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Wednesday, 10 March 2021
16.30-17.00: Dr Chris Chiu – Human SARS-CoV-2 infection challenge: a unique tool in the pandemic response
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/131143/infection-rounds-dr-margherita-bracchi-and-dr-chris-chiu/
Quick reminder for anyone interested in viewing today.
Nadhim Zahawi, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
‘On R&D, we have allocated:
- £33.6 million for the Human Challenge Programme…
At Budget 2021, the Government announced funding of:
- £28 million to increase the UK’s capacity for vaccine testing, support for clinical trials, and to improve the UK’s ability to rapidly acquire samples of new variants of COVID-19.
- £22 million for a world-leading study to test the effectiveness of combinations of different COVID-19 vaccines. This will also fund the world’s first study assessing the effectiveness of a third dose of vaccine to improve the response against current and future variants of COVID-19.’
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2021-03-03.162591.h&p=24807
Plenty of commitment and support there from the UK Gov, directly in relation to the type of services ORPH provides.
Trials and tribulations - how do vaccine trials work and what do their results mean?
~16 min 30 secs
https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2021/03/08/trials-and-tribulations-how-do-vaccine-trials-work-and-what-do-their-results-mean
New podcast with Dr Andrew Catchpole discussing CHIM’s (who always comes across very well when interviewed).
The podcast goes onto discuss how regulators will want to test vaccine efficacy, immunity, variants etc. Seem’s to me that CHIM’s would be the perfect solution to answer a number of these various questions (especially the Chinese ones!).
Worth a listen.
‘From 8 March, the UK starts World's first coronavirus Human Challenge study’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxtUkxVDW4k&ab_channel=mengqizhang
Odd video featuring Dr Chris Chiu – described as starting the HCS today?
Study of RSVpreF Vaccination and RSV Challenge in Healthy Adults
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04785612?term=hvivo&draw=2&rank=8
NST - One of my rules is to never invest in anything I don’t fully understand.
I don’t understand what MOGP is or what it does.
So, as they say on a well known telly investment program – “I’m out”
Good luck in whatever you decide to do. :-)
NST - I posted the below recently:
ORPH & MOGP – Risk & Reward
ORPH = Low (known) Risk & High Reward
MOGP = High (unknown) Risk & Unknown Reward
If MOGP subsequently incorporates Imutex or other non core assets, CF has stated you will receive free shares via your ORPH holding in any case.
Maybe I’m over simplifying things, but by buying ORPH shares you will invest in a known & profitable low risk\high growth company and also receive any potential upside in MOGP.
Why take the higher risk in buying MOGP?
IMHO
FYI - Just checked the source from the journalist and she’s confirmed the info came from a spokesperson, from press officer at the DHSC – so report looks to be correct.
https://twitter.com/LarissaSchwedes/status/1368628844522057728
London (dpa) - Britain has become the first country to infect healthy volunteers with the coronavirus as part of a so-called human challenge study, the Health Ministry confirmed to dpa (The German Press Agency) on Sunday.
"The Human Challenge Programme will improve and accelerate the development of vaccines and treatments against Covid-19, and the first group of volunteers have now started the virus characterisation study at the Royal Free Hospital in London," a Health Ministry spokeswoman told dpa.
https://www.dpa-international.com/topic/britain-first-infect-healthy-volunteers-coronavirus-study-urn%3Anewsml%3Adpa.com%3A20090101%3A210307-99-725209
‘has….confirmed to dpa on Sunday’?
Has something new happened today?
Chinese vaccine development and growth is not just restricted to their own population of ~1.45 billion people. The Chinese vaccine market is vast and expanding, estimated to account for 40% of the whole vaccine market in the future:-
‘China, as a participant in the WHO-backed vaccine program COVAX, has been at the forefront of vaccine research and development, upholding the role of multilateral cooperation in advancing the equitable global distribution of vaccines.
The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Brazil are among the countries that have authorized the use of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines, and over 40 countries have asked to import them.
Responding to numerous demands, China has also made every effort to ramp up vaccine production’.
"Eighteen vaccine producers are accelerating expansion of manufacturing capabilities, and China's total annual capacity is expected to reach 2 billion doses by the end of 2021," Feng said. "With more developers getting regulator's approval for their vaccines and building the production capacity, the nation's total capacity will eventually reach 4 billion per year, covering 40 percent of world demand, based on calculations of world population and average vaccination rates."
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/2021-01/28/c_82893.htm
The new path of clinical research and development of new crown vaccine, experts are hotly discussing human challenge test
‘Feng Duojia, president of the China Vaccine Industry Association, welcomed the participating experts in his speech, and said that in the current special period of fighting the new crown epidemic, it is necessary to strengthen the exchange of new vaccine science and new technology and new methods. As an industry association, I am very happy to build this communication platform. The human challenge test provides a new clinical trial solution for vaccines that are urgently developed under a major epidemic, or for vaccines that cannot be normally conducted clinical trials due to the impact of the epidemic. As a major country in the production and use of vaccines, China should also be open, learning and participating in new technologies and new methods, actively communicate with experts from all over the world, stimulate creativity, and contribute Chinese wisdom to the development of innovative technologies and innovative method…
….China should also consider learning from relevant experience and exploring the possibility of developing HCT in China.
Experts such as Professor Adrian Wildfire and Dr. Bruno Speder from hVIVO UK introduced the principle, development history, relevant regulations and supervision status of HCT in detail, as well as the application overview…
…Experts at the conference expressed a keen interest in HCT .....and had a lively discussion on specific operational issues, such as the establishment and verification of the virus database.... docking of HCT with Phase I/II clinical trials, acceptance of HCT by regulatory agencies in other countries, etc. The discussion session lasted for nearly an hour, and the experts at the meeting were still unfinished.
Professor Zhu Fengcai, the chairperson of this meeting, WHO new crown vaccine priority review expert, clinical vaccinology expert, and deputy director of the Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, finally said that this meeting is efficient and meaningful, allowing us to further understand that human challenge trials are not only It is challenging and controllable, especially when routine clinical research cannot be carried out in areas without disease infection, it is a powerful tool to accelerate vaccine development.’
https://tigermedgrp.com/%E6%96%B0%E5%86%A0%E7%96%AB%E8%8B%97%E4%B8%B4%E5%BA%8A%E7%A0%94%E5%8F%91%E7%9A%84%E6%96%B0%E8%B7%AF%E5%BE%84%EF%BC%8C%E4%B8%93%E5%AE%B6%E7%83%AD%E8%AE%AE%E4%BA%BA%E4%BD%93%E6%8C%91%E6%88%98%E8%AF%95/?lang=zh-hans
More evidence of China considering Covid CHIMs, at a national industry level.
How many other AIM companies do you know, that are discussing their services, directly with the national Chinese Vaccine Industry?
I still believe the market really hasn’t recognised ORPH’s potential, in this hugely lucrative area but I’m sure at some point it will catch up!
IMHO
ORPH = Low (known) Risk & High Reward
MOGP = High (unknown) Risk & Unknown Reward
If MOGP subsequently incorporates Imutex or other non core assets, CF has stated you will receive free shares via your ORPH holding in any case.
Maybe I’m over simplifying things, but by buying ORPH shares you will invest in a known & profitable low risk\high growth company and also receive any potential upside in MOGP.
Why take the higher risk in buying MOGP?
IMHO
ORPH = Low (known) Risk & High Reward
MOGP = High (unknown) Risk & Unknown Reward
If MOGP subsequently incorporates Imutex or other non core assets, my understanding is that CF has stated you will receive free shares via your ORPH holding in any case.
Maybe I’m over simplifying things, but by buying ORPH shares you will invest in a known & profitable low risk\high growth company and could also receive any potential upside in MOGP.
So why take the higher risk in buying MOGP?
Happy to be corrected in my assessment.
IMHO
‘Indonesia and Nepal are among the first countries to recruit patients to the RECOVERY trial International’.
RECOVERY International will help us identify effective treatments that can be used in less well-resourced settings’
https://twitter.com/wellcometrust/status/1362354472224247808
World’s largest clinical trial for COVID-19 treatments expands internationally
Dr Nick Cammack, COVID-19 Therapeutics Lead at Wellcome, said ‘The opening of an international RECOVERY trial is an important moment in the search for effective treatments against COVID-19 that can be used across the globe. Researching treatments that are affordable and readily accessible in low- and middle-income countries means that the results can be rapidly utilised in these nations.’
https://www.recoverytrial.net/news/world2019s-largest-clinical-trial-for-covid-19-treatments-expands-internationally
Cross reference with the ORPH RNS dated 191120:
https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/ORPH/collaboration-with-hic-vac-and-wellcome-trust/14761432
Other than vaccines, future antiviral CHIM testing, is yet another potential huge area of recurring revenues for ORPH (as yet not fully exploited)!
IMHO
Wednesday, 10 March 2021
16.30-17.00: Dr Chris Chiu – Human SARS-CoV-2 infection challenge: a unique tool in the pandemic response
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/131143/infection-rounds-dr-margherita-bracchi-and-dr-chris-chiu/
Political advisor proposes legalizing human challenge study in China for vaccine research
‘A political advisor suggested that China legalize human challenge study, a controlled human infection trial, for novel coronavirus and pathogens that have not been found in the country to enhance early research and development capability of vaccines, following the UK's plan to run a COVID-19 human challenge study.
Articles allowing human challenge study and clinical trials in the event of an emergency should be included in drug administration law and vaccine administration law to clarify the legal status of human challenge testing, Zhu Tongyu, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and director of Shanghai Public Health Clinic Center, the designated hospital for COVID-19 treatment and therapy in Shanghai, told the Global Times.’
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202103/1217329.shtml
Do you really think a Chinese political adviser goes out on a limb announcing this, without first having higher authority?
China CHIM’s will happen, sooner rather than later & we all know who’s going to help them out (for a very large fee)!
IMHO
Very good news today via the HM Gov ACCESS Consortium press release today (headline news):
Modified COVID-19 vaccines for variants to be fast-tracked, says MHRA and other regulators
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/modified-covid-19-vaccines-for-variants-to-be-fast-tracked-says-mhra-and-other-regulators
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56274293
Importantly for ORPH, the ACCESS Consortium has published guidance on strain changes in authorised Covid-19 vaccines and states the following:
Considerations on Human Challenge Studies
‘In an ongoing pandemic with multiple mutations occurring at different places in the world, Human Challenge Studies may be a valid additional or alternative way of studying (an) updated vaccine candidate(s). Human Challenge Studies have the advantage that the course of developing immunity, viral shedding, local suppression of SARS-CoV2 shedding in the upper respiratory tract and other parameters can be measured in a controlled setting. Important insights like which variant can evade pre-existing immunity better than others (thus having a higher likelihood to emerge as dominant variant) may be obtained by challenging subjects who were either vaccinated with the current vaccine or had COVID-19 as a natural disease. The latter scenario may be hampered by likely lack of knowledge on what variant caused disease in the first place. Human challenge studies may be more straight-forward in a scenario where vaccines and more effective treatments exist in order to protect study participants. A human challenge study is only possible if a model has been set up and is available with the new variant.’
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-consortium-guidance-on-strain-changes-in-authorised-covid-19-vaccines/guidance-on-strain-changes-in-authorised-covid-19-vaccines
So, the HM Gov ACCESS Consortium have effectively written in ORPH services, as an integral option of their regulatory processes, in assessing and approving updated vaccines.
Brilliant news, which I think the market has yet to catch up on.
IMHO
More preparations at hVIVO. I think they're going to be busy!
https://twitter.com/Jigger93609885/status/1367153011164909570
“At the Budget on Wednesday, the Chancellor will set out £1.65 billion of new government funding to reinforce our vaccine rollout across all parts of the UK….
…..Part of that funding will go towards further vaccine testing and development to make sure that we are as fast and effective in developing the next generation of COVID vaccines, including vaccines against variants, as we were with the existing ones.
There’s a huge amount of work underway to ensure that we can develop vaccines against variants as fast and as safely possible”.
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/health-and-social-care-secretarys-statement-on-coronavirus-covid-19-1-march-2021
Possibility that we could we get a mention or reference in the budget today?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000sqly
A bit of light listening, whilst happily awaiting more ORPH news flow.
Buffett quote - “The stock market is designed to transfer money from the active to the patient.”