The following is a guest submission from LST Member CSL Behring. October is Plasma Awareness Month, an opportunity for CSL to raise awareness about the importance and need for plasma donations to manufacture life-saving therapies. Donating plasma is similar to donating blood. However, the process from plasma donation to manufacture of plasma-derived therapies (PDTs) is [...]
In case you missed it, here are a few major updates related to COVID-19 vaccine candidates, vaccine distribution in the U.S., and effective treatment options: There are now three (!) vaccine candidates who have entered final testing. On Monday, AstraZeneca announced it entered final testing in the U.S. for its vaccine, joining Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna [...]
The city of Nashville is playing a key role in coronavirus vaccine development. Both Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Meharry Medical College are involved in two Phase III clinical trials that are expected to enroll thousands of Nashvillians. Meanwhile, Nashville-based Clinical Research Associates is partnering with Pfizer and AstraZeneca on COVID-19 vaccine trials. Amid these trials, the state of [...]
Two new reports this week reiterate earlier findings that the coronavirus pandemic has most impacted Black, Latino and Hispanic, and Indigenous populations in the U.S. According to Axios, "Black and Latino or Hispanic Americans are more likely than white Americans to catch the virus, require hospitalization, or die from it." The CDC released a report detailing racial [...]
Results from a survey released today show 74% of Tennesseans support mask mandates in their local communities. It is the first time that the survey, conducted by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, found that the majority of Tennesseans were more concerned about their health than the economic impact of [...]
On Monday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee called for the Tennessee General Assembly to convene on Monday, August 10, for a special session to address COVID-19 liability protections, telehealth services, and laws governing the Capitol grounds. This comes as the virus is spreading more rapidly in rural counties in Tennessee. According to a report from the Vanderbilt Department of [...]
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee rejected White House advisor Dr. Deborah Birx's recommendation that bars should close and restaurants should reduce dining capacity to contain the spread of coronavirus in the state, which officials warn is on the precipice of a crisis. Meanwhile, Phase 3 clinical trials began this week for both Pfizer's and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines. Each trial aims to enroll [...]
Despite the continued spread of the coronavirus in the U.S., researchers are making incredible strides in diagnostics and treatment. Today, we're going to focus on a few efforts from LST members. First, Pfizer and partner BioNTech released data Monday from a German study of their vaccine BNT162b1 that showed it stimulated a virus-specific response from immune cells as well as [...]
Cases of the COVID-19 continue to climb in Tennessee and other hot spots throughout the U.S. with bleak projections from the director of the CDC Dr. Robert Redfield. Still, the innovation and diligence of the life science industry brings treatment and cures closer each day. Moderna announced promising results from their latest vaccine trial and plans to begin a Phase 3 [...]
Updates about the coronavirus are a balance between terrible, no good news and hopeful developments. Positive cases of the virus continue to grow in the U.S., with Arizona, Florida and South Carolina having the most confirmed new cases of the virus than anywhere else in the world. If you're looking for the latest COVID-19 transmission [...]
