To help stay up-to-date with current health updates and ongoings, it is helpful to be informed about events of the immediate past. This news recap discusses a few key news releases that were announced during the month of January 2021 that affected the world of pharmacy and public health.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is crowding out many other relevant news stories across all industries, and this sentiment also rings true for the healthcare professions. Although there were many exciting announcements about new therapeutics and advancements unrelated to COVID-19, this discussion has a heavy emphasis on pandemic-related content.
There has been a plethora of news releases that have been announced in January 2021. To summarize, seven of the most relevant stories from the month are described below.
First Extended-Release Injectable Medicine to Treat HIV Approved by FDA
Medicines used to treat or prevent HIV require strict medication compliance in order to be effective, and this stressor can be burdensome for many patients. Because of this, it was an exciting breakthrough when the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a long-acting injectable therapy to treat HIV in adults on January 21, 2021.
This medication, called Cabenuva® (cabotegravir + rilpivirine), was approved as a “complete regimen for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in adults to replace a current antiretroviral regimen in those who are virologically suppressed on a stable antiretroviral regimen with no history of treatment failure and with no known or suspected resistance to either cabotegravir or rilpivirine” according to the FDA.
Instead of taking tablets on a daily basis, patients taking Cabenuva will be able to receive a once-monthly intramuscular injection.
Related links:
- Vocabria (cabotegravir) tablets | ViiV Healthcare
- Cabenuva Patient Information Website
- Resources for Persons Living with HIV
Nearly 1 in 5 Individuals in the United States Reported to Have a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)
In January 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases published data from 2018 regarding STIs in the United States.
In short, this data showed that 1 in 5 people in the United States had a STI on any given day during the calendar year 2018. This data, accordingly, demonstrated the burden of diagnosed and undiagnosed STIs in the United States and the estimated medical costs associated with STIs.
Many other eye-opening statistics were released from this study. Nearly $16,000,000,000 in direct lifetime medical costs stemmed from STIs in 2018; there were roughly 68,000,000 STIs on any given day in 2018.
With these statistics in mind, it is important to know how to recognize and potentially treat a STI with the help of a healthcare professional. More importantly, prevention is key to help avoid getting a STI whenever possible.
“Proven STI prevention – at all levels – is a cornerstone of protecting America’s health, economic security, and wellness,” said Raul Romaguera, acting director for CDC’s Division of STD Prevention. “There are significant human and financial costs associated with these infections, and we know from other studies that cuts in STI prevention efforts result in higher costs down the road. Preventing STIs could save billions in medical costs, but more importantly, prevention would improve the health and lives of millions of people.” (CDC).
Related links:
- How You Can Prevent Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Fact Sheets
- STDs vs. STIs
Trial Data Released for Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates
In the United States, two COVID-19 vaccines are currently approved for use via Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). However, two additional COVID-19 vaccine candidates have recently released interim clinical trial data results. These are the candidate vaccines from Novavax and Janssen (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson).
On January 28, 2021, Novavax released interim results of a phase 3 clinical trial conducted in the United Kingdom. This UK-based trial involved more than 16,000 trial participants and reported a vaccine efficacy estimate of 89.3%. This trial, called the PREVENT-19 clinical trial, is ongoing and is targeting more patient recruitment during February 2021.
The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine candidate also released results from a phase 3 clinical trial called the ENSEMBLE trial on January 29, 2021. The trial, utilizing a sample of 43,783 participants, posted efficacy results of 85% related to preventing severe disease and demonstrated complete protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death after 28 days post-vaccination. Similarly, 28 days after vaccination, the candidate vaccine was also noted to be 72% effective in the United States specifically and 66% overall at preventing moderate-to-severe COVID-19. This vaccine is notable because it is being pushed to potentially be a one-dose vaccine instead of a two-dose vaccine.
Both of the candidate vaccines mentioned are still being studied and are not yet authorized for use. For comparison’s sake, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is estimated to be 94.5% effective and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is estimated to be 95% effective after a complete vaccination series.
Related links:
- World Health Organization Vaccine Candidate Tracker
- The Road to a COVID-19 Vaccine
- COVID-19 Vaccines | FDA
COVID-19 Viral Variants Detected in the United States
Across various news outlets, it has been communicated that viral variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have been circulating globally. The variants that have garnered the most attention have been the United Kingdom variant (B.1.1.7) and the South African variant (B.1.351). In late January, a Brazil variant (P.1) also reached the United States.
Even with the variant concerns in mind, it is still recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine whenever it becomes available to you. So far, studies suggest that antibodies generated through vaccination with currently authorized vaccines still recognize these variants. This is being closely investigated and more studies are underway.
However these variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. Scientists and public health experts are currently conducting research to better understand how widely these new variants have spread, how the disease caused by these new variants differs from the disease caused by other variants that are currently circulating, and how these variants may affect existing therapies, vaccines, and tests.
Related links:
- South African Variant FAQs
- United Kingdom Variant FAQs
- First Case of Brazilian-based COVID-19 Variant Found in Minnesota
Corporate Giants to Help with COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
The overlap between the public and private sectors is ever-growing in the overall effort to vaccinate against COVID-19. Although not an all-inclusive list, companies such as Walmart, Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, Costco, Salesforce, etc., are getting involved with the vaccine distribution and administration effort.
Every one of these corporate entity-government partnerships varies on a partnership-by-partnership basis, but it is a step in the right direction to help coordinate an expansion of logistics to help administer more vaccinations. This public health emergency requires a strategic partnership between the federal government and corporate America.
If you are an owner or manager of a private business or organization, consider contacting your local and/or state governments to see how your business can help.
Related links:
- How Companies Can Partner With Governments To Distribute Covid Vaccine Efficiently And Effectively
- Public–Private Partnership Responses to COVID-19 and Future Pandemics Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief
- 19 Steps your Business Can Take Today to Help Combat COVID-19
World Health Organization (WHO) Updates COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance for Pregnant Individuals
After some initial confusion stating the contrary, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a revised statement stating that pregnant individuals are candidates to receive the current COVID-19 vaccines.
WHO statement: “Based on what we know about this kind of vaccine, we don’t have any specific reason to believe there will be specific risks that would outweigh the benefits of vaccination for pregnant women. For this reason, those pregnant women at high risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (e.g. health workers) or who have comorbidities which add to their risk of severe disease, may be vaccinated in consultation with their health care provider.”
This guidance aligns with the CDC recommendations for pregnant individuals potentially receiving COVID-19 vaccinations.
Related links:
- Vaccines During Pregnancy FAQs – Vaccine Safety
- COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
- Wondering about COVID-19 vaccines if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding? (Harvard Medical School)
CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Data Tracker
As an ongoing news update, the CDC has a COVID-19 vaccination tracker system that is published on its website that is updated daily. As of 6:00am EST on February 1st, 2021, 49,936,450 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been distributed and 32,222,402 doses have been administered in the United States. Of these, 5,927,847 individuals have received a complete 2-dose series.
Of these vaccinations, more than 17 million doses have been from Pfizer-BioNTech and more than 14 million doses have been from Moderna. For more data related to this, please reference the hyperlink above.
Related links:
- COVID-19 Integrated County View
- Demographic Trends of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the US
- CDC COVID-19 Guidance Documents
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