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Covid
buttermilkwaffles · 18/03/2020 13:12
From the daily Bloomberg newsletter:
A constant question from friends and family when covering the coronavirus is "When is a drug coming?" The answer is depressing – not for a while.
Drug development can only be sped up so much. The greatest near-term hope is a repurposed Ebola drug from Gilead called remdesivir. It's shown some evidence of efficacy, and early trial data may come in April. But the antiviral takes days to infuse, and may only do its best work if delivered early in the course of an infection. A protective vaccine is likely a year to 18 months away in a best-case scenario.
In that context, Tuesday's news that Tarrytown, New York-based biotech giant Regeneron is ahead of schedule on a new Covid-19 drug is pretty exciting. It may have a candidate ready for human trials by early summer and has plans to scale up manufacturing capacity rapidly.
Many biotechnology companies touting potential Covid-19 treatments have never successfully developed a medicine, let alone a purpose-built one for an epidemic. Regeneron has both developed blockbusters and successfully responded to a deadly outbreak. Using proprietary mice that are bred to feature human-like immune systems, Regeneron developed an antibody cocktail that proved highly effective in preventing Ebola during a recent epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In fact, one of the medicines it outperformed during the multi-drug trial that showed its efficacy was Gilead's remdesivir.
The same team and tools are now working on Covid-19. The company wants antibodies that could serve as both prevention and active treatment, and the duality may get it to patients faster. Drugs used for prevention in healthy people face a high safety bar, but those intended for sick patients with few options have more leeway and sometimes can get quick approval.
Fancy mice and past success treating a different virus don't guarantee that Regeneron's treatment will work, let alone that the company will move as speedily as it hopes to. But in an environment where many other efforts are retreads or even more distant, Regeneron's effort is grounds for cautious optimism.
DGRossetti · 18/03/2020 13:22
OMG! I have both tonic water AND toilet roll.
The amount of tonic water you would need to drink to be therapeutic isn't worth thinking about. There isn't enough gin in the world. Although if you did succeed in getting a therapeutic dose, from my recollection the toilet roll won't be a wasted investment.
I reckon someone on Twitter just saw "Dr. "Quinn: Medicine woman" and filled in the blanks.
BobbingAlongToday · 18/03/2020 13:26
He's found a vaccine - oh gosh, I really really hope you are right and that there is a scientist out there who has started to get some positive results from a vaccine trial. I think there are some promising trial going on, so let's hope so.
In terms of Trump himself - !! Well, apparently he solved the north Korea situation and deserved a nobel prize (that didn't last long did it!!), then he apparently 'did great things' for Syria. He also moved the capital city of Israel to Jerulsalem because he is 'the chosen one' (well that pissed alot of people off to put it mildly!), He is 'making America great again' by reopening the coal industry and pulling out of environmental agreements, and is a 'hero' for being 'tough' on Iran and Russia (which has scared the living daylights out of many of us). Yes, he really is a greeeeeat guy! In fact, there are so many amazing feats (blunders) he's achieved (sadly too many) I don't have room to note them all here! And if he has found the vaccine then he really deserves a special prize and a new gold statue 
👏🥇🏆
HonestlyItsFine · 18/03/2020 13:28
sixeightfour UK vaccine research is going very well, almost ready for human testing:
www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-vaccine-news-update-cases-clinical-testing-trials-a9402101.html
BobbingAlongToday · 18/03/2020 13:32
(ps. My kids discovered that Trump means fart, and his name can never be mentioned in our house anymore without the associated giggles and sound effects that small children make when they hear rude words!! So at least he cheers everyone up from time to time.
Flippetydip · 18/03/2020 13:37
I have never "literally laughed out loud" at a thread before. I have occasionally done a little expulsion of air through my nose that means I might have laughed had it been funnier, but I have done several loud guffaws reading this. Thank you SO much all.
But I can't watch the 4.30pm output from Trump as I just can't bear to watch him so if someone could update this thread after the event, I'd be grateful.
DGRossetti · 18/03/2020 13:39
But I can't watch the 4.30pm output from Trump as I just can't bear to watch him so if someone could update this thread after the event, I'd be grateful.
The wonderful thing about Trump is that it's entirely possible to update people before he gives an address. His hair defies gravity, his speech defies time, and he defies imagination.
Daily.
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