Higher antibody levels after Modern firing; Lilly’s arthritis medication used with steroids reduces the risk of death

September 1 (Reuters): The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that justifies an additional study to corroborate the findings and has not yet been certified by the peer review.

Antibody levels are higher after the Modern vaccine

The Modern Inc mRNA vaccine (MRNA.O) induces higher levels of antibodies against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 than the similar vaccine from Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and its partner BioNTech SE, Belgian researchers have found. although this means because its effectiveness is unclear. Shortly after receiving their second shot, the 688 health workers who received the Moderna vaccine had antibody levels about twice the 959 who received the Pfizer / BioNTech product, regardless of age, according to the doctors from a Belgian medical center. This was maintained even after individual risk factors were taken into account and, regardless of whether participants had been previously infected with the virus, researchers reported to JAMA on Monday. However, antibodies are only one component of the immune system’s defenses. The study cannot determine if a vaccine is more effective at preventing infections or disease, or if the induced antibodies remain in the blood longer before they go away. These questions, and others, require further research, the researchers said.

The anti-arthritis drug adds to the benefits of steroids in serious illnesses

According to a study published Wednesday in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, patients hospitalized with COVID-19 died less frequently if they received rheumatoid arthritis baricitinib from Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.N) along with other treatments than their doctors. had been prescribed. The randomized trial included 1,525 seriously ill patients, who needed additional oxygen to help them breathe. More than 90% were already receiving dexamethasone, a cheap generic steroid known to improve the survival of critically ill COVID-19 patients. Although baricitinib, which is sold under the brand name Olumiant, did not appear to prevent patients from getting sicker, it did reduce the risk of dying. Mortality rates at 28 and 60 days were 5% lower among patients randomly assigned to receive baricitinib instead of placebo. Baricitinib is already approved in the United States for use in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in combination with Gilead Science’s remdesivir antiviral drug (GILD.O). The two drugs together seem to have more benefits than remdesivir alone. In the new study, more than 80% of participants did not receive remdesivir, suggesting that baricitinib also “has synergistic effects with other standard care treatments,” including dexamethasone, the researchers said.

The vaccine presents a low risk for adults with high-risk allergies

A new study suggests that highly allergic adults can receive the COVID-19 vaccine safely from Pfizer / BioNTech. Among the 8,102 patients with allergies in the Israeli study, 95% received the vaccines in routine settings because their risk of a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine was low and no such reactions were reported. The remaining 429 patients, considered highly allergic, received the vaccines under close supervision and were observed for two hours later. Nine had allergic reactions, including three that showed signs of life-threatening anaphylaxis. All responded to epinephrine treatment and no one had to be hospitalized, according to a report released Tuesday at JAMA Network Open. An editorial published with the study said the lessons from this study on allergic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine are also “generalizable to the modern trait.”

Click for a Reuters chart on developing vaccines.

Nancy Lapid Reports; Edited by Bill Berkrot

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