- Title: Emergent working on potential coronavirus treatment
- Date: 23rd March 2020
- Summary: PORTAGE, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES (MARCH 23, 2020) (REUTERS VIA SKYPE) (SOUNDBITE) (English) EMERGENT BIOSOLUTIONS PRESIDENT AND CEO, ROBERT KRAMER, ON HOW THE THERAPIES COULD LEAD TO A REDUCTION OF ICU TIME AND OXYGEN SUPPORT, SAYING: "Both those measures, including potentially a reduction in mortality."
- Embargoed: 6th April 2020 22:01
- Keywords: COVID-19 Emergent coronavirus therapy vaccine
- Location: NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS + HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA + PORTAGE, MICHIGAN + BALTIMORE, MARYLAND + PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
- City: NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS + HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA + PORTAGE, MICHIGAN + BALTIMORE, MARYLAND + PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA006C69YBLZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Emergent BioSolutions is working on potential therapies aimed at treating COVID-19 amid the fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak, saying it could be in Phase 2 of clinical trials by this summer.
"We have two programs that we've initiated, one is based on human plasma and the other is based on our equine plasma platform," Emergent CEO Robert Kramer told Reuters on Monday (March 23).
"Whether they're working in nursing homes or hospitals or nurses or physicians who may need protection right away, this product will be effective for that. And secondly, if there are patients who are in the hospital and have severe complications of COVID-19 already, this could be helpful in terms of essentially being a rescue therapy," said Kramer.
Kramer said the therapies could lead to a reduction of ICU time, oxygen support and a potential reduction in mortality rate.
Emergent is also working with Novavax and Vaxart to develop a vaccine to treat COVID-19.
"The Novavax partnership, we hope to be in a Phase 1 clinical trial in June of this year, so in a couple of months," Kramer said. "And then with the Vaxart program, we're hopeful to be in the clinic in the second half of this year."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday reported 33,453 cases of coronavirus, an increase of 18,185 cases from its previous count, and said the death toll had risen by 199 to 400.
(Production by Roselle Chen) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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