Member Info for TorquayFan

C11 - that's nice. Thanks !

Cleaner - your header - 'Moderna v Biontech come on Scancell'

Yes the Sky article was about the Moderna trial only and I note your 10.55, "I know", so no disagreement re. your first sentence.

But the same para continues - ""( NB Pfizer not mentioned is that Biontech going it alone )
Or are Moderna and Biontech joining up to partner with Scancell . . . .
. . . . NB ( Interesting ) both are contenders to partner Scancell.""

Sorry I couldn't see where these ideas came from - admittedly the Sky article was misleading showing a pic of Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine at the top - but I just couldn't track the Sky piece to those ideas. That's all. No problem. ATB

Ponsonb - nice one, very funny. But whilst the timescales may feel like that, atm Scancell have a way to go by your measure. Blaming RG's recent re-involvement, for trial progress, is more than unfair - it's well outside his new brief anyway, is it not?.

Violin - "Since RG had his snout led back to the trough the share has lost around 25% ...transformational time indeed." IMO an unjustified and silly comment M8.

You are extremely impatient. The darkest hour, is just before dawn.

Hopefully.

Cleaner - from memory, Pfizer were going it alone on an Omicron tailored booster but cut the project recently.

Also relevant : "Omicron-specific shots offer no advantage : Early tests show that Omicron-targeted vaccines do no better than standard ones. Experiments in animals, the results of which have not been peer reviewed, suggest that a booster shot tailored to the highly transmissible variant offers no advantage over a third dose of current vaccines. Although most of the studies involved only a small number of animals, they offer hints that a customized vaccine won’t change the game against Omicron. . . . . " https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00003-y

Cleaner - Sky's report for some reason carries a pic of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine - I suggest that is a mistake?

I think this trial is about measuring Moderna's new Omicron tailored vaccine against Moderna's existing vaccine, used as a booster.

What do you think?

Thanks Johnny - I had a quick look : " . . . Moderna, Inc. is an American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that focuses on RNA therapeutics, primarily mRNA vaccines. These vaccines use a copy of a molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) to produce an immune response. The company's only commercial product is the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The company has 23 treatment and vaccine candidates, of which 15 have entered clinical trials. Vaccine candidates include influenza, HIV, respiratory syncytial virus, Epstein–Barr virus, the Nipah virus, chikungunya, a combined single-shot COVID-19 booster and influenza vaccine, a cytomegalovirus vaccine, and two cancer vaccines. The company's pipeline also includes candidates for cancer immunotherapy using OX40 ligand, interleukin 23, IL36G, and interleukin 12 as well as, in partnership with AstraZeneca, a regenerative medicine treatment that encodes vascular endothelial growth factor A to stimulate blood vessel growth for patients with myocardial ischemia." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moderna

The only commercial stage product Moderna have is their Covid vaccine. A Covid + 'Flu vaccine is in development. Of more than passing interest - why are they looking at the UK now?

The truth is we don't KNOW what's happening deal wise atm, if anything - Moderna's UK interest, RG taking on an interim CBO role and the continuing saga re. CEPI could be significant, or not. It's tantalizing?

I note above that Moderna already have a cooperation with Pfizer, who recently abandoned their latest Covid vaccine project.

Building 'castles in the sky' - probably. But GLA . . .

Ciaskin thanks for the news of the CEPI 'retweet'. Whilst itself it doesn't mention Scancell, the article linked in the retweet does !! CEPI's regular re-posting of the original underlines that their thinking on the need for a 'Universal vaccine' is unchanged, and also, relevant to the investors deserting this arena currently, that CEPI, pandemic wise, DEFINITELY DO NOT, 'THINK IT'S ALL OVER!"

CEPI : " Such flu vaccines are still in the works, but the logic behind them could also be applied to the development of a broadly protective coronavirus vaccine. Instead of using the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, which is prone to mutations, as the key target for coronavirus vaccines, researchers are assessing other parts of the virus that are known to be more stable.

For example, scientists at the University of Nottingham in the UK are working alongside pharmaceutical company Scancell and Nottingham Trent University to test its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, SN14, which targets both the spike protein as well as the nucleocapsid, or N-protein. By targeting this additional viral structure, which is far less likely to mutate, the vaccine if found safe and effective could work to protect people against COVID-19 irrespective of any mutations to the spike protein and, in theory, could work across other coronaviruses."

Caltech are the other 'prospect' mentioned. Thanks CEPI - we're waiting !

Cleaner - the Guardian article is still there on my screen - 08.07 ?

AB I understand why you express that 'take'. But remember it's been a difficult 2 years and HOW Scancell have advanced in that time.

It's difficult for us, not being 'in house', to know how it works and holds together. As always, I'd like to be a fly on the wall, both in Notts and Oxford.

It's reassuring for me that Redmile and Vulpes are around to make sure, when the time is right, that the support and structure will materialise.

Hopefully. GN

Smart crack Crumbs - what would you suggest as a way forward ? As it is, pending the arrival of the deal wizard ? Welcome RG and we all wish you well, and we all wish the SP was 25p or a little more. Good luck RG.

Anyone got any comment on the substance of today's posts rather than just botching.

(No HM dare talk like that).

Ruckus / Gazza - I'm sorry, but that's what I gleaned, (rightly or wrongly), from reading recent posts. If you disagree please put it more politely. I speak for myself, without wave riding, or assuming I speak for anyone else. Please do not impute my motives. I post as I read.

I am grateful RG is there in this temporary capacity - are you ?

But RG will be the moreorless, https://youtu.be/-kALGhbTxdg the oldest 'deal making' Swinger in town. Please cheer up and stop trolling me, dripping poison as you said last week - you are just, riding the wave, as usual. I hope all is well with you . It's a hard time is it not ?

Hi Cleaner and thanks for that. For weeks I've been wondering where Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance are. JVT has left the fold too ! After all, when we were 'following the science', (wink), we saw so much of them, they seemed like part of the Family ! And Sage have gone quiet too. I honestly wondered if they had now been 'gagged', due to the onset of BJ's crisis . . . .

Some really interesting points in that article : " . . . . . caution needs to be taken in lifting the last Covid restrictions in England . . . . . demands are growing for Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance, the government’s most senior advisers on Covid, to hold a press conference to reveal what evidence there was to back the decision to end all pandemic restrictions . . . .

. . . . Prof Mark Woolhouse, of Edinburgh University - "The Omicron variant did not come from the Delta variant. It came from a completely different part of the virus’s family tree. And since we don’t know where in the virus’s family tree a new variant is going to come from, we cannot know how pathogenic it might be. It could be less pathogenic but it could, just as easily, be more pathogenic."

There are grounds for concern - does the Govt. 'think it's all over' ? Thanks again - anyone wishing to get the full balance of the article - the link's in Cleaner's post below.

Nice Sunday to you.

Sorry - - - to explain my last a bit more. I had been idly pondering recently what would happen SP wise if the RSA trial didn't proceed well. And here's the reaction to matter of similar import, i.e. a misconception (IMO) that the pandemic has exhausted itself.

But he need for a 'Universal vaccine' is undiminished IMO, even though the pandemic may be resting a little . . .

Interesting to see the penny has dropped in Big Pharma that, the battle is not, anymore, to produce a vaccine at the behest of the latest VOC emerging - it's about getting there first.

Come on Covidity !

WTP - nothing to do with Crackin. I've been wondering for a while where the SP would go without Covidity, perception wise. Forget it. It'll be OK IMVVHO

From EE hTTps://www.ft.com/content/fd1f1d63-d367-4d87-b003-bd334347c0aa

Variant busting AZ ?? (as in previous post) . . . nope !

Not that one AZ - try 'Covidity', (it could do what it says on the packet).

Here's a link to AZ's 'Variant busting' hopes from last June https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/astrazeneca-kickstarts-new-covid-variant-busting-vaccine-test

It seems to me that IF the pandemic morphs to endemic, the prospects of a 'Universal vaccine' candidate, such as Covidity, remain in the right zone.

'They think it's all over' - not yet it isn't !

Thanks to Supernumary ' over there - "I think people are wondering whether there still is a market for vaccines, given those we have already seem to work pretty well. Of course that makes no allowance for surprising new variants".

Step forward 'Covidity' ?

""AstraZeneca dumps late-phase, next-gen COVID-19 vaccine, calling time on a beta player in an omicron world. Events have overtaken AstraZeneca’s next-generation beta variant COVID-19 vaccine. After moving the prospect into phase 2/3 last year, AstraZeneca saw beta fall down the list of the most worrying variants, culminating in today’s decision to dump the AZD2816 vaccine candidate.

The removal (PDF) of AZD2816 from the pipeline follows the conclusion of work that persuaded AstraZeneca to stick with Vaxzevria, its first-generation vaccine, rather than push ahead with plans to seek authorization for its beta-specific sibling. AstraZeneca's decision is underpinned by AZD2816's lack of differentiation against the now-dominant omicron . . . . The rise and fall of AZD2816 offers a cautionary tale for Moderna and Pfizer, which have recently moved omicron-specific vaccines into clinical development. While omicron is far more prevalent than beta ever was, the pace with which it displaced delta, and the fact it differs so much from that formerly dominant variant, shows any jab against a specific form of SARS-CoV-2 could be rendered obsolete before it gets to market."" https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/astrazeneca-dumps-late-phase-next-gen-covid-19-vaccine-calling-time-a-beta-player-omicron

Also https://pharmaphorum.com/news/az-halts-development-of-beta-variant-covid-19-vaccine/?

T-cells again - vindication for Covidity . . . .

"The study followed 52 COVID-19 household contacts. Its aim was to capture the earliest point at which these people developed an immune response to the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Blood was tested for immune cells between day one and day six of when their household contact tested positive for COVID-19. They found higher levels of memory T cells in the samples of those who tested negative on a PCR test for COVID-19 than those who tested positive.

The authors believed the levels and speed at which the memory T cells became active after being exposed to their household contact of COVID-19 suggests these immune cells were pre-existing from previous coronavirus infections, and not from the current exposure to the SARS-Cov-2 virus. This is why this group of people did not test positive on a PCR test. They believe these pre-existing T cells triggered an immune response that quickly dealt with the SAR-CoV-2 virus before it could infect the individual and show a positive PCR test. They did also find these T cells in the group that tested positive but the levels were not as high.

The T cells that they measured not only targeted the spike protein part of the virus but also the nucleocapsid, the core part of the virus that stores its genetic material. They concluded that future vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus may need to induce a wider immune response than many of the current ones, which create antibodies to the spike protein part of the virus only. Hence they are more likely to remain effective even if new variants arise with new mutations."

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2022/1/25/why-you-may-not-get-covid-19-even-when-those-around-you-have-it

Crumbs - I agree 'Covid' is not at an end. That's why I favour FWIW, some restrictions going and some restrictions, STAYING.

Any thoughts on this ?

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/science/indian-scientists-claim-to-have-designed-vaccine-against-all-variants-of-coronavirus/articleshow/89385066.cms