CV-19 therapeutic drug trials and Vaccine

[_Jersey Girl]

I've changed the thread title to include vaccines since we're now getting reports on clinical trials.

[_Res Ipsa]

Those are encouraging results from Modern. Phase 1 is mostly about figuring out the safe range of dosing, so it’s not designed to test effectiveness. Still, it’s encouraging to find that it had an effect. They just finished enrolling the Phase 2 trial, so I’m a little confused about how they are able to start the Phase 3 trial so soon. I’m a little leery of the compressed time schedule. And this is a new kind of vaccine produced by a company that has never produced a vaccine. So, I’ll be happy to wait for people way smarter than me to go over the Phase 3 trial results when they come in. But, the results so far seem to show a stronger immune response than the disease seems to produce, so that’s a hopeful sign.

[_Jersey Girl]

Yeah, it's okay so far, RI. One of those linked articles says not to worry about the 2022 end date for Phase 3 because if they see strong signals, they'll roll it out earlier. I feel a bit hesitant about that, but I'm happy it seems they're making progress. I haven't checked on other vaccines yet but Fauci did say he was cautiously optimistic there'd be an end of year or first of year roll out.

We'll see...

[_Res Ipsa]

I signed up for a phase 3 trial this morning. I have no idea whether I’ll be eligible.

[_Jersey Girl]

I signed up for a phase 3 trial this morning. I have no idea whether I’ll be eligible.

Is it for a vaccine or some other drug?

[_Jersey Girl]

From NatGeo:

Here’s how we’ll know when a COVID-19 vaccine is ready

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/scie ... 4E3A4DE500

[_Gunnar]

It's encouraging to hear about the promising vaccines now into phase 3 trials and showing great promise, but the vaccine that piques my interest the most is University of Pittsburg's PittCoVacc. I hope they soon get underway with human, clinical trials, and that it proves to live up to its promise. It can be painlessly applied with a microneedle patch array to precisely the epidermal layer that is most effective in generating antibodies for an immune response. Though this aspect may be of great appeal to those with a fearful aversion to syringes and needles (which does not include me, by the way), that is not what appeals to me the most about this novel approach to vaccination. The most appealing and exciting things about this approach are that it is easily and inexpensively scalable to massive scale production, and needs no refrigeration or special handling for transporting and storing. These microneedle patches, being dry, can be stored indefinitely at room temperature until needed. The technique should be equally useful for vaccinations against other viruses as well.

[_Jersey Girl]

It's encouraging to hear about the promising vaccines now into phase 3 trials and showing great promise, but the vaccine that piques my interest the most is University of Pittsburg's PittCoVacc. I hope they soon get underway with human, clinical trials, and that it proves to live up to its promise. It can be painlessly applied with a microneedle patch array to precisely the epidermal layer that is most effective in generating antibodies for an immune response. Though this aspect may be of great appeal to those with a fearful aversion to syringes and needles (which does not include me, by the way), that is not what appeals to me the most about this novel approach to vaccination. The most appealing and exciting things about this approach are that it is easily and inexpensively scalable to massive scale production, and needs no refrigeration or special handling for transporting and storing. These microneedle patches, being dry, can be stored indefinitely at room temperature until needed. The technique should be equally useful for vaccinations against other viruses as well.

Maybe they can change the method of delivery on all of the upcoming vaccines. After all, the polio vaccine isn't administered on a sugar cube like when it came out. ;-)

[_Gunnar]

Maybe they can change the method of delivery on all of the upcoming vaccines. After all, the polio vaccine isn't administered on a sugar cube like when it came out. ;-)

Excellent point! I have very little doubt that that method of delivery could be adapted to whatever covid-19 vaccine proves to be the most effective. It is certainly worth pursuing! It would probably enhance the effectiveness of whatever vaccine they end up using. The UPMC researchers have already found that that delivery approach minimizes the amount of vaccine required to elicit an effective antibody production. It seems to me that the smaller amount of vaccine needed for an effective response, the greater the safety of using it, and the cheaper the cost per dose.

[_Jersey Girl]

Maybe they can change the method of delivery on all of the upcoming vaccines. After all, the polio vaccine isn't administered on a sugar cube like when it came out. ;-)

Excellent point! I have very little doubt that that method of delivery could be adapted to whatever covid-19 vaccine proves to be the most effective. It is certainly worth pursuing! It would probably enhance the effectiveness of whatever vaccine they end up using. The UPMC researchers have already found that that delivery approach minimizes the amount of vaccine required to elicit an effective antibody production. It seems to me that the smaller amount of vaccine needed for an effective response, the greater the safety of using it, and the cheaper the cost per dose.

You'd think there would be some sort of collaboration going on between manufacturers on an international level where one hand knows what the other hand is doing. And as I say that I realize competition is a huge piece of the R&D as well, so I don't know for a fact. What I'm getting at is whatever companies come out with a viable vaccine, you'd think they'd tap into the patch delivery system before long on account of it's multiple advantages.

I wonder how the anti-vaxxers will approach a COVID 19 vaccine? I remember when the polio vaccine came out and there was no question but that I would go to the school, get in line, and take my sugar cube with the pink spot on it like a good girl. Now we've got an entire swath of parent citizens who deal in what I think of as "woo" science who may be against the new vaccine. I and my family members will eventually get the vaccine and the anti-vaxxers can just whip up a nice potion of essential oils to drop into their diffuser and hope for the best!

I like the scent of essential oils but I sure don't think they can cure anything. Maybe my mood. ;-)