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TLW, If I recall corrrectly, the WHO did not initially comment on Omicrom either, which was a bit suspect at the time. Of course it may turn into a benign variant, but you've got to wonder with 46 mutations? Didn't Omicrom only have 30 something? This virus is anything but predictable.

It sounds a bit like it's the relaxed state, rather than the conduit to get there (meditation, cannabidiol, hot baths etc) that is the key to increasing IFN production IMO?
Still, all are nice ways to participate in trials and further advance medical science...

Interesting. https://charlottecounty.floridaweekly.com/articles/meditation-brings-robust-immune-system-activation-according-to-study/

"Strikingly, they found increased post-retreat activity in 220 genes directly related to the immune response. That included heightened activity in 68 genes associated with interferon signaling, a key part of the body’s anti-virus and anti-cancer responses."
"The increased gene activity among interferon-signaling genes is particularly significant, according to Chandran. Interferon proteins rally other parts of the immune system to defend against viruses and several recent studies have shown that interferon signaling is imbalanced in patients with severe COVID-19. Essentially, meditation uses a coordinated network of core genes and regulators to unleash a positive effect on the immune system, the researchers found."

“This is the first time anyone has shown that meditation can boost your interferon signaling. It demonstrates a way to voluntarily influence the immune system without pharmaceuticals,” he said.

A spot of meditation while we wait, anyone?

Me neither Doc, but that doesn't mean the NIH haven't seen something that tells them to switch it out of one category into another. It was their call to leave it under old category, or move it. They chose the latter. I'm making an assumption that they know what they are doing and are basing the decision on something more than an arbitrary manoeuvre. The IFN trial data that they reference in table 2C has a lot more to it - yes the endpoint outcomes are given, but what of the underlying data itself that isn't on that table? The data that tells them how the drug is working (as opposed to whether the drug worked and met it's end points). I just think the NIH must have a better view if that from all those underlying studies. Why else reference them?

Docdaneeka, if "nothing fundamentally has changed in the science" I would question why they recategorised it. IMO something did change in their knowledge of how IFNs (hence why they referenced that and the Table 2C of the update). A drug can fall into both categories - Ribavarin functions as both an antiviral and an immunomodulator, having effect on both the innate and adaptive immunity systems. There is a paper on that dual 'funtionality'. The NIH have chosen to put SNG into the anti-viral category now. IMO I don't think it's inconsequential or political. I think they have done that because latest trials data on all IFNs has informed them further. Perhaps recent data shows them that it has more anti-viral properties than we know? The NIH will have already seen data from Activ-2P2. I guess we will know soon enough.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/virus-leaves-antibodies-that-may-attack-healthy-tissues-b-cell-antibodies-2022-01-03/

Published today. Perhaps someone very au fait with other IFN studies can comment on whether SNG/IFNs would play any role here (see last sentence below)?

"The effects of antibodies produced by the immune system's "memory B cells" against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, while weakened, could still be significant, researchers believe."

"The findings, published in Nature, show that scientists "have to start looking at mutations outside the spike," which has so far been the main focus of vaccines and antibody drugs, said Nevan Krogan of the University of California, San Francisco. Studying the Alpha variant, his team found a mutation at a non-spike site that causes infected cells to ramp up their production of a protein called Orf9B. Orf9b in turn disables a protein called TOM70 that cells use to send signals to the immune system. With higher levels of Orf9B disabling TOM70, the immune system does not respond as well and the virus can better evade detection, the researchers said.

Referring to the increase in Orf9B, Krogan said, "It's rare that mutations 'turn up' a protein. It's a very sneaky thing for this virus to do." The same mutation was identified on Delta, "and sure enough, almost the same mutation is on Omicron," he said, which suggests they may have similar effects on the immune system. The new information could spur development of drugs that target the interaction of Orf9b and TOM70."

That really is good news Brand. Worries about manufacturing costs will be a thing of the past.

Mumbo Jumbo,

Much as we'd all like that, there's a small matter of newly emerging variants of concern to scupper those plans...much like this one reported today - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10365005/Covid-tracking-scientists-France-spot-variant.html We are likely some weeks away from knowing if it is nothing to write home about, or another variant of concern, how severe or transmissible it is, and how far it has travelled. As for Pfizer and Merck orders, those drugs complement treatment, they do not compete. SNG will be for those for whom those early pre-hospital drugs are not an option or fail to be used. The fact that UK Gov have placed orders for Pfizer & Merck gives me even more confidence that they will add to that line up with SNG targeting a different cohort, assuming P3 delivers. It's always been about furnishing the "toolbox", having multiple options, and arsenal of treatments. Dependency on any one supplier is a bad thing - as you will know from the diagnostics angle already. if our data is good, we will get orders as sure as night follows day. Whether Gov UK get in on that action is another thing. At the end of the day, the UK is but a bit-player in a much larger global pandemic market.

I think Drosten is a bit of a red herring, but I think you know that Hurtle.... It's the number of hospitalisations that follow weeks later that is the point, not the number of infections. Florida is now there. I assume you read that part the article? It said "Fauci....cautioned the public to look at hospitalisations and not infections in order to gauge Omicron’s severity".

Or in this case Tuesday, but who's keeping tabs...

MERs had a fatality rate of +30%. I always know how Monday is going to pan out when you arrive Hurtle. Strap in.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/03/us-covid-omicron-coronavirus-cases-florida

"Evidence suggests Omicron is a more mild if highly infectious variant. But it “will still do terrible damage among the unvaccinated in both the US and worldwide”, according to the New York Times."

TLwilliams,
There was a case last week of a young woman in Israel who they said had become the first person to be identified as contracting 'flurona' (though I think that's incorrect, according to other reports a co-infection has happened before, but is rare). One thing is for sure, science and all it entails will be a pretty sure bet as a career path in the coming decades!

Good point Matml. And that would make really a lot of sense. If that is not the reason, i.e. it is purely down to the multifaceted function of the drug (per data referenced from the various trials), well, that is also a positive development.

Rely on no one's view but your own when it comes to investing.
Listen to many and trust few!
Words to get rich by.
GLA.

Yes it's been posted before. It's early doors for this, the company are preparing further trials in other countries. Interim results of a trial (mix and match vacccines) in ****stan were due Q1 2022, don't know if that's been pushed out because of Omicrom though as date was set before the new variant came along. You'd need to check. Lots of outstanding questions still; e.g will aerosolisation really require only a fifth of a liquid dose’s quantity? will aerosolisation prove to be more or less effective than liquid vaccinations? will the vaccine be affordable? etc...

Very well explained, thank you Matml.

Another paper (published 1st Jan 2022) from an esteemed source, referencing SNG study data.

"Recent studies focusing on identifying therapies for COVID-19 have found beneficial effects of IFN administration, especially at early stages of the disease, to reduce the severity and mortality associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections"
[47: Monk P. D. R. J.Marsden V. J.Tear J.Brookes T. N.Batten M.Mankowski F. J.Gabbay D. E.Davies S. T.Holgate L. P.Ho, et al, Inhaled Interferon Beta COVID-19 Study Group. 2021. Safety and efficacy of inhaled nebulised interferon beta-1a (SNG001) for treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet Respir. Med. 9: 196–206]

Driftwood doesn't understand that Paxlovid can interfere with other drugs, therefore not for patients who can’t take a break from their normal drugs for even a few days. There goes a huge chunk of the population. It also relies on home-testing kits. I see we are out of those just now.....
Those who have done their research will understand that it the changed game will involve hefty rationing. Supply is just not there nor can it be expedited as the drug requires some dozen ingredients from around the world in a global pandemic, with ongoing supply issues. Quite complicated. How many have they said they can get out there versus the numbers potentially requiring it? Definitely a useful in the toolkit, but not for the masses this one. HYN all.

CMWW, the United Nations classification of Eastern Europe includes those countries, it's possibly what they used. I agree it's confusing. The numbers though are what matter, the need for drugs like SNG001 remains high.