Covid-19 roundup: EMA starts review of SK’s vaccine; Australian biotech switching gears away from Covid research

19 Aug 2022
endpts.com
VaccineAntibodyIPO
Another Covid-19 vaccineCovid-19 vaccine will enter the fray as the EMA kicks off its conditional marketing authorization application for SK’s vaccine, dubbed Skycovion. SK Chemicals GmbH submitted data to the EMA on how well the vaccine triggers the production of antibodies against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, along with data on the safety and quality of the vaccine. “The evaluation of Skycovion is one of the ongoing evaluations of data on Covid-19 vaccines. As the pandemic continues to evolve, it is important that the EU has a wide array of vaccines and treatments to enable the Member States to combat the pandemic effectively. EMA and its scientific committees are committed to ensuring a robust review of all data on COVID-19 vaccinesCOVID-19 vaccines and medicines,” the EMA said in a statement. According to the EMA, “Skycovion has small particles known as nanoparticles containing parts of the spike protein found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2.” The vaccine is designed to trigger a patient’s immune system to identify the nanoparticles containing parts of the spike protein as foreign and produce natural defenses against them.” SK’s biotech wing has been in the vaccine game for a while. Last year, it took on an agreement to manufacture Novavax’s vaccine, and the company also launched an IPO on the Korean Exchange. In July of this year, Novavax also inked agreements with SK bioscience for the manufacturing and supply of a version of its vaccine that’s specifically designed to protect against Omicron, with The Korea Herald reporting that the companies’ deal for the supply of prefilled syringes is worth $29.8 million. Australian biotech Immuron will refocus its attention from Covid-19 to new drug candidates. The company announced on Friday that it has deprioritized its SARS-CoV-2 research to focus on the development of more advanced-stage drug candidates. Immuron said that a combination of its research findings and the ever-evolving treatment landscape has presented the biotech with significant challenges to conduct a clinical trial of its candidate to treat Covid-19, called IMM-124E. Immuron reported that its candidate did demonstrate neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2, and it has been investigating antiviral possibilities. But with the market currently dominated by Pfizer’s Paxlovid, the company is switching gears. “Immuron has dedicated significant resources to interrogate the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 protection, however, the mechanism of how IMM-124E provides protection against SARS-CoV-2 viral infection remains unclear,” Immuron’s release said. The company is mainly focused on treating digestive and gastrointestinal disorders and has two products out on the market. The news is not overtly devastating to shareholders, as Immuron’s stock price $IMRN dropped by over 1.5% today, but, like much of the biotech industry, the company has been facing a 37% drop in its share price since September of last year.
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