Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. Despite the perennial gloom lingering about, we are enjoying a shiny sun and blue skies that are greeting us on the Pharmalot campus. Small things still count, you know? This is another way of saying the proverbial cup of stimulation is always half full. Speaking of which, time to brew another. Our choice today is maple bourbon. Meanwhile, there is work to be done. So here are a few items of interest. We hope your day is peaceful and productive. And of course, stay safe — wear a mask. …
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) published updated early data on its Covid-19 vaccine that show it provided participants in a clinical trial with at least some immunity after one dose, STAT explains. But the data offer only hints to a tantalizing question: Could the vaccine, given as a single shot, perform as well as the vaccines that U.S. regulators have already authorized, which are given as two? The data indicate the vaccine could produce immunity, but there was a big benefit to giving the participants a booster dose.
David Kessler is out of the running for nomination as Food and Drug Administration commissioner, leaving Joshua Sharfstein as a front-runner, according to BioCentury. While the list of candidates had narrowed to Kessler and Sharfstein, the delay in naming a candidate for the position could also be a sign that other names are being considered. Meanwhile, Janet Woodcock, who had temporarily shifted from the FDA to Operation Warp Speed, is expected to be named acting FDA commissioner, The Pink Sheet dishes.
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