investigation, including President Juan Orlando Hernandez and Security Minister Julian Pacheco.
Two Israelis Arrested in Global Dark Web Investigation
The suspects, in their mid-30s, were arrested during a joint investigation with the FBI and Israel’s cyber crime unit. Further arrests were made in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Brazil.
Economic Sanctions as Collective Punishment: The Case of Venezuela
We find that the sanctions have inflicted, and increasingly inflict, very serious harm to human life and health, including an estimated more than 40,000 deaths from 2017–2018; and that these sanctions would fit the definition of collective punishment of the civilian population as described in both the Geneva and Hague international conventions, to which the US is a signatory. They are also illegal under international law and treaties which the US has signed, and would appear to violate US law as well.
US sanctions on Venezuela responsible for ‚tens of thousands‘ of deaths, claims new report
As many as 40,000 people may have died in Venezuela as a result of US sanctions that made it harder for ordinary citizens to access food, medicine and medical equipment, a new report has claimed.
The report, published by the Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) a progressive, Washington DC-based think tank, says those deaths took place following the imposition of sanctions in the summer of 2017.
Second death, more accusations sharpen focus on Ed Buck, California Democratic megadonor; Donated to Clinton, Obama, Sinema, Lieu, Gomez, Aguilar, Krishnamoorthi, Donnelly… big PAC contributor. #TheDemocrats
The Cost of Silence: How A Wealthy LA Democratic Donor Muted The Political Party of “Allies” and “Coalition Building”
(17.8.2017) Local news showed video surveillance of Moore’s body being removed from Buck’s house as another young man was just arriving. Almost implying that Buck planned to keep on “partying” even after the death of Moore in his house.
The white gay community came out in DROVES to condemn Kevin Hart for tweeting a gay joke years ago. But this same white LGBT community is completely quiet about punishing suspected white supremacist Ed Buck for allegedly drugging several unsuspecting Black men & leaving 2 dead
2nd man found dead at Democratic donor Ed Buck’s West Hollywood apartment is identified
In July 2017, the body of 26-year-old Gemmel Moore was found at the same apartment. The coroner’s office ruled Moore’s death an accidental methamphetamine overdose, to the dismay of his family, who wanted prosecutors to charge Buck with a crime.
Buck was present at the location when both deaths occurred, according to the sheriff’s department.