Even though lockdown and curfew measures implemented everywhere in the world seem to have been more or less effective in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus, the number of people infected by COVID-19 in the rest of the world keeps on rising. So, to face this world’s health crisis, searchers and health professionals have been working hard to try and find an effective medication to erase COVID-19. If the vaccine may not be used for several months, clinical trials are currently carried out in some places of the globe to complete the anti-Covid arsenal.
Dexamethasone, Interferon alpha-2b, Molnupiravir, monoclonal antibodies, Calquence... As many treatments doctors from all around the world test on patients at different stage of the disease within clinical trials. And if you do not know where to start with all these tests and vaccine prototypes, we give you a list of treatments and vaccines currently studied to have a big picture of the current research works.
Vaccines studied in the world:
Vaccination in France: where do we stand Thursday July 13, 2023? Number of people vaccinated by region
How many people have received a first dose of covid-19 vaccine in France? Which regions are vaccinated the most? This Thursday July 13, 2023, we discover the number of people have received a first injection as well as those who are fully vaccinated in France since December 27, 2020. Click here to see the distribution of the number of people vaccinated or having received a booster dose by region. [Read more]
Vaccination in the world Tuesday December 3, 2024: percentage of population vaccinated by country
As many countries have started their vaccination campaign against the coronavirus at the end of 2020, what is the percentage of vaccinated people compared to the total number of inhabitants for each country? Sortiraparis provides a daily update on the state of vaccination in the world. Click here to find out where we are at Tuesday December 3, 2024. [Read more]
Omicron variant: current vaccines likely less effectives, according to Moderna CEO
Shall one fear a major loss in the effectiveness of the current vaccines because of the Omicron variant? Interview by the Financial Times, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel expects a “material drop” in the Covid vaccines effectiveness currently given. [Read more]
Covid: Valneva's vaccine already pre-ordered by the European Union
The European Union announced they have already pre-ordered doses of French Austrian Valneva's Covid vaccine, currently under rolling review by the European Medicines Agency. The vaccine has delivered "positive topline results" this past October. [Read more]
Covid – Delta variant: a study finds the Pfizer vaccine is less effective in the long-run than AstraZeneca
The Pfizer vaccine is less effective in the long-run against the Covid Delta variant than AstraZeneca… This is the conclusion reached by a study issued this Thursday August 19, 2021 carried out by scientists from the Oxford University. But both vaccines are yet “highly” effective. [Read more]
Covid: Pfizer vaccine less effective against the South African variant, a study finds
Pfizer covid vaccine is said to be less effective against the South African variant... This is at least what an Israeli study found on the matter, stating this strain is likely to "break through" the vaccine. The study shifts focus of the results from the previous study carried out by the American laboratory, explaining their vaccine was working for at least six months against all variants, and especially the South African strain. [Read more]
Covid: Sanofi stops trials on their mRNA vaccine
This Tuesday September 28, Sanofi has announced they are halting clinical trials as for Covid mRNA vaccine as developed by American biotech Translate Bio, saying it is too late to reach the market. Yet, the vaccine was promising according to the study's preliminary results. [Read more]
Covid: Sputnik V vaccine “light” version approved in Russia
Russian coronavirus Sputnik V vaccine "light" version has been approved. This is what the Russian Direct Investment Fund announced this early May, 2021 saying that only one dose of Sputnik V could be enough to protect people vaccinated. The goal? Bringing a “temporary” solution to countries the most hit by the pandemic and enable to eradicate the spread of the virus quicker. [Read more]
Covid: German vaccine CureVac in turmoil?
Bad news for CureVac vaccine... This Wednesday June 16, the German laboratory announced their vaccine - developed with pharmaceutical and agrochemical group Bayer - did not deliver the expected results during the latest clinical trial phase, with 47% effectiveness. Disappointing results likely to slow down vaccine marketing. [Read more]
Covid: take a stock on Sanofi vaccine currently completing clincal trial phase 3
Sanofi France CEO Olivier Bogillot announced this July 5th on France Inter the vaccine developed by the laboratories will be available by December 2021. The vaccine is currently completing phase 3 of their trial. [Read more]
Covid: Nanocovax, the Vietnamese vaccine to start human testing
As many Covid vaccines are already being issued, Vietnam is just starting human testing his product developed by laboratory Nanogen, Nanocovax. [Read more]
Pfizer and BioNTech are making powdered vaccines to get round the refrigeration constraint
A few days ago already Pfizer and BioNTech announced their vaccines against coronavirus were over 95% effective! The only flaw is that these two products are to be stored at minus 80 degrees Celsius (-112°F), leading to logistical issues. Both laboratories are working on a powdered version to get round the problem. [Read more]
Coronavirus: Ose Immunotherapeutics vaccine delivers encouraging results
French laboratory Ose Immunotherapeutics has released encouraging results as for candidate vaccine against coronavirus, adding they will initiate the clinical phase in the first quarter of the year 2021. [Read more]
Treatments under clinical trial:
Covid: Xenothera's therapy, Xav-19, working against Omicron
And what if, amid the fight against Covid, one could rely – in addition to the upcoming vaccine – on antibody-based treatments? After Bamlanivimab – the treatment developed by the Eli Lilly laboratory – or even Regeneron, this is now French Nantes-based laboratory Xenothera’s turn to present a treatment undergoing clinical trials, Xav-19. According to primary studies, the therapy is effective against Covid's Omicron variant, but waiting for the green light for marketing from early 2022. [Read more]
Covid: Sotrovimab, an antibody-based therapy developed by GSK, approved in the United Kingdom
To fight against Covid and especially the Omicron variant, the UK regulator announced this Thursday December 2 they have approved Sotrovimab, a therapy developed by the GSK laboratories based on monoclonal antibodies based on the “natural antibodies humans already make”. A therapy the European Union already ordered this past June. [Read more]
Covid: Dapsone, a promising and affordable therapy under rolling review
And what if Canada just found an effective Covid therapy? Searchers from the Montreal McGill university launched in late November the 3rd phase of a clinical trial on dapsone, a therapy with anti-inflammatory properties working against cytokine storms. Its asset? Being affordable compared to the other therapies under rolling review or currently administrated, particularly expensive. [Read more]
Covid: Kevzara (sarilumab) underperforming as a therapy, according to an AP-HP study
According to an AP-HP study issued this November 23, 2021, Kevzara (sarilumab) - a potential cure to Covid - does not seem to have delivered conclusive results as for its effectiveness to avoid deaths after hospitalization. The study confirms results of the clinical trial led by Sanofi who announced in September 2020 they were ending their clinical trial after results of this study were inconclusive. [Read more]
Covid – AstraZeneca: conclusive results for their antibody therapy under rolling review
This Thursday November 18, 2021, AstraZeneca laboratory revealed successful clinical trials for their antibody-based Covid therapy. This therapy is said to cut risks of developing severe disease by 67%. Here is more on the matter! [Read more]
Covid: Pfizer's Covid drug Paxlovid available in pharmacies from Friday
After being granted marketing approval from the European Medicines Agency, Pfizer's Covid drug Paxlovid - 89% effective against hospitalizations and deaths caused by coronavirus - will be available from Friday February 4, 2022, in pharmacies. [Read more]
Covid: what if the cure to the disease was in our genes?
And what if the cure to Covid was in our genes? This is the bet made by professor Jean-Claude Casanova from the Necker hospital in Paris and his team of international scientists. The idea: finding the gene or genes enabling to fight against the disease. [Read more]
Coronavirus: Two antibody therapies given the green light in Europe
This is a first in the fight against coronavirus in Europe. Two antibody therapies have been approved this Thursday November 11, 2021 by the European Medicines Agency. These two Covid-19 solutions are given the green light for marketing in Europe. [Read more]
Covid: Institut Pasteur Lille forced to stop their trials with Clofoctol
After many months of research and big hopes, the Lille Institut Pasteur has been forced to stop their clinical trials on a Clofoctol-based Covid therapy as they lack volunteering patients and financing. [Read more]
Covid: a new antibody therapy developed by Spiklmm under rolling review
Is a new Covid therapy based on monoclonal antibodies soon to be reviewed? This is what infectious disease specialist and member of Spiklmm biotech administration board Karine Lacombe has explained. The very laboratory is developing this therapy. Clinical trials are expected to start from the beginning of 2022. [Read more]
Covid: fluvoxamine, the antidepressant likely to cut down hospitalization risks, studies found
There is a potential new Covid drug! Following preliminary results from a Canadian study released this past August, the results of a Brazilian clinical results issued this late October in The Lancet seem to confirm antidepressant fluvoxamine considerably decreases hospitalization risk for people contaminated. [Read more]
Covid: EMA approved use of RoActemra (Tocilizumab) for severe disease
Is Tocilizumab – a Covid therapy – still under rolling review? The European Medicines Agency announced they have approved RoActemra (Tocilizumab) on hospitalized severe Covid patients. This anti-inflammatory therapy usually used against arthritis is able to bloc interleukin-6 and prevent cytokine storms, namely a secondary inflammation of the lungs. [Read more]
Covid: WHO to review three new therapies
Are new Covid therapies to be reviewed soon? This is what the World Health Organization or WHO announced this Wednesday August 11, 2021, stating WHO’s Solidarity clinical trial enters a new phase with three new candidate drugs namely artesunate, imatinib and infliximab. [Read more]
Coronavirus: The European Union ordered a new antibody therapy
This Wednesday July 28, the European Union announced they have secured a deal for a new experimental coronavirus therapy, Sotrovimab, developed by UK laboratory GSK. A promising monoclonal antibody therapy. [Read more]
Covid: Pfizer to develop two treatments against the virus
Two treatments against Covid are being studied, but have delivered encouraging primary results… This is what Pfizer France director David Lepoittevin announced this Friday April 9, stating that one of them was to be given orally, the other one intravenously. Two medicines that – if trials show effectiveness – could complete the existing arsenal amid the fight against coronavirus. [Read more]
Covid: take a stock on Molnupiravir, drugmaker Merck’s promising therapy against the virus
The Haute Autorité de Santé announced - in a report issued on December 10 - they do not approve the emergency use of molnupiravir (Lafevrio) to prevent coronavirus infection. The issue goes against what the European Medicines Agency announced this past November 19, namely approving the emergency use of the drug in case of emergency. [Read more]
Covid: Eli Lilly antibody therapy said to reduce hospitalization risks, a study finds
As the race for Covid vaccines and therapies is speeding up all over the world, drugmaker Eli Lilly announced this Wednesday March 10 their antibody therapy mixing Bamlanivimab and Etsesevimab is said to reduced by 87% hospitalization and death risk in the event of severe infection. A combined therapy that received emergency use authorization back to late February from the Food & Drug Administration. [Read more]
Covid: Colchicine not working in hospitalized sick, Recovery trial found
Is Colchicine not working in Covid sick already at the hospital? This is the conclusion found by the Recovery trial in a study released this Tuesday May 18, explaining the use of this therapy "was not associated with reductions in mortality, duration of hospital stay, or risk of progressing to invasive mechanical ventilation or death". Yet, this was a promising molecule, according to Montreal Heart Institute in a study released in March 2020 explaining Colchicine was said to be effective against Coronavirus, according to primary results from a clinical trial. [Read more]
Covid-19: Calquence, an effective treatment against cytokine shocks?
Is Claquence an effective treatment to fight against Covid-19? Pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca has announced phase 2 of their clinical trials with this potential treatment to coronavirus “did not meet the primary endpoint”. A clinical trial which point was to try and assess its effect against cytokine shocks, this violent inflammatory response from the immune system, combined with Covid-19 infection. [Read more]
Coronavirus: dexamethasone, a steroid that can reduce death by up to one third
According to a British clinical trial, a drug belonging to steroids, is said to reduce Covid-19 sick death rate by up to one third. An encouraging study as no treatment is known yet to fight against the novel coronavirus. [Read more]
Coronavirus: “Positive results” for the remdesivir/diltiazem treatment the Inserm says
Searchers from the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm) in Lyon showed that mixing two medicines, remdesivir and diltiazem, gave “positive results” for a pre-clinical phase. A new step for the discovery of an effective treatment against coronavirus. [Read more]
Coronavirus: the lopinavir/ritonavir cocktail ineffective, the Recovery trail says
Is the lopinavir/ritonavir blend to fight against coronavirus ineffective? This is what several leaders of the Recovery trial say. [Read more]
Covid: Interferon Alpha-2b, a promising therapy soon to be used in France?
Is interferon alpha-2b effective to fight against Covid? This is what a study found as it focused on the antiviral and has been released this May 15, 2020 in Frontiers in Immunology. A therapy first used against Hepatitis C, dengue, and even some cancers, specifically in South America, and enabling to dramatically improve coronavirus patient’s states of health. [Read more]
Coronavirus: Anakinra, a promising treatment?
Is Anakinra an effective treatment against coronavirus? According to a French study released in The Lancet, the medicine usually prescribed for rheumatic diseases released encouraging results on severe Covid-19 forms. First results that will have to be confirmed on a greater number of patients. [Read more]
Tocilizumab, the covid treatment to dramatically reduce deaths, Recovery says
This Thursday February 11, the Oxford University released the results of Recovery clinical trial on Tocilizumab, a medication generally used in rheumatology, but here, it is used to lower the number of Covid patients in ICU. And results are particularly encouraging, echoing the study led in April 2020 by AP-HP. Here is more on the matter. [Read more]
Coronavirus: plasma transfusions not effective against the disease, WHO says
Is plasma transfusion an effective solution against Covid? The WHO eventually addressed this matter and advises against this past December 6 after assessing data available. These data seem to show these tranfusions are useless and do not prevent severe illness and death. [Read more]
