PANDEMIC REPORT: Duke U to develop vaccine | Antibody combo | Investment pivot
Duke to develop pan-coronavirus vaccine
DURHAM, NC—Researchers from Duke University have received a grant to roll out a next-generation coronavirus vaccine. The $17.5 million grant, which came from The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), will enable a team at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute to further develop work that they did on a pan-coronavirus vaccine earlier this year.
EUA for antibody combo developed at Vandy
NASHVILLE, TN—Biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca requested emergency use authorization (EUA) form the FDA for a long-acting antibody combination that was originally developed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. If the EUA is granted, the combination of long-acting monoclonal antibodies, called AZD7442, would be the first to be given to prevent symptoms of COVID-19 and serious illness in people who are infected by the COVID-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2.
COVID sensory loss and state of mind
CINCINNATI, OH—New research from the University of Cincinnati that was published in the International Forum of Allergies and Rhinology, shows depression, anxiety, and impaired quality of life associated with sensory loss from COVID-19. The study is not for a treatment of taste and smell loss, but rather a way to deal with the loss.
Tech worker relocation during the pandemic
Fast Future COUNTRY—The pandemic has had an interesting effect on the VC landscape. A recent article in Forbes mentioned one of the biggest impacts is the way VC money is going away from the innovation capitals of San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles. The article addresses the way the pandemic gave people from the tech world a good excuse to move from those areas and scatter across the country. “Talented software engineers, entrepreneurs and those who profited from recent IPOs have been able to take advantage of remote work and move to lower-cost cities with better lifestyle opportunities than the metropolises can offer,” Marc Schroder, the article’s author stated.