Ohid Yaqub

Senior Lecturer @SPRU. Research policy. Science, technology and innovation policy. Biomedical innovation. Industrial and corporate change.

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

New paper! What makes some medical R&D problems more tractable than others?
https://t.co/1GayqaMUgd @SPRU

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

This is also true of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer candidates. The hard bit is showing that they work. I’m always surprised how often R&D is discussed with more emphasis on the R and than on the D.

[Caleb Watney @calebwatney]

One of the most insane details of our current ordeal is that the Moderna vaccine was actually designed in two days.

In January.
https://t.co/8mdKb1GT88

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

This would be a great opportunity to boost the UK's funding contribution to covax.

[James Paton @JamesPaton14]

Our story yesterday looked at what’s at stake for big parts of the world with the Astra-Oxford shot key to escaping the pandemic. https://t.co/eoWD6OP3w8

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

AstraZeneca’s supply deals for the developing world seem better than those of Moderna and Pfizer, in terms of quantity and price. And it's more thermostable too.

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

Today's AZ news has really cheered me up. Lots of their supply will be going to Latin America and covax.

[Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnor_]

Shouldn't AstraZeneca be getting more credit for this? https://t.co/NhDtbbdy6E

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

Of course, we won't know how long lasting these vaccines are until much later. But it's heartening that there are other vaccine approaches ongoing that don't focus only on the spike protein. Hopefully their incentives to continue pursuing these are still maintained.

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

Great to see Moderna's interim results today, even if they were somewhat expected following last week's news. Particularly noteworthy is that the severe cases were all in the non-vaccinated arm of the trial. Didn't have much info on that from Pfizer's trial design.

[Matthew Herper @matthewherper]

Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine is strongly effective, early look at data show

https://t.co/DIsqk4m4JX

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

Together, Moderna and Pfizer results bode well for the the Astrazenca trial too, since they all target the same spike protein. It will be really good to have multiple suppliers, and more thermostable options on the table.

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

Yes, interim efficacy data so far hinges on 94 infection cases, of which v few were in the vaccine arm (to claim 90% efficacy, would need to have been less than 9). To find those 94 infection cases, the overall trial participants much larger: 44,000.

[Rebekah Higgitt @beckyfh]

To reiterate: the vaccine news is based on a press release and data on just 94 patients. Promising, but there’s a long way to go.

[Andy Slavitt @ASlavitt]

44,000 person trial*
94 cases
9 cases among ppl w/ 2 shots (protocol)
No serious safety issues
All ages

70 more cases needed for completion

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

@Nightingale_P Doesn't last long once vial is opened, need to schedule appointments carefully to reduce waste. Will likely need more than one dose. Huge variation in logistics capabilities across countries, cf @BiotechPolicyUK et al Test n Trace study.

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

Some vaccines, like the Hep A vax can be stored for years, even at 37C. But these take longer to develop and harder to manufacture.

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

Very encouraging *interim* phase 3 vaccine results. It would be a major landmark for mRNA vaccines. Worth bearing in mind that it would be one of the least thermostable vaccines of the possible potential options, making deployment much trickier, esp in developing countries.

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

You may want a different type of vaccine that is easier to deploy, but wide scale deployment of this vaccine, could make evaluating other, potentially more thermostable, vaccines trickier.

[Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @HelenBranswell]

Preliminary data analysis of the first #Covid19 vaccine Phase 3 trial provides very good news about the Pfizer-BioNtech mRNA vaccine. Vaccine looks to be quite efficacious, ⁦@matthewherper⁩ reports. https://t.co/AM90BDMXIP

[Natalie E. Dean, PhD @nataliexdean]

Understanding these features will be useful for comparing vaccines, as vaccines may have different strengths and weaknesses. Thanks again to @mlipsitch. We hope this stimulates some useful discussion on how to generate broader evidence to inform strategic decisions. 5/5

[Ohid Yaqub @OhidYaqub]

WHO spokesperson highlights the role of rescue therapy options in human challenge trials, as well as informed consent. Nuffield also calling for wider consultation. https://t.co/beLoFhRWlE