News Archive

Researchers at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, and the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine, have identified five immune response markers that, collectively, were able to distinguish between those COVID-19 patients who convalesced from the infection, and those who didn’t survive the disease. The researchers used a systems serology technique to generate a detailed profile of SARS-Co-2-specific humoral—antibody generating—responses in hospitalized patients, which they validated in a second patient cohort. The findings indicated that individuals who survived COVID-19 infection and those who died exhibited antibody responses that were primarily directed against different SARS-CoV-2 proteins.

Image: NIH

GAITHERSBURG, Md., July 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Shreis Scalene Therapeutics LLC (SSTx), a MD-USA-based medical device company will fast-track the manufacture and distribution of the CE-marked (EU-Class 1) Scalene Hypercharge Corona Canon (SHYCOCAN) under US FDA ‘Enforcement Policy for Sterilizers, Disinfectant Devices, and Air Purifiers During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency.”

Image: SHYCOCAN Devices

With so much attention on COVID-19 treatment and vaccine developments, life science laboratories are getting more notice.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) based in Pasadena, California. It’s the largest landlord in the US for laboratories and related offices.

Its top companies by rent revenues include Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN), Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY), Celgene, Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY), Merck (NYSE:MRK)—which we own in Profitable Investing—Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA), Novartis (NYSE:NVS), Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY).

The University of Maryland School of Medicine and about 30 other U.S. centers have begun recruiting thousands of volunteers living in COVID-19 hot spots to join the nation’s most advanced trial for a vaccine against the disease.

The vaccine was developed by the Massachusetts biotech company Moderna along with the National Institutes of Health. It is among several vaccines to reach a Phase 3 trial globally but was the first one announced under Operation Warp Speed, the federal program to quickly identify, produce and distribute 300 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

GAITHERSBURG, Md. and OSAKA, Japan, Aug. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a late stage biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK), today announced a partnership for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of NVX‑CoV2373, Novavax’ COVID‑19 vaccine candidate, in Japan. NVX‑CoV2373 is a stable, prefusion protein made using Novavax’ recombinant protein nanoparticle technology and includes Novavax’ proprietary Matrix‑M™ adjuvant. Takeda will receive funding from the Government of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) to support the technology transfer, establishment of infrastructure and scale-up of manufacturing. Takeda anticipates the capacity to manufacture over 250 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine per year1.

The Johns Hopkins University on Thursday reversed plans to bring undergraduate students back for in-person classes, housing, or activities, urging them to stay away from Baltimore for the fall semester. Employees, the campus said, should expect to work from home through the end of the year.

Image: COURTESY OF JOHNS HOPKINS U.

ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Emmes today announced that three corporate vice presidents have been promoted. Dr. Traci Clemons has been named chief research officer, Marian Ewell is now chief scientific innovation officer, and Jennifer Hester is the company’s chief human resources officer. These are all newly created positions for the company.

Image: Dr. Traci Clemons

The year 2020 began with great promise and opportunity for the Aug. 6 guest of the weekly web-based program, Virtual Face to Face with Dr. Bruce Jarrell. After tearful goodbyes here at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), the University System of Maryland (USM) embraced former president Jay A. Perman, MD, as its new chancellor on Jan. 6.

Image: https://www.umaryland.edu

Johns Hopkins University became the latest school to announce that it will be conducting classes for the upcoming fall semester virtually, one of the many institutions of higher education to forgo in-person learning as the coronavirus pandemic rages.

This follows the spring 2020 semester that was moved online during the onset of the virus. 

Image: https://thehill.com

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — GSK today launched a national campaign to help increase low rates of vaccination among older adults. The campaign, Brought to You By Vaccines, will educate adults ages 50 and older about the value of vaccines and the urgent need to talk to their healthcare provider or pharmacist about the recommended vaccines they need or may have recently missed.