Intranasal, Bivalent Vaccines on the Horizon to Defeat Number 3 Killer COVID-19

According to data released by the National Vital Statistics System, a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and deaths from COVID-19 increased by 1% from 2020 to 2021. With COVID-19 still very much a threat to the public, researchers are working on developing new treatments. Read on for further insights. 

Meissa Vaccines Pursues Nasal Sprays

Vaccines remain one of the best ways to avoid contracting COVID-19, and Meissa Vaccines believes that current approaches to vaccination need to be updated to better gain control of the disease. Meissa proposes that nasal spray vaccinations are the next big step toward curbing infection rates.

Although difficult to achieve scientifically, financially, and logistically, nasal vaccines can provoke the immune system to provide immunity in the sinuses and throat, allowing the body to start fighting the virus faster as the virus itself enters the upper respiratory tract. 

Meissa’s candidate uses a weakened version of SARS-CoV-2 to produce immunity. In October 2021, the company announced positive preliminary clinical data on the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine. The vaccine was able to produce a nasal antibody response similar to that produced when someone is infected with the virus and showed positive safety and tolerability data. Full results of the clinical trials are anticipated later this year.

Bivalent Vaccines Could Combat “Booster Fatigue”

With news circulating every few months about the possibility of needing another booster of a COVID-19 vaccine, some people are feeling “booster fatigue.” To combat this and provide better protection against SARS-CoV-2, several companies are taking a bivalent approach to the problem, providing protection against several strains of the virus much like current flu vaccines.

This month, Moderna shared data about the superiority of its bivalent booster for COVID-19 that works better than its first booster candidate already on the market. Moderna’s booster provided an over two-fold rise in neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant and showed a favorable safety profile.

Japan-Based Company Shares Positive Data for COVID-19 Pill

Japanese company Shionogi & Co recently shared data from its Phase IIb clinical trial of S-217622, a once-daily antiviral pill intended to treat COVID-19. The drug demonstrated rapid clearance of the virus, and on day four of the treatment, the proportion of patients with positive viral titers decreased by approximately 90% compared to placebo.

The results are similar to those previously reported by the company, and the pill continues to show a favorable safety profile. A global Phase III study is underway, and the company has already filed for manufacturer and sales approval in both Japan and the U.S.

New Research About Loss of Smell in COVID-19 Patients

A hallmark symptom of COVID-19 in 2020 was the loss of smell, known as anosmia, and some patients report developing parosmia, which causes debilitating smell distortions. Researchers are still making developments in understanding why these symptoms occur.

Researchers recently have found that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with altered olfactory epithelial gene expression, discovered by biopsies of olfactory epithelium from patients with post-acute COVID-19 symptoms. The authors of the study concluded that COVID-19 infection caused altered immune cell and olfactory epithelium interactions, which likely changed the functions of olfactory sensory neurons responsible for smell. 

Other researchers have discovered that inflammation may be a driving cause of smell perception changes in patients. Utilizing tissue from the brain of patients who had passed from COVID-19, researchers investigated the damage to neurons in the olfactory system to understand the driving cause of potential smell disorders. They found proliferative vascular injury, or damage to the blood vessels, in the samples they collected, especially in patients who had experienced loss of smell. Interestingly, the team found no virus particles in the tissue they examined, pointing toward inflammation as a driving cause of damage to the brain and olfactory systems.

Misinformation Continues to Run Rampant

Misinformation has become a significant public health issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. An anti-vaccine documentary was released on April 11, which made the claim that SARS-CoV-2 is actually a virus constructed of snake venom.

Fact-checkers and medical experts were quick to report that there is no evidence that the virus is caused by snakes or snake venom. Experts also stated that antibodies used for COVID-19 infections do not recognize or bind to snake venom.

Documentaries and other videos which provide misinformation can have deadly impacts on those who watch and believe them. Recently, the NPR reported a story about a woman’s mother who died from COVID-19 where misinformation may have played a large role in her morbidity.