News from the World of Clinical Research

Antibody drug neutralizes virus variants in lab study; COVID-19 antibodies detectable 12 months after infection

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Experimental ant…

NHS rolls out 3D heart scans to fast-track diagnosis of heart disease

The NHS has announced the introduction of new 3D heart scans to fast-track diagnosis for approximately 100,000 patients with suspected heart disease.

FDA gives first citation to biotech for failure to report clinical trial details

• The Food and Drug Administration has issued its first notice of noncompliance to a company for failing to submit details of a study to a federal database, citing biotech company Acceleron Pharma.

Coronavirus vaccines are rolling out quickly. Here's where the pipeline stands.

Scientists, drugmakers and governments have moved with unprecedented speed to develop multiple vaccines for the new coronavirus.

UK lawmakers call for PM Johnson to publish big pharma lobbying messages

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - British lawmakers on Monday called on the government to publish all communications with pharmaceutical companies to understand if private lobbying influenced its oppositio…

NHS leaders warn of a ‘chronic undersupply’ of staff

NHS leaders have warned that the health service in the UK is facing a ‘chronic undersupply’ of staff in a joint letter sent to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Merck, in latest COVID-19 setback, scraps one drug and pins hopes on another

• Merck & Co. will halt development of one experimental COVID-19 drug and change the clinical development plan for another, the latest setback to the drugmaker's plans to develop coronavirus treatm…

New advice on COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women in UK

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that pregnant women in the UK be offered COVID-19 vaccination at the same time as the rest of the population.

New UK challenge trial studies if people can catch coronavirus again

British scientists on Monday launched a trial which will deliberately expose participants who have already had COVID-19 to the coronavirus again to examine immune responses and see if people get reinf…

Farxiga fails to achieve statistical significance in COVID-19 trial

AstraZeneca (AZ) announced this morning that its diabetes drug Farxiga was unable to hit the primary endpoints in a Phase III trial assessing the drug for the potential treatment of high-risk hospital…

Researchers lay out hypothesis for rare side effect linked to AstraZeneca vaccine

Researchers in Germany, Norway and Austria have put forward a hypothesis for why in some very rare cases the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford seems to trigger …

Covid in Wales: What do the stats tell us?

Vitamin D: The truth about an alleged Covid ‘cover-up’

Twice-weekly coronavirus tests for all

The government has announced plans for everyone in England to be able to access free, regular, rapid coronavirus testing from April 9, in a bid to further reduce the spread of the virus by capturing t…

AstraZeneca, Oxford vaccine prevents COVID-19 in big US study amid controversy overseas

A two-shot regimen was 79% effective at protecting people from COVID-19, which should support the fourth clearance of a vaccine in the U.S. and calm safety concerns abroad.

A year on from lockdown, India reports worst day for COVID-19 in months

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India reported its most COVID-19 cases and deaths in months on Monday, on the first anniversary of the start of a chaotic nationwide lockdown that left many people jobless and sh…

Coronavirus vaccines are rolling out quickly. Here's where the pipeline stands.

Scientists, drugmakers and governments have moved with unprecedented speed to develop multiple vaccines for the new coronavirus.

CHMP issues positive opinion for Lilly’s COVID-19 antibodies

The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion for the use of Eli Lilly’s COVID-19 antibodies bamlanivimab and etesevimab.