Novavax's COVID-flu combo and standalone flu shots improve immunity in late-stage study
(Reuters) -Novavax's experimental COVID-19-influenza combination and standalone influenza vaccines showed strong immune responses in some patients tested in a late-stage study, the company said on Wednesday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
RFK Jr. names 8 new CDC vaccine advisory members, including skeptics
June 11 (UPI) -- Two days after disbanding the entire 17-member independent vaccine advisory committee, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday appointed eight new members, including prominent vaccine skeptics and pandemic response critics. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, is scheduled to meet next on June 25. The new panel included seven men and one woman. "The slate includes highly credentialed scientists, leading public-health experts, and some of America's most accomplished physicians," Kennedy said in a post on X. "All of these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense. They have each committed to demanding definitive safety and efficacy data before making any new vaccine recommendations. The committee will review safety and efficacy data for the current schedule as well." On Monday, Kennedy said the former members had conflicts of interest on a panel that "wields the grave responsibility of adding new vaccines to the recommended childhood schedule." He pointed ties to Big Pharma. Kennedy, a long-time vaccine critic, said the "most outrageous example of ACIP's malevolent malpractice has been its stubborn unwillingness to demand adequate safety trials before recommending new vaccines for our children. ... ACIP has recommended each of these additional jabs without requiring placebo-controlled trials for any of them. This means that no one can scientifically ascertain whether these products are averting more problems than they are causing." CDC has narrowed its recommendations for mRNA Covid-19 shots, including by children and pregnant women. DHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told NBC News that "all newly appointed ACIP members were thoroughly vetted" but declined to offer specifics. ACIP normally includes pediatricians, geriatricians and other vaccine experts but the new panel includes a psychiatrist, neuroscientist, epidemiologist and biostatistician, and professor of operations management. Kennedy released information on the new members. Dr. Robert Malone, a physician-scientist and biochemist, has been a vocal critic of mRNA technology in COVID-19 vaccines after making early innovations in the field of messenger RNA. He suggested this year, without evidence, that pediatric deaths from measles were due to medical error. He has served in advisory roles for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense. "His expertise spans molecular biology, immunology, and vaccine development," Kennedy said. Dr. Martin Kulldorff, a biostatistician and epidemiologist, co-authored an October 2020 strategy on herd immunity known as the Great Barrington Declaration with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, now director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. He formerly was at Harvard Medical School, and served on Food and Drug Administration and CDC panels. "He has also been an influential voice in public health policy, advocating for evidence-based approaches to pandemic response," Kennedy said. Dr. Cody Meissner, a Dartmouth professor of pediatrics who also signed the Great Barrington Declaration, has served on ACIP and on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. "His expertise spans vaccine development, immunization safety, and pediatric infectious disease epidemiology," Kennedy said. Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, is former acting chief of the U.S. National Institutes of Health section on nutritional neurosciences. "His work has informed U.S. public health guidelines, particularly in maternal and child health," Kennedy said. "Dr. Hibbeln brings expertise in immune-related outcomes, psychiatric conditions, and evidence-based public health strategies." Dr. Retsef Levi, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor of operations management, has published studies on mRNA vaccines and cardiovascular events. "His research has contributed to discussions on vaccine manufacturing processes, safety surveillance, and public health policy," Kennedy said. He has been involved in healthcare systems optimization, epidemiologic modeling, and the application of AI and data science in public health. Dr. James Pagano, an emergency medicine physician with 40 years of clinical experience from "Level 1 trauma centers to small community hospitals, caring for patients across all age groups," Kennedy said in describing him as a "strong advocate for evidence-based medicine." He has served on hospital committees, including utilization review, and medical executive boards. Dr. Vicky Pebsworth, a pediatric professor at Dartmouth, is the Pacific region director of the National Association of Catholic Nurses. She has served on the FDA committee, as well as a national panel reviewing the 2009 H1N1 swine flu vaccine. "She has worked in the healthcare field for more than 45 years, serving in various capacities," Kennedy said. NBC News reported she is a leading source of misinformation about vaccines. Dr. Michael Ross, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University, has served on the CDC's Advisory Committee for the Prevention of Breast and Cervical Cancer. "His continued service on biotech and healthcare boards reflects his commitment to advancing innovation in immunology, reproductive medicine and public health," Kennedy said. Dr. Noel Brewer, an ACIP member who was fired this week, told MSNBC on Wednesday: "The new panel is missing all of the expertise that has come before them. They don't know how to go about looking at the evidence, how to think about the volumes of data that will be coming their way." Brewer, who said members should be replaced on a rolling basis, is a professor in the department of health behavior at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. "Being a vaccine skeptic is not a bad thing if you follow the science," Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, told NBC News. "I'm concerned that the names he's put out so far aren't ideologically balanced. I think he got the slate he was looking for." Benjamin said Kennedy's policies are a danger to public health. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bill Nye Says Barrage Of Old Texts From RFK Jr. Prove He's 'Not Suited For This Job'
Bill Nye revealed a barrage of old text messages from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., some of which were links to articles promoting vaccine skepticism. 'And if you read these articles he sent, they're all this speculation about autism and just cause-and-effect, and mercury in vaccines, that maybe there's a connection,' Nye told Men's Health in an interview published Tuesday. Nye, known as 'Bill Nye the Science Guy' after his popular 1990s educational show of the same name, told the magazine that he and Kennedy met through a mutual friend several years ago when Kennedy was an environmental activist. Nye did not specify exactly how old the text messages were. Nye said Kennedy had 'just no self-awareness' during their text exchange, which included what Men's Health described as 'miles and miles' of long messages from Kennedy, with little response from Nye. 'I wrote him back and said, 'Okay, I'll read your book. I think you've confused causation with correlation.' Your friend, Bill,' Nye recalled. Kennedy responded with what the magazine called 'more miles of texts.' 'So I wrote, 'Okay, no more texts,'' Nye said. 'And he started again! So I cut him off,' Nye said. 'He does not have good judgment. He is not suited for this job.' HuffPost reached out to HHS to address Nye's comments. A spokesperson told HuffPost, 'Kennedy is leading one of the most ambitious public health reform efforts in modern history, grounded in evidence, radical transparency, and a true commitment to the American people.' Kennedy has made several questionable decisions during his tenure as health and human services secretary. Last month, Kennedy's department released the 'Make America Healthy Again' report, which cited nonexistent studies — a concern the White House called a 'formatting error.' This week, he removed all members of the U.S. vaccine advisory panel. So far, his new appointees have included two people known for spreading vaccine misinformation. One pick is Dr. Robert Malone, a former mRNA researcher who suggested that COVID-19 vaccines cause a form of AIDS, and downplayed deaths related to one of the largest measles outbreaks in the U.S. In his interview with Men's Health, Nye expressed anger at people who argue they have the right not to get vaccinated. 'No, you don't!' he said. 'And unvaccinated people can, and usually do, spread a disease. And that's why we have these rules, for public health! It's not arbitrary. It's not about your rights. It's about my rights, people.' RFK Jr. Drops All Members Of U.S. Vaccine Advisory Panel Top COVID Vaccine Adviser Quits After RFK Jr. Changes Recommendations RFK Jr.'s Gotcha Moment On CNN Goes Viral Again Amid 'MAHA' Report Controversy
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
BioNTech bolsters mRNA pipeline with $1.25bn CureVac acquisition
BioNTech has agreed to acquire mRNA specialist CureVac for approximately $1.25bn, as the big pharma company amps up its strategy to offer cancer treatments using the modality. According to the deal, each CureVac share will be exchanged for approximately $5.46 in BioNTech American depositary shares (ADS). This gives an aggregate equity value of around $1.25bn for CureVac. The transaction will see BioNTech assimilate its former rival in the Covid-19 vaccine arena. The pharma companies said the deal will 'bring together two highly complementary companies based in Germany' that can 'fully realise the transformative potential of mRNA medicine'. Shares in BioNTech rose 0.17% at market open on 12 July, reaching a price of $105.64, following the announcement. The pharma company has a market cap of $25.3bn. The agreement underscores BioNTech's strategy to become a dominant player in mRNA-based cancer immunotherapies. The company has struggled with revenue in recent years as demand waned for Covid-19-related products. However, it could be well positioned to harness the oncology market given its strong expertise in mRNA technology – a modality that has already showed promise in clinical trials. 'BioNTech aims to strengthen the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialisation of investigational mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy,' BioNTech said in a statement accompanying the acquisition. In July 2024, CureVac streamlined its focus towards oncology after selling influenza and Covid-19 vaccine development to GSK in a deal worth nearly €1.5bn. This is the second big oncology deal for BioNTech this month, after MSD licensed a bispecific cancer drug from the company in a deal rising to a potential $11bn. BioNTech's CEO Ugur Sahin said: 'This transaction is another building block in BioNTech's oncology strategy and an investment in the future of cancer medicine. 'We intend to bring together complementary capabilities and leverage technologies with the goal of advancing the development of innovative and transformative cancer treatments and establishing new standards of care for various types of cancer in the coming years.' BioNTech also bolstered its cancer platform in November 2024 when it acquired oncology biotech Biotheus for an upfront payment of $800m. "BioNTech bolsters mRNA pipeline with $1.25bn CureVac acquisition" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
