Tianjin University's Oral COVID-19 Vaccine Still Far from Market, Seeks Partners for Clinical Development
Gilead Sciences
Antiviral Drug Developer
Good morning, friends! Today is Wednesday, February 26, 2020. Welcome to the Health Circle Morning Briefing. We will now bring you the latest global news in medicine and health!
【Medical Headlines】
On February 24, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that although the sharp increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Italy, Iran, and South Korea was deeply concerning, the outbreak did not yet constitute a “pandemic.” Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, stressed that it was premature to declare the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, noting that the world was currently in a phase of preparing for a potential pandemic. “We are striving to prevent this from becoming a reality, and some countries have already succeeded in doing so,” he said. (Xinhua News Agency)
On the morning of February 25, He Zhimin, Deputy Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, stated that Gilead Sciences had filed eight patent applications in China related to the drug remdesivir. Of these, three have been granted and five are under examination, with protection scopes covering compounds, formulations, related manufacturing methods, and uses. Remdesivir has begun clinical trials at multiple hospitals in Wuhan, with results scheduled to be released on April 27. There is hope for the imminent emergence of a batch of drugs capable of producing positive therapeutic effects against COVID-19. (Health界)
【100℃ Hot News】
On February 25, media reports stated that Professor Huang Haihai’s team at the School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, had announced the development of an oral vaccine for the novel coronavirus. A Tianjin University representative responsible for public relations confirmed the authenticity of the news, noting that while the vaccine has taken preliminary shape, it is still far from market launch. The team is currently seeking corporate partnerships to advance subsequent research and development stages. Professor Huang emphasized that the ultimate efficacy of the vaccine must be validated through follow-up animal and human clinical trials. (Health Times)
At a press conference held by the Guangzhou Municipal Government on February 25, Li Yueping, Director of the ICU at the Center for Infectious Diseases of Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital, addressed the recent cases of discharged patients testing positive again. She stated that during follow-up of discharged cases, they identified 13 patients and 104 close contacts. Although test results were positive, it is technically difficult to distinguish between live and dead viruses. Therefore, strict and rigorous measures must continue to be implemented for virus prevention and control. (People's Daily)
[Medical Industry Updates]
Recently, the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to posthumously confer the title of “Outstanding Communist Party Member of the Province” upon Comrade Liu Zhiming. Previously, the Wuhan Municipal Committee had already posthumously awarded him the title of “Outstanding Communist Party Member of the City.” Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) epidemic, Comrade Liu Zhiming had remained steadfast on the front lines of pandemic prevention and control. He unfortunately contracted COVID-19 and, despite exhaustive rescue efforts, died in the line of duty on February 18, 2020, at the age of 51. (Hubei Daily)
On February 25, Gao Xiaojun, spokesperson for the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, stated at a press conference that medical and health institutions were required to avoid assigning both members of dual-career healthcare households to frontline duties simultaneously. In particular, efforts should be made to accommodate the family care responsibilities of healthcare workers with elderly relatives or children needing care. (China News Service)
[New Policy Release]
On February 25, the National Health Commission issued the "Notice on Legally, Scientifically, and Precisely Implementing COVID-19 Prevention and Control Measures," requiring that Hubei Province, where the epidemic was particularly severe, continue to adopt the strictest prevention and control measures. In Wuhan and other cities in Hubei where traffic controls had been implemented, outbound movement of people was strictly controlled; in cities where traffic controls were not in place, all arrivals were subject to centralized quarantine for 14 days upon reaching their destination.[Click for Details](National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China)
On February 25, the Scientific Research Task Force of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council for Responding to the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Epidemic issued the "Notice on Regulating Clinical Research on Drug Treatment for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Conducted by Medical Institutions," explicitly supporting eligible hospitals in carrying out clinical research on relevant drugs. Such clinical research should, in principle, be conducted at designated hospitals for the treatment of COVID-19 (including cabin hospitals, etc.) as determined by local health administrative departments at or above the county level, and the drugs used should be those already marketed. (Official Website of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China)
[By the Numbers]
54 million:Ou Xiaoli, Director of the Department of Social Development under the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), stated that from a supply perspective, China’s daily mask production exceeds 54 million units, with daily output of medical N95 respirators surpassing 900,000 units, thereby basically meeting the needs of frontline healthcare workers in terms of total volume. From a demand perspective, it is necessary not only to increase mask supplies but also to promote the scientific and needs-based use of masks, which entails implementing reduction measures. (Health界)
4500：Tang Jun, Deputy Director of the State Administration for Market Regulation, stated that in terms of price stabilization, market regulatory authorities promptly investigated and dealt with cases of price gouging on masks. As of the 24th, more than 4,500 enterprises had been penalized. Additionally, over 11,000 cases involving other medical protective supplies and essential livelihood-related commodities are currently under investigation. Meanwhile, enterprises have also taken voluntary actions. Preliminary information indicates that e-commerce platforms participating in these efforts have removed more than 200,000 mask listings with abnormal pricing, involving over 36,000 online stores. (Health界)
【Frontiers】
Recently, a collaborative study by the teams of Lu Lu and Jiang Shibo from the School of Basic Medical Sciences at Fudan University, in partnership with Associate Professor Mei X. Wu from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, was published as a Research Article in Science. The paper elucidates the role and mechanism of biomimetic nanoparticles as mucosal adjuvants for universal influenza vaccines. (Fudan University)
[Investment and Financing]
Karius, a life sciences startup based in California, USA, recently announced the completion of a $165 million Series B financing round to advance the development of its proprietary “microbial cell-free DNA” (mcfDNA) technology, which aims to help physicians diagnose infectious diseases more rapidly and conveniently. Previously, the company completed a $50 million Series A financing round in 2017. Reportedly, this technology can detect more than 1,000 pathogens within 24 hours using a single blood draw (approximately 5 mL of blood), including infections that cannot be identified by conventional testing methods. (Chuangjianhui)
【Lanbo】
#The supply of masks is still insufficient to meet demand#On the afternoon of February 25, Ou Xiaoli, Director of the Department of Social Development under the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), stated that it is unrealistic to expect an immediate situation where masks are available in unlimited quantities. He noted that some people wear N95 masks while staying at home, and others replace their masks every hour even when they have contact with only one or two individuals throughout the day—practices that are entirely unnecessary. Ou Xiaoli called on everyone to fulfill their responsibility for the scientific and economical use of masks while taking scientifically sound personal protective measures.
@SweetFruitWokeUp:Just use surgical masks in your daily life; leave the N95s to the healthcare heroes!
@Anhui University of Science and Technology BBS:Fake N95 masks sold by numerous online vendors are selling out as soon as they are listed—stay vigilant!
[Various Perspectives]
Zhong Nanshan, Head of the High-Level Expert Group of the National Health Commission:From SARS to MERS, research efforts ceased once the outbreaks subsided. The vast majority of researchers did not conduct long-term studies on coronaviruses. As a result, when the current pandemic struck suddenly, there was widespread unpreparedness in deploying targeted therapies. This time, we must not abandon our efforts after the crisis passes and leave responses to the next outbreak. (CCTV News)
[Sharp View: Beyond the Industry]
On February 25, Shu Zhaohui, a second-level inspector at the Department of Industrial Policy and Regulations under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), stated that the resumption of production and work by large enterprises is currently exerting a strong driving effect on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In response to the needs of large enterprises, a list of supporting enterprises within their industrial chains has been compiled, covering 25 specific sub-sectors, corresponding to 51 large enterprises and 938 supporting enterprises distributed across 25 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions nationwide. The state has required local authorities to assist enterprises in resolving issues related to logistics, workforce mobility, and supply guarantees, as well as ensuring the implementation of previously announced financial and tax support measures, all while maintaining differentiated and tiered epidemic prevention and control efforts. The MIIT will monitor daily changes in the resumption of work and production status of the enterprises on the list. (People's Daily)
That concludes today’s global healthcare news. Download the CN-Healthcare app to access more valuable insights. See you tomorrow!