Dr. Anthony Fauci said this morning that hundreds of millions of doses of a vaccine for COVID-19 could be ready by January. In an interview on the Today Show, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said that a vaccine candidate is in the first phase of a clinical trial. If the second […]
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials ramping up for potential coronavirus-fighting drugs
Bausch Health (NYSE:BHC) announced today that it initiated a clinical trial program in Canada to investigate the use of Virazole for treating COVID-19. With today’s announcement, Bausch joins Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) and Care Access Research, which both announced clinical testing of coronavirus therapies last week. Bausch’s Virazole is currently approved in the U.S. and Canada, among other […]
OncoSec, Inovio testing COVID-19 vaccines
OncoSec Medical (NSDQ:ONCS) and Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:INO) announced that they are testing potential COVID-19 vaccines after the latter received investigational new drug clearance from the FDA. Inovio received an IND nod, while OncoSec’s is pending, but both companies are pursuing a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial for their vaccines, according to separate news releases. OncoSec is using […]
Bio-Rad launches COVID-19 assay
Bio-Rad Laboratories (NYSE:BIO) today said it is launching is blood-based immunoassay kit to identify COVID-19 antibodies. The assay is currently undergoing clinical evaluation in several hospitals, but 700 samples of data have shown specificity above 99%. After being infected with SARS-CoV-2, viral antigens stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies and fight the virus. Bio-Rad suggests […]
Study: High- and low-dose drug-coated balloons equally effective in PAD
A Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) device coated with less of the controversial drug paclitaxel than one made by Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) is just as safe and effective for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to a study published this week. The prospective, randomized controlled trial compared the lower-dose (2 μg/mm2 of paclitaxel) Boston Scientific Ranger drug-coated […]
Medinol stent performs just as well as Medtronic Resolute, study says
The EluNIR drug-eluting stent made by Medinol performed just as well as the Resolute Integrity or Resolute Onyx stents from Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), according to new clinical study results from an international team of researchers. The randomized clinical trial — conducted by researchers from the U.S., Israel, Canada and the Netherlands — involved 2,221 people and compared […]
NIH study: Tandem Diabetes artificial pancreas bests other treatments
A pivotal trial funded by the National Institutes of Health found that an artificial pancreas system from Tandem Diabetes Care (NSDQ:TNDM) was more effective than existing treatments for people with Type 1 diabetes. The Tandem system combines its t:slim X2 insulin pump and Control-IQ advanced hybrid closed-loop technology with a continuous glucose monitor made by DXCM, […]
Frequency Therapeutics launches hearing loss trial, gains the fast track at FDA
Frequency Therapeutics (NSDQ:FREQ) said today that it launched a Phase 2a study and won fast-track designation at the FDA for its regenerative hearing loss drug. The fast-track program aims to speed up the approval of therapies for unmet needs in serious conditions. Woburn, Mass.-based Frequency’s FX-322 candidate is designed to stimulate the regrowth of sensory hair cells […]
Intersect ENT’s Ascend study misses endpoint
Intersect ENT (NSDQ:XENT) shares plunged today after the company said it failed to meet the primary endpoint in a study of its Ascend investigational drug-coated sinus balloon. The 70-person, randomized, double-blind trial was designed to compared treatment with Intersect ENT’s DCB when randomized against an uncoated balloon control. The study missed the primary endpoint, frontal sinus […]
Boehringer Ingelheim touts Spiolto Respimat inhaler data
Boehringer Ingelheim said yesterday that results from a study of its Spiolto Respimat inhaler showed benefits including improving symptoms and lung function in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Spiolto Respimat is a soft-mist inhaler designed for the treatment of airflow obstruction in patients with COPD. A pooled analysis exploring COPD treatment with the tiotropium-based […]
