Pfizer, BioNTech, Zipline Deliver First COVID-19 Vaccines in Ghana

November 18, 2021 - Pfizer, BioNTech, and instant logistics company, Zipline, collaborated to deliver authorized mRNA COVID-19 vaccines requiring ultra-cold-chain in Ghana. 

The companies recently developed and tested an end-to-end vaccine delivery solution and completed the first long-range drone delivery of COVID-19 vaccines. The solution will allow for the distribution of nearly 50,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Ghana. 

In addition, Pfizer and BioNTech helped manage and store the vaccine at -90 degrees Celsius to -60 degrees Celsius. 

“The global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines requires a coordinated effort. We are working together with local partners and governments to establish a robust local end-to-end manufacturing and distribution network,” Sierk Poetting, PhD, chief operating officer of BioNTech, said in the announcement. 

Pfizer and BioNTech committed two billion doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to low-and middle-income countries through 2022 and are working to collaborate with public and private organizations to boost vaccine rollout globally. 

To date, the companies vaccine has reached 155 countries and territories in every region of the world. 

And so far, Zipline has distributed over 220,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from various manufacturers across Ghana. The company plans to distribute millions of more doses as supply becomes available. 

Keller Rinaudo, co-founder and CEO of Zipline, emphasized that delivery to people in remote and hard-to-reach places is a significant challenge for global vaccination. But the partnership with Pfizer and BioNTech has created a solution to combat this roadblock. 

EU Approves Roche’s COVID-19 Treatment For Adults, Adolescents 

The European Commission recently authorized Roche’s COVID-19 treatment, Ronapreve, for adults and adolescents 12 years and older.

The agency approved the treatment for individuals who do not require supplemental oxygen and are at an increased risk of severe disease. 

“We welcome this quick approval from the European Commission, which adds to the growing number of health authorities that recognize Ronapreve as an important therapy for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19,” Levi Garraway, MD, PhD, chief medical officer and head of global product development at Roche, said in the announcement.

“Europe is entering a fourth wave of rising cases and treatment options for the full range of disease severity and variants of concern are still needed. We look forward to working with additional global regulatory bodies as we continue to tackle COVID-19 together,” Garraway continued. 

The EU based its decision on the EMA’s CHMP’s review from the REGEN-COV 2067 study, which showed that Ronapreve reduced hospitalization or death by 70 percent and reduced the risk of symptomatic infection by 81 percent in individuals who were not infected when they entered the trial. 

So far, Japan has approved Ronapreve, and the UK and Australia have granted emergency or temporary pandemic use. 

GSK, Vir COVID-19 Treatment Meets Primary Endpoint in Phase 3 Trial

GSK and Vir Biotechnology recently announced that their COVID-19 treatment, sotrovimab, helped mild-to-moderate coronavirus in high-risk, non-hospitalized adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older.

The COMET-TAIL Phase 3 trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of sotrovimab in high-risk patients up to seven days after symptom onset.

Researchers found a 2.7 percent rate of progression to hospitalization for over 24 hours or death through Day 29 of the trial in the IM administration, compared to 1.3 percent in the IV administration arm. 

Additionally, there were low rates of serious adverse and grade three to four adverse events reported. 

The companies plan to progress regulatory submissions globally, including ongoing discussions with the FDA regarding the existing emergency use authorization for sotrovimab.

“I am pleased that today’s results demonstrated similar efficacy for sotrovimab when injected directly into the muscle compared to administered intravenously, potentially offering a more convenient option for patients,” Hal Barron, MD, chief scientific officer and president of GSK, said in the announcement. 

We look forward to working with regulatory authorities to help make this new option available to appropriate patients with COVID-19,” Barron concluded.