- The U.S. government is funding a $375 million effort for a new COVID-19 prevention drug for immunocompromised people, as part of Project NextGen. The federal health department provided the funds to the drug company Shionogi Inc. for a long-acting pre-exposure prophylactic (PreP) called S-892216 that blocks the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. “This technology, called protease inhibitor technology, has been used successfully in treating hepatitis C and HIV,” the press release stated.
- Pemgarda (pemivibart) continues to be an effective antibody treatment against COVID-19. The biopharmaceutical company that makes the drug, Invivyd, released new data this month past week showing that Pemgarda is effective against the current dominant SARS-C0V-2 strain, XEC. “Pemgarda offers a valuable tool for certain moderately to severely immunocompromised patients who need options,” said infectious disease doctor Amesh Adalja in a press release. Still, due to numerous hurdles, many people in need of the antibody have had trouble accessing it, as we covered last year.
- A new systematic review of 429 studies, shared in Medrxiv as a preprint, estimated the global prevalence of Long COVID as 36% of people who had tested positive for COVID-19. The authors estimated prevalence in different continents: 35% of COVID-positive people in Asia, 39% in Europe, 30% in North America, and 51% in South America. The study also stated there were eight common subtypes of the disease, with respiratory and general fatigue being the most prevalent. “The prevalence of Long COVID persists over extended follow-up, with a high burden of symptoms one to two years post-infection,” the authors wrote.“Our findings highlight Long COVID and its subtypes as a continuing health challenge worldwide.”
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