Table 3 The contributions of pharmaceutical companies during COVID-19 pandemic
Area | Company | Activities |
|---|---|---|
Treatment development | Alexion | Developed a potential medicine against COVID-19 and it is currently on a phase III clinical trial in hospitalized adult patients. |
AstraZeneca | R&D teams have promptly started a project with the aim of discovering monoclonal antibiotics that will be effective against novel coronavirus. | |
Johnson & Johnson | J&J with collaboration are screening existing molecules and also new active compound against COVID-19 virus. | |
Pfizer | Conducted a preliminary evaluation of some previously developed antiviral compounds and that suppressed the replication of similar coronaviruses to SARS-CoV-2 in cultured cells. | |
Novartis | Aimed for initiating a phase-III clinical trial of canakinumab among pneumonia patient caused by novel coronavirus. | |
Amgen | Collaboration with biotechnology company to design and develop antibodies that may become successful to neutralize or inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 virus. | |
Vaccine development | Seqirus | Working with the University of Queensland to support the CEPI-funded COVID-19 vaccine program based on molecular clamp technology. |
Sanofi | Work is underway to use a previously developed SARS vaccine with their own recombinant DNA technology. | |
Pfizer | Pfizer and BioNTech have teamed up to develop a BioNTech mRNA vaccine candidate to prevent COVID-19 infection. | |
Johnson & Johnson | Expanding partnerships with the Advanced Biomedical Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and establishing new partnerships with Beth Israel Diaconis Medical Center (BIDMC) to accelerate the development of potential novel coronavirus vaccines. | |
MSD | MSD announced three scientific initiatives, including two agreements with Themis Bioscience and IAVI to develop a potential SARS COVID-19 vaccine, and a partnership with Ridgeback Bio leading the development of new antiviral therapeutics. | |
Diagnostics | AstraZeneca & GSK | GSK, AstraZeneca, and Cambridge collaborated to set up a new test lab at the University’s Anne McLaren lab. GSK and AstraZeneca are working together to provide process optimization assistance to UK National Test Centers in Milton Keynes, Alderley Park, and Glasgow for COVID-19, and to provide expertise in automation and robotics to support national test systems. |
Roche | They announced a new antibody test. It is an in vitro test that uses human serum and plasma taken from a blood sample to detect antibodies and determine the body’s immune response to SARS-CoV-2. | |
Takeda | Working with other pharmaceutical authorities and companies through Europe’s Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), we leverage our joint expertise to diagnose COVID-19 and develop inhibitors to prevent future outbreaks. | |
Helping NHS | Alexion | The Alexion Charitable Foundation has donated funds to three non-profit partner organizations, including the WHO COVID-19 Unity Fund. |
AstraZeneca | Offered 9 million masks to support healthcare professionals around the world in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
Johnson & Johnson | Donated £1 million, to London College of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to guide public opinion on current and potential future actions to curb and treat COVID-19, 30,000 bottles of important toiletries and hand cream worth £250,000 for distribution to healthcare workers, NHS expert. | |
Novo Nordisk | Working with the NHS, we have opened a new helpline to support diabetics during the outbreak of COVID-19. | |
Takeda UK | Donated over £100,000 to patient organizations and charities in urgent need. |