TAK - Takeda Pharma - TO THE MOON? - Major Covid 19 Discovery
Researchers tout 'major scientifc discovery' in $14M study for COVID-19 treatment
www.cbc.ca/news/cana...-institute-1.5885347
Close to 4,500 people participated in the study, lead researcher calls findings 'substantial' and 'robust'
CBC News · Posted: Jan 23, 2021 4:07 PM ET | Last Updated: January 23
The $14-million study was funded by the Quebec government and several organizations. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada)
Nearly a year after launching a clinical study into a potential COVID-19 treatment, researchers with the Montreal Heart Institute suggest a widely available anti-inflammatory drug is effective in helping people stay away from hospitals and survive the disease.
Nearly 4,500 people took part in a study that's led to what the researchers are calling "a major scientific discovery."
During the study, researchers found that colchicine reduced the chance of death or hospitalization by 21 per cent when compared to a placebo. That number went up when specifically looking at the pool of about 4,200 participants whose COVID-19 diagnoses were confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
Within that group, researchers say colchicine reduced hospitalizations by 25 per cent and deaths by 44 per cent. They also found the drug helped cut the need for mechanical ventilation by 50 per cent.
"These results are substantial, they are robust, and we believe are compelling to justify the use of the colchicine," said Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, director of the Montreal Heart Institute's research centre.
"I believe this will have a fairly swift impact on how we practice medicine for patients that have COVID and are not yet hospitalized."
Researchers with the Montreal Heart Institute say their findings suggest colchicine reduces the chances of death and hospitalizations for someone with COVID-19. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)
The study, called COLCORONA, was launched last March and cost $14 million.
It includes hundreds of subjects whose COVID-19 diagnoses were not confirmed by PCR tests because those tests were not as widespread at the time, Tardif said.
Tardif also said the initial goal was to recruit 6,000 participants, but researchers settled on a lower number due to the urgency of the situation.
"The beauty of colchicine is it's already available in pharmacies. So, if a physician reads this today, and has a patient that is at risk of complications, that physician can very well prescribe colchicine today," Tardif said. "This is the reason we felt compelled to alert the population and the medical community immediately about these findings."
Researchers are preparing to publish their findings in a scientific journal.
The study was funded by the Quebec government and several other organizations, and was carried out without contact, with participants from Canada, the United States, South America and South Africa remaining at home.
www.cbc.ca/news/cana...-institute-1.5885347
Close to 4,500 people participated in the study, lead researcher calls findings 'substantial' and 'robust'
CBC News · Posted: Jan 23, 2021 4:07 PM ET | Last Updated: January 23
The $14-million study was funded by the Quebec government and several organizations. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada)
Nearly a year after launching a clinical study into a potential COVID-19 treatment, researchers with the Montreal Heart Institute suggest a widely available anti-inflammatory drug is effective in helping people stay away from hospitals and survive the disease.
Nearly 4,500 people took part in a study that's led to what the researchers are calling "a major scientific discovery."
During the study, researchers found that colchicine reduced the chance of death or hospitalization by 21 per cent when compared to a placebo. That number went up when specifically looking at the pool of about 4,200 participants whose COVID-19 diagnoses were confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
Within that group, researchers say colchicine reduced hospitalizations by 25 per cent and deaths by 44 per cent. They also found the drug helped cut the need for mechanical ventilation by 50 per cent.
"These results are substantial, they are robust, and we believe are compelling to justify the use of the colchicine," said Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, director of the Montreal Heart Institute's research centre.
"I believe this will have a fairly swift impact on how we practice medicine for patients that have COVID and are not yet hospitalized."
Researchers with the Montreal Heart Institute say their findings suggest colchicine reduces the chances of death and hospitalizations for someone with COVID-19. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)
The study, called COLCORONA, was launched last March and cost $14 million.
It includes hundreds of subjects whose COVID-19 diagnoses were not confirmed by PCR tests because those tests were not as widespread at the time, Tardif said.
Tardif also said the initial goal was to recruit 6,000 participants, but researchers settled on a lower number due to the urgency of the situation.
"The beauty of colchicine is it's already available in pharmacies. So, if a physician reads this today, and has a patient that is at risk of complications, that physician can very well prescribe colchicine today," Tardif said. "This is the reason we felt compelled to alert the population and the medical community immediately about these findings."
Researchers are preparing to publish their findings in a scientific journal.
The study was funded by the Quebec government and several other organizations, and was carried out without contact, with participants from Canada, the United States, South America and South Africa remaining at home.
Comment:
Takeda Owns the Patent until 2036
Comment:
In this case, the company that makes Colcrys, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, still manufactures the authorized generic, which is then distributed by Prasco Laboratories. This means an identical product at a lower generic price for patients.
Prasco is private. Not sure about public ownership.
Prasco is private. Not sure about public ownership.
Comment:
Moderna announces 1st participant dosed in Japan study of Moderna COVID vaccine 09:05 MRNA, TAK Moderna (MRNA) announced that the first participant has been dosed in the Phase 1/2 study of Moderna's vaccine candidate against COVID-19, mRNA-1273 or TAK-919, in Japan, led by Takeda Pharmaceutical (TAK). TAK-919 is Takeda's development code for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine candidate. "We are pleased that this Phase 1/2 study of our COVID-19 vaccine in healthy adults in Japan has begun. This is the first clinical trial of a Moderna product in Japan and we thank Takeda for partnering with us to potentially protect the Japanese population from COVID-19 with a vaccine," said Stephane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. This placebo-controlled Phase 1/2 study will evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of two vaccinations of mRNA-1273 given 28 days apart. Takeda intends to enroll 200 participants aged 20 years and above in Japan. Each participant will be assigned to receive a placebo or a 100 undefined dose at both vaccinations. Participants will be followed through 12 months after the second vaccination. The ClinicalTrials.gov identifier is NCT04677660. Takeda and Moderna previously announced that Takeda will import and distribute 50 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine candidate starting in the first half of 2021, pending licensure in Japan.