Metapneumovirus

Press Release: Vaccines R&D pipeline raises the bar in RSV, influenza, meningitis, and pneumococcal disease

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 29, 2023

Vaccines R&D pipeline raises the bar in RSV, influenza, meningitis, and pneumococcal disease

Key Points: 
  • Vaccines R&D pipeline raises the bar in RSV, influenza, meningitis, and pneumococcal disease
    Sanofi reaffirms ambition to deliver >€10bn in annual vaccines sales by 2030, fueled by an accelerated pace of innovation
    Paris, June 29, 2023.
  • Today Sanofi is hosting a Vaccines Investor Event dedicated to its pipeline with key members of its leadership team.
  • Global Head of Vaccines R&D, Sanofi
    “With the addition of mRNA, we now have the largest development toolbox in the industry.
  • Adding machine learning and antigen design means that our future vaccines will raise the bar beyond today’s high standards.

Human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, is filling ICUs this spring – a pediatric infectious disease specialist explains this little-known virus

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 12, 2023

These illnesses, from the common cold to pneumonia, have been a plague on mankind throughout history.

Key Points: 
  • These illnesses, from the common cold to pneumonia, have been a plague on mankind throughout history.
  • Most are caused by viruses, so if you’ve ever been told “you probably have a virus” by a clinician, they were likely correct.
  • Respiratory infections are the leading cause of death in children under 5 globally and a major reason for hospitalization of children in developed countries.
  • As a pediatric infectious disease specialist and virologist, I have led my team in HMPV research for over 20 years, and I’ve personally cared for many children with this infection.

Origins of human metapneumovirus

    • The human metapneumovirus was isolated from people with acute respiratory infection and sequenced in 2001 using a combination of specialized culture and molecular techniques.
    • Third, genetic analysis by several different groups shows that the closest recent ancestor of HMPV is a bird virus, avian metapneumovirus.
    • Evolutionary and genetic analysis suggests that the human virus diverged from the bird virus several hundred years ago.

HMPV in children

    • Initial research groups focused on children and quickly discovered that HMPV caused respiratory infections in children worldwide, including Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, South Africa and Argentina.
    • Indeed, HMPV is a common cause of acute respiratory disease in children in every country examined, and most children get the infection for the first time by age 5.
    • Children with underlying risk factors, such as those born prematurely and those with conditions like asthma,
      or those who have compromised immune systems, such as organ transplant recipients or children being treated for cancer, are at higher risk for severe HMPV.

Not just for kids

    • This is especially true in adults over 65 years old, or those with underlying conditions.
    • HMPV and RSV were more common than the flu in people 65 and older, presumably because many were vaccinated against the flu.
    • Another national study of adults hospitalized for pneumonia showed that HMPV was as common as RSV, and nearly as common as influenza.

Why HMPV is still so underrecognized

    • Despite being a common cause of serious respiratory disease, HMPV remains underdiagnosed by clinicians and little recognized by the general population.
    • Most people with an acute respiratory illness don’t get any testing, and if they do, only complex molecular testing can detect HMPV.
    • But HMPV circulates predictably every year, and in North America the peak is typically February through May.

A dearth of treatments

    • Right now, there are no specific antiviral drugs to treat HMPV as there are for flu and COVID-19.
    • As with the many other respiratory viruses that cause colds, most infected people will do just fine with rest and fluids.

Carver Biosciences Launches with Seed Financing to Advance CRISPR/Cas13-based Technologies

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 15, 2022

Carver Biosciences, Inc., a biotech company focused on the development of CRISPR/Cas13 antivirals, today announced the closure of a seed round of funding, led by Khosla Ventures.

Key Points: 
  • Carver Biosciences, Inc., a biotech company focused on the development of CRISPR/Cas13 antivirals, today announced the closure of a seed round of funding, led by Khosla Ventures.
  • Carver is focused on using the bacterially derived RNA-directed RNase Cas13 to target respiratory viruses.
  • Dr. Myhrvold has worked on developing Cas13-based technologies for studying viral host RNAs since 2016, the year the protein was first discovered.
  • Carver is a Boston, MA-based gene therapy company developing CRISPR-based therapies for RNA viruses that infect humans.

ADMA Biologics Announces Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Provides Business Update

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, August 10, 2022

ET

Key Points: 
  • ET
    RAMSEY, N.J. and BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADMA Biologics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADMA) (ADMA or the Company), an end-to-end commercial biopharmaceutical company dedicated to manufacturing, marketing, and developing specialty plasma-derived biologics, today announced its second quarter 2022 financial results and provided a business update.
  • Second Quarter 2022 and Recent Achievements:
    Significant Revenue Growth: Achieved second quarter 2022 total revenues of $33.9 million, as compared to $17.8 million during the second quarter of 2021, an increase of $16.1 million, or approximately 90%.
  • 2022 & Long-Term Financial Guidance:
    2022 Financial Guidance: Enabled by the strong start to the year, ADMA anticipates total 2022 revenues will exceed $130 million.
  • Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results:
    Total revenues for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022 were $33.9 million, as compared to $17.8 million during the second quarter of 2021, an increase of $16.1 million, or approximately 90%.

Vicebio launched by medicxi to advance the Molecular Clamp technology and develop next generation RSV vaccine

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 21, 2022

Vicebio is advancing its proprietary, second-generation Molecular Clamp technology capable of stabilising viral glycoproteins in "prefusion" conformation, to deliver highly protective and ready-to-use fully liquid vaccines.

Key Points: 
  • Vicebio is advancing its proprietary, second-generation Molecular Clamp technology capable of stabilising viral glycoproteins in "prefusion" conformation, to deliver highly protective and ready-to-use fully liquid vaccines.
  • The Molecular Clamp technology is a patented protein tag that effectively stabilises a wide range of complex viral proteins.
  • It has been applied to generate vaccine candidates for several viruses including SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), metapneumovirus and influenza.
  • In the future, Vicebio will apply the Molecular Clamp technology to develop multivalent formulations targeting several respiratory viruses into ready-to-use single shot vaccines.

Vicebio launched by medicxi to advance the Molecular Clamp technology and develop next generation RSV vaccine

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 21, 2022

Vicebio is advancing its proprietary, second-generation Molecular Clamp technology capable of stabilising viral glycoproteins in "prefusion" conformation, to deliver highly protective and ready-to-use fully liquid vaccines.

Key Points: 
  • Vicebio is advancing its proprietary, second-generation Molecular Clamp technology capable of stabilising viral glycoproteins in "prefusion" conformation, to deliver highly protective and ready-to-use fully liquid vaccines.
  • The Molecular Clamp technology is a patented protein tag that effectively stabilises a wide range of complex viral proteins.
  • It has been applied to generate vaccine candidates for several viruses including SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), metapneumovirus and influenza.
  • In the future, Vicebio will apply the Molecular Clamp technology to develop multivalent formulations targeting several respiratory viruses into ready-to-use single shot vaccines.

Microbix Presenting Respiratory Virus Controls Data at Two Events

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 19, 2022

It is sponsored by Labquality Oy, a well-established Scandinavian clinical-lab proficiency and accreditation authority that is also a Microbix distribution partner.

Key Points: 
  • It is sponsored by Labquality Oy, a well-established Scandinavian clinical-lab proficiency and accreditation authority that is also a Microbix distribution partner.
  • At these events Microbix will be presenting performance results of its QAPs for support of MDx tests that detect multiple respiratory viruses from a single patient-sample.
  • At Labquality Days, Microbixs presentation is titled Microbixs Cross-Platform Compatible Respiratory Virus Multiplex Samples for use as a Quality Management Tool in Laboratory Syndromic Testing.
  • At ECCMID, Microbixs presentation is titled Respiratory Virus Multiplex Formulations Desiccated on Copans FLOQSwab for use as Cross-Platform Compatible EQA Samples and Laboratory Quality Controls.

Seegene's Allplex™ RV Master Assay receives Australian TGA approval, European CE-IVD mark

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Seegene's AllplexRV Master Assay can distinguish 21 targets for 19 different respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, flu, and common colds.

Key Points: 
  • Seegene's AllplexRV Master Assay can distinguish 21 targets for 19 different respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, flu, and common colds.
  • The AllplexRV Master Assaywas developed based on Seegene's decades-long know-how and applies patent technologies, like DPO, TOCEand MuDT(see table 2).
  • The AllplexRV Master Assay has been designed in consideration of such circumstances as countries shift policies to get everyday life back to normal.
  • "The assay is expected to be well-utilized as winter approaches in Australia and South America and as the world turns to live with COVID-19 endemically."

Icosavax Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 30, 2022

SEATTLE, March 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Icosavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICVX), a biopharmaceutical company leveraging its innovative virus-like particle (VLP) platform technology to develop vaccines against infectious diseases, with an initial focus on life-threatening respiratory diseases and a vision of creating pan-respiratory vaccines for older adults, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2021 and provided a corporate update.

Key Points: 
  • In March, Icosavax reported topline, interim data for IVX-411, a VLP vaccine candidate displaying the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD).
  • As a result, the company is conducting an end-to-end drug product investigation to better understand the results and determine a path forward for the COVID-19 program.
  • Appointed John Shiver, Ph.D., to Board of Directors, and Robin Robinson, Ph.D. to Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).
  • Cash and restricted cash as of December 31, 2021 was $280.7 million, compared to $15.5 million for the period ended December 31, 2020.

Launch of Seegene's STARlet-AIOS: All-in-One System Fulfills Critical Need for Fully Automated, High-Throughput Real-Time PCR Testing

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 28, 2021

Incorporates Seegene's broad menu of molecular diagnostics for syndromic testing, for detection of SARS-CoV-2 and variants.

Key Points: 
  • Incorporates Seegene's broad menu of molecular diagnostics for syndromic testing, for detection of SARS-CoV-2 and variants.
  • "Seegene has played a critical role in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in large part because of our forward-looking strategy.
  • "As we look ahead, the most pressing diagnostic need will be for cost-effective and high throughput automated systems that can remove any remaining testing bottlenecks.
  • The modular design ofSTARlet-AIOS: All-in-One Systemunites twostandalone instrumentsthe STARlet IVD and the CFX96 Dx real-time PCR Systemwitha custom-built robotic arm.