U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc said on Thursday that early data has helped it identify a drug candidate with the potential to help treat patients infected with the novel coronavirus. It also said it plans to support studies to determine whether existing Pfizer medicines, including its rheumatoid arthritis drug Xeljanz, may provide benefits for those struggling with the COVID-19 respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.
Second US study for COVID-19 Vaccine Uses Skin-deep Shots
Researchers have opened another safety test of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine, this one using a skin-deep shot instead of the usual deeper jab. These early-stage studies are a first step to see if a vaccine appears safe enough for larger tests needed to prove whether it will protect. Even if the research goes well, it is expected to take more than a year before any vaccine could be widely available.
UPMC Launches ‘Learning While Doing’ Clinical Trial of COVID-19 Vaccine
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine launched Thursday a novel clinical trial based on a key debate circling the coronavirus pandemic: When to use experimental drugs on patients? If new drugs need to be tested, they are rolled into the platform as study amendments, rather than tested in separate free-standing trials, according to the release. All participants will receive the current standard of care, and most also will receive one, two or three of the experimental treatment options