Another Promising COVID-19 Vaccine Currently in the Works
The joint project of Pfizer and BioNTech is such promising news. However, this is the first medical data on this particular vaccine, and it has not yet been through the course of peer review.
One of the latest headlines in health news today is the new experimental COVID-19 vaccine Pfizer and BioNTech are currently developing that reportedly provoked immune reactions in 45 healthy volunteer participants.
This information was indicated in a preprint paper published on medRXiv. The level of antibodies was said to be up to 2.8 times the level of antibodies found in COVID-19 patients who have attained recovery.
The researchers randomly assigned 45 participants to get any of the three vaccine doses or a placebo. However, side effects appeared, such as fever, headache, and fatigue-specifically at higher doses.
Because of this adverse reaction, the researchers decided to stop administering the highest 100 micrograms of the drug after the treatment's first round.
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Warnings that Come with the Vaccine
The vaccine currently being developed may have brought hope to an end the pandemic, but some warnings come with it.
Indeed, the joint project of Pfizer and BioNTech is such promising news. However, this is the first medical data on this particular vaccine, and it has not yet been through the course of peer review.
Essentially, higher levels of antibodies among patients who had received the drug are a suitable substitute for immunity to the said virus.
However, there certainly is no known information yet, if such a vaccine can guarantee protection in patients from the virus.
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Pfizer to Conduct Studies in Bigger Patient Groups
To catch on and achieve results, Pfizer is set to begin conducting surveys in bigger groups of patients starting this summer.
According to the company, its main objective is to make available 100 million doses of a vaccine by the end of this year.
For the approach Pfizer is using, the company is employing the conventional method, which is the same experimental strategy as Moderna's, one of the pharmaceutical firms developing the vaccine.
Both vaccines, according to reports, are designed to aggravate an immune reaction against the COVID-19 through messenger RNA, the genetic directions that tell the virus how to duplicate inside its host.
Such a method could offer a fast way to formulate a vaccine. However, it has yet to become a licensed drug for sale. At present, more than 175 vaccines are in several phases of development--seventeen of which are currently undergoing clinical tests.
Presently-Administered Vaccine
While the Pfizer vaccine awaits complete development and availability in the market, one drug that is currently being considered the most effective is redemsivir.
As such, this medicine is believed to be effective when it comes to curing sick people earlier in their disease's course. This is compared to dexamethasone, which reduced mortalities in patients on ventilation, as well as those needing oxygen for support breathing.
This drug is the only therapeutic solution given to seriously sick people who need confinement at the hospital, specifically, as a five-day course of treatment.
Incidentally, Gilead, the manufacturer of redemsivir, is presently developing the drug's inhaled version, which a patient can use outside a hospital setting.
The new drug being developed will be administered through the use of a nebulizer, allowing for simpler handling and administration at the first stage of the illness, and, as mentioned, outside the hospital situation.
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Jul 04, 2020 07:40 AM EDT
