Government

For decades, women were excluded from clinical drug trials based, in part, on unfounded concerns that female hormone fluctuations render women difficult to study said lead author Irving Zucker, a professor emeritus of psychology and of integrative biology at UC Berkeley. The findings, published in the journal Biology of Sex Differences, confirm the persistence of a drug dose gender gap stemming from a historic disregard of the fundamental biological differences between male and female bodies, Zucker said. more »

“The COVID-19 Prevention Network is designed to conduct large-scale trials rapidly and efficiently,” said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “This network will allow us to test the safety and efficacy of monoclonal antibodies and other preventive measures to help identify how best to reduce the level of SARS-CoV-2 infection and ultimately end the COVID-19 pandemic.” Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made versions of proteins naturally produced by the immune system in response to invading viruses or other pathogens. Neutralizing antibodies, whether natural or monoclonal, can bind directly to portions of viruses that they use to attach to and enter cells, preventing them from initiating the infection cycle. Monoclonal antibodies may provide short-term protection from SARS-CoV-2 and could serve as important components of the COVID-19 pandemic response until vaccines become available. more »

Patients admitted with COVID-19 at select hospitals may now volunteer to enroll in a clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of a potential new treatment for the disease. The Phase 3 randomized, controlled trial is known as ACTIV-3, and as a “master protocol,” it is designed to expand to test multiple different kinds of monoclonal antibody treatments. It also can enroll additional volunteers in the middle of the trial, if a specific investigational treatment shows promise. The new study is one of four ongoing or planned trials in the National Institutes of Health’s. more »

Bills Introduced: A bill to direct the attorney general to convene a national working group to study proactive strategies and needed resources for the rescue of children from sexual exploitation and abuse ... A bill to ensure access to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for workers who are unable to obtain child and family care ... A bill to extend existing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) flexibilities for states during the COVID-19 pandemic ... A bill to temporarily waive section 115 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 as applied to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and SNAP programs ... A bill to make permanent the employer credit for paid family and medical leave. more »