Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2

 

I am compiling basic information about the Covid-19 vaccines here as it is published. I am reporting both peer-reviewed publications and press release information because this is the era of clinical trial reporting by PR channels. I do not certify the accuracy of anything on this page. I will be updating it as information is released primarily for myself.

Vaccines

Reuters Vaccine Tracker

Developer/country	Vaccine type	Seroconversion Rate	Protective Efficacy	Status
Pfizer/BioNTech – US/Germany 'Comirnaty'	mRNA spike LNP	95.2% CD4+ T cell	95% after 2 doses Effective against variants 75%+ against variants and 97% against severe inf	Full FDA Approval Dec 10, 2021 EU Dec 21 Children 12-15 US Booster recommended Best for boosters of 6 vaccines tested
Moderna/NIAID - US Prescribing info 'Spikevax'	mRNA spike	100% @30mcg	94.1% after 2 doses	FDA Dec 17 EU Jan 6 UK Jan 8 Full FDA Approval  1/31/22
Oxford/Astra Zeneca - UK ChAdOx1 'Vaxzevria' 'Covishield'	Chimp adenovirus vectors - spike	Germany approve use only in under 65s due to lack of data Over 65s now getting it preferentially due to blood clots in younger subjects.	70.4% overall (90% w/low-high dose regimen) 11-03-21 EU countries suspend use due to clots	UK  30 Dec EU Jan 29 US submission 25/03/21 Several countries hold off due to rare blood clots.   Approved in Japan and sublicensed to 165 countries.
Gamaleya (Russia) 'Sputnik V'	Human adenovirus vector - 2 spike	100% seroconversion	91.4% after 2 doses Lancet	Russia approved in Aug 2020 EMA reviews Mar 2021
CureVac (Germany) CVnCoV	mRNA May cover variants - no need for sub-zero	2 dose schedule	Deal w/UK to focus on variants Has begun production- Phase 3 fully enrolled	EU begins review 03/21   Phase 3 ends mid-May Supply a challenge
Sanofi/Translate Bio	mRNA	1 or 2 doses	Phase 1/2 Trials initiated 03/21
Sanofi/GSK	rDNA/adjuvant	89.6% 18-49 yo 85% >50 62.5% >60 Interim results w/new formulation  = 95-100% seroconversion	Manufacturing  issue - reformulation	Delayed due to poor response in older subjects 11/12/20 Trials restarted 02/21
Novavax  NVX-CoV2373 (Nuvaxovid, CovoVax)  Covid-NanoFlu combination vaccine	rDNA/Matrix-M™ adjuvant: baculovirus spike nanoparticles Production by India's SII the world's largest producer of vaccines by volume	100% after dose 2 96.4% effective against original strain in UK trial, 86% UK, 55% SA strains Effective as booster against variants	89.3% in US/Mex 60% in SA 89.3% UK 60% in SA in HIV neg subj 90.4% Efficacy in US Phase 3 Phase 3 complete	Delayed (Q3) Delayed again (Q4) EMA started a rolling review of NVX-CoV2373 in early 2021 Novavax filed for WHO approval. 4 Nov 2021 EU approved 20 Jan 2022 - shipping to EU Feb 23 EU approved as booster
Sinopharm (China)	Inactivated virus		79.34%	China approved Dec31 Serbia to produce WHO approved 07-05-21 Clin Trial results JAMA 26/5/21
Sinovac (China) – CoronaVac	Inactivated virus - 2nd vaccine in China		50.4% Brazil, 78% Brazil, 65.3% Indonesia, 91.25 Turkey	WHO approval expected 03/21
J&J /Janssen (US) Ad26.COV2.S	AdVac® human attenuated adenovirus vectors carrying complete spike protein rDNA	98% After 1 dose, 100% in interim results 1 vs 2 dose trial	enrolment completed - 57-72% effective in protecting against mod-sev Covid-19 28d after 1 dose Risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome	US approved Jan 27 EU applied 16/02/21 EU approved 11-03-21 Merck/Sanofi/others to help manufacture, fill & pack J&J temp suspended release due to rare blood clots in younger, mostly women.

Novavax  COVID-NanoFlu™	Combination vaccine - recombinant nanoparticle protein-based COVID-19 and NanoFlu™ vaccines with Matrix-M™ adjuvant
Walvax Biotechnology (China) ARCoV	mRNA vaccine			Recruited 28,000 patients for phase 3 trial.  Also recruited 1000 patients for booster trial.

APC/Vaxine CoVax-19	Advanced tech with Advax-SM adjuvant		Phase 2 initiated	Manufacturing scale-up in Dublin
Valneva (France) VLA2001	inactivated adjuvanted whole virus vaccine	89.8% in the medium-dose and 100% in the high-dose group after 2 doses 95% response 95% seroconversion	Phase 1/2 results positive Phase 3 better response than AZ vaccine - sig better tolerability	Phase 3 trial underway  Completed and showed superior response to AZ vaccine and good antibody response.

Zydus Cadila ZyCoV-D India	1st plasmid DNA vaccine (3 dose)			Clin trials in 50 centers applied for emergency use
HDT Bio Corp HDT-301 COVID-19 RNA USA	Lipid InOrganic Nanoparticle (LION) - protects against variants			Phase 1 in 60 patients - 2 dose
Medicago, Canada Covifenz	1st plant-based vaccine	plant related to tobacco manufactures a protein similar to spike	71% effective against infection	Approved in Canada Feb 25

Multivalent, Multiviral Vaccines
Moderna mRNA-1010 Quadrivalent flu	Phase 1 50 mcg, 100 mcg, 200 mcg	GMT against all strains at 29 days A/H1N1, A/H3N2, influenza B/Yamagata- and B/Victoria-lineages	Phase 2 trial fully enrolled   Phase 3 prep underway
Moderna mRNA-1011 mRNA-1012 Multivalent flu	Strategic planning mRNA
Moderna mRNA-1020 mRNA-1030 Sars-CoV-2/Flu/RSV booster	Strategic planning
US Army Walter Read SpFN	Phase I study completed  Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine	Elicits antibodies that are expected to protect against all known strains and variants of coronaviruses incl Covid and SARS

The story of adenoviral vector vaccines and prior immunity to adenovirus. 

WHO Coronavirus vaccine landscape tracks 173 vaccines in development, 64 have reached clinical trials. 

Merck drops two candidate vaccines due to poor results in early-stage trials. 

AZ vaccine data lacking in over 65. 

Coronavirus stats Worldometer and Johns Hopkins

Animated graphic covid-related deaths by week

Animated graphic shows deaths due to Covid-19 vs other causes over time

Which vaccines are in use around the world - Feb 2021. 

 

NYT Vaccine Status Tracker

RTE Vaccine Tracker 

Breakthrough infections reported mainly in over 65s

Cov-Boost Trial in UK is evaluating 7 different vaccines as boosters. Data due Sep 2021.

Treatments

Veklury (remdesivir)	Gilead	IV 10 days	Shorter time to recovery and less progression to severe disease	Viral RNA polymerase inhibitor
Lageviro (molnupiravir)	Merck 50 % effective  given within 5 days of the onset of symptoms	PO 40 pills over five days	5 days no detectable virus Cut death and  hospitalization by 50%	nucleoside analog antiviral Filed for approval. Approved in UK 4 Nov 2021 Approved in US Dec 23
Yeliva (opaganib)	RedHill Biopharma	PO	Reduces need for oxygen in hospitalised patients	sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2) selective inhibitor
upamostat	RedHill Biopharma	PO		Serine protease inhibitor Phase 2/3 trial
bamlanivimab/etesevimab	Lilly	IV infusion	Reduces risk of hospitalisation and death by 87%	Mab Lilly withdrew from EMEA rolling review

Paxlovid (PF-07321332 +ritonavir)	Pfizer	PO 30 pills given over five days (3 pills b.i.d.)	89% effective at preventing hospitalization or death if given within 3 days of symptom onset	protease inhibitor FDA approved Dec 22, 2021
Xevudy (sotrovimab antibody cocktail)	GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) with U.S. partner Vir	IV Infusion over 30 min	retains effectiveness against Omicron variant	Monoclonal antibodies Approved in UK
	Regeneron and AstraZeneca		May be less effective against Omicron variant	Monoclonal antibodies

US surpasses 700,000 deaths due to Covid

Merck's Molnupiravir oral antiviral drug

As the world approaches 5 million confirmed dead due to Covid-19, the US passes 700,000 with no signs of slowing down. More than 235 million are confirmed to have contracted the disease, though the number is probably much higher in reality. Just thinking that both India's and China's populations are around 1.4 billion, then 235 million is a drop in the bucket. This thing is going to be with us for a long time. 

When you think that the Spanish flu in 1918-1919 killed somewhere around 50,000,000 globally but only about 675,000 in the US, we're doing a helluva a lot better globally, probably because of the vaccine and known precautions. 

The worry is that flu will rear its head this year, so I've already had my vaccination. Europe approved Fluad Tetra which I had not heard of. It is a surface antigen subunit vaccine with adjuvant. Europe indicated it for over 65s as it has better efficacy. But I was taken aback when they described it as being for the elderly. Then it dawned on me that, at 67, I am considered elderly. But there are so many people older than me now that I just don't feel that old. Maybe I never will. Observational studies among Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older found that trivalent Fluad provided greater protection against flu-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits than standard-dose, egg-based quadrivalent flu vaccine. Data comparing the effectiveness of Fluad Quadrivalent with standard-dose unadjuvanted inactivated vaccines are not yet available.

I am scheduled for the pneumococcal vaccine on Tuesday. We will probably be advised to get a Covid booster soon, for which I will be among the first in line. 

The great news is that Merck has developed an antiviral drug called Molnupiravir which cuts the rate of hospitalisation and death by 50%. I think it's the first new antiviral in years and it's oral. They will be going for emergency use authorisation and have priced the drug at $700 a course, which is less than monoclonal antibody therapy but still not like penicillin. Of course, you have to catch the infection early, as with other antivirals. But they are calling it a game-changer. It takes 4 capsules 2x/day for 5 days - 40 capsules in total. It stops the virus from replicating by inserting errors into its genetic code. I'll have to read more about that MOA. 

US Surpasses 1 in 500 Deaths due to Covid-19

"At a certain point, it was no longer a matter of if the United States would reach the gruesome milestone of 1 in 500 people dying of covid-19, but a matter of when. A year? Maybe 15 months? The answer: 19 months."

From the Washington Post today, what a gruesome fact about the country of my birth, the land of liberty. And this weekend, organisers of a rally in DC are protesting the punishment of the insurrectionists who led the assault on Capitol Hill on January 6. What has happened to America?  

So much sorrow

Early this week, our friends came over to see the garden and the new mowing machinery as they are thinking of getting something similar. That evening they received a message saying goodbye from their son. They learned later that he had jumped off a cliff. His body was recovered the next day by the subaqua police. They are gutted. His cremation service was yesterday. We did not go. 

Yesterday, I learned that a friend from my last job who I had stayed in touch with over the years had died of cancer aged 60. We are now at the age when we lose friends and family regularly. 

4.36 M have died of confirmed coronavirus infection but the real figure must be many times that. So many sad people have lost so much more. 

Bad news

Easter 2004 Mahwah NJ: Oksy, Walt, Mom and me
The last time we were all together.

On the 1st of August, my brother, Walt aka Dy, sent me an email:

'Letting you know that I am now entering final home hospice care for my cancer. This week turned to final stages.

Will transition from home to hospital hospice care as necessary

DO NOT plan on coming here

There will be cremation but no funeral services

Call Mira and Dorian' 

We've known it was coming as he's been undergoing chemo and radiation treatments for 3 years. He was diagnosed with stage 4 rectal cancer. Now that the chemo is no longer working, he will be gone in a few days. I got to speak with him but cannot see him. I haven't actually seen him in several years. He's an extreme introvert as is his wife, Mira, and son, Dorian, who lived with us for 6 months as a school work project. 

It's hardest on Dorian, who has been taking care of both of them for years now. Mira had back surgery and chronic TMJ pain. Dy has been in and out of the cancer ward for years. Dorian is so tired and distraught and I can't be there to hug or help. It sucks. He can't stand watching his father suffer even more than he has for so long. 

And now I just learned that my brother passed peacefully in his sleep during the night. RIP Walt, my brother. I hope Oksy is on your case. Now I am an only. 

The wry smile I remember so well. Vichnaya pamyat. August 14, 2021

Me, Oksy, Dy circa 1985