Archive for April, 2020

Canaccord Genuity analyst Arlinda Lee reiterated a Buy rating on Crispr Therapeutics AG (CRSP) today and set a price target of $80.00. The companys shares closed last Tuesday at $42.41.

According to TipRanks.com, Lee is a 3-star analyst with an average return of 0.1% and a 43.0% success rate. Lee covers the Healthcare sector, focusing on stocks such as Turning Point Therapeutics, Black Diamond Therapeutics, and Karyopharm Therapeutics.

Crispr Therapeutics AG has an analyst consensus of Moderate Buy, with a price target consensus of $71.68, representing a 62.2% upside. In a report released yesterday, Oppenheimer also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a $80.00 price target.

See todays analyst top recommended stocks >>

Based on Crispr Therapeutics AGs latest earnings release for the quarter ending December 31, the company reported a quarterly revenue of $77.02 million and net profit of $30.54 million. In comparison, last year the company earned revenue of $115K and had a GAAP net loss of $47.59 million.

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CRISPR Therapeutics AG engages in the development and commercialization of therapies derived from genome-editing technology. Its proprietary platform CRISPR/Cas9-based therapeutics allows for precise and directed changes to genomic DNA. The company was founded by Rodger Novak, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Shaun Patrick Foy, Matthew Porteus, Daniel Anderson, Chad Cowan and Craig Mellow in 2014 and is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland.

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Crispr Therapeutics AG (CRSP) Gets a Buy Rating from Canaccord Genuity - Smarter Analyst

Investors in CRISPR Therapeutics AG (Symbol: CRSP) saw new options become available this week, for the May 8th expiration. At Stock Options Channel, our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the CRSP options chain for the new May 8th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest.

The put contract at the $41.00 strike price has a current bid of $3.30. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $41.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $37.70 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of CRSP, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $42.60/share today.

Because the $41.00 strike represents an approximate 4% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 62%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 8.05% return on the cash commitment, or 75.33% annualized at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost.

Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for CRISPR Therapeutics AG, and highlighting in green where the $41.00 strike is located relative to that history:

Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $43.00 strike price has a current bid of $3.30. If an investor was to purchase shares of CRSP stock at the current price level of $42.60/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $43.00. Considering the call seller will also collect the premium, that would drive a total return (excluding dividends, if any) of 8.69% if the stock gets called away at the May 8th expiration (before broker commissions). Of course, a lot of upside could potentially be left on the table if CRSP shares really soar, which is why looking at the trailing twelve month trading history for CRISPR Therapeutics AG, as well as studying the business fundamentals becomes important. Below is a chart showing CRSP's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $43.00 strike highlighted in red:

Considering the fact that the $43.00 strike represents an approximate 1% premium to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the covered call contract would expire worthless, in which case the investor would keep both their shares of stock and the premium collected. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 48%. On our website under the contract detail page for this contract, Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change and publish a chart of those numbers (the trading history of the option contract will also be charted). Should the covered call contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 7.75% boost of extra return to the investor, or 72.50% annualized, which we refer to as the YieldBoost.

The implied volatility in the put contract example is 141%, while the implied volatility in the call contract example is 135%.

Meanwhile, we calculate the actual trailing twelve month volatility (considering the last 251 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $42.60) to be 61%. For more put and call options contract ideas worth looking at, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.

Top YieldBoost Calls of the S&P 500

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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First Week of May 8th Options Trading For CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) - Nasdaq

As part of ongoing efforts to try to reduce the spread of COVID-19, researchers around the world are working hard to develop novel diagnostic technologies. Rapid and simple identification of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 plays a crucial role in reducing transmission of the virus, by enabling appropriate isolation measures and contact tracing to take place.The lab of Dr Changchun Liu at the University of Connecticut Health Center has recently reported progress in this area, with the development of a simple, low-cost, CRISPR-based method which can detect infectious diseases such as COVID-19.1 Technology Networks spoke to Dr Liu to learn more about the method, the advantages it offers over PCR-based methods of detection, and the next steps to be taken before a point-of-care diagnostic test using this method could become widely available.Anna MacDonald (AM): Many of the current diagnostic tests for infectious diseases such as COVID-19 are PCR-based. Why is this method currently the gold standard and what are some of the limitations associated with it?

Changchun Liu (CL): PCR/RT-PCR, particularly real-time PCR/RT-PCR, provides a highly sensitive and specific method for detection of infectious diseases (e.g., COVID-19). In addition, PCR/RT-PCR-based methods can enable early diagnosis of COVID-19 because it detects nucleic acid (e.g., RNA) of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. PCR/RT-PCR-based methods are typically restricted in a centralized clinical laboratory due to the requirement for sophisticated equipment and well-trained personnel, which are not suitable for simple, rapid, point of care diagnostic applications. AM: What advantages could CRISPR-based detectionoffer? What is limiting greater use of these methods for the detection of infectious diseases so far? CL: CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection provides a highly sensitive, specific and reliable testing approach for nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics. Unlike PCR-based methods, CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection methods can work at a constant temperature (e.g. 37oC) without the need for an expensive thermal cycler (e.g. PCR machine). However, currently available CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection methods typically require: i) separate nucleic acid amplification in different reaction systems, and ii) multiple manual operations, which undoubtedly complicates the testing procedures and potentially increases the risk of carry-over contaminations due to amplification products transferring.

AM: Can you tell us more about the CRISPR-based method you have developed and give us an overview of your studys results? CL: We developed an All-In-One Dual CRISPR-Cas12a (termed "AIOD-CRISPR") assay method for rapid, ultrasensitive, specific and visual detection of nucleic acid. To improve detection sensitivity, we have proposed a dual CRISPR-Cas12a detection strategy. In addition, unlike previous CRISPR-based nucleic acid detections, all reagents for nucleic acid detection in our AIOD-CRISPR assay can be incubated in one-pot, enabling simple, rapid, sensitive and specific nucleic acid detection. Our AIOD-CRISPR assay method has successfully been utilized to detect nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) of the SARS-CoV-2 and HIV with a sensitivity of a few copies. Also, it was evaluated by detecting HIV-1 RNA extracted from human plasma samples, achieving a comparable sensitivity with real-time RT-PCR, but within a shorter time (less than 20 minutes). AM: How does AIOD-CRISPR compare to other CRISPR-based detection methods?

CL: As mentioned above, we developed a dual CRISPR-Cas12a detection strategy to improve detection sensitivity in our AIOD-CRISPR assay. In addition, unlike previously reported CRISPR-based nucleic acid detections, all reagents of our AIOD-CRISPR assay can be incubated in one-pot, eliminating need for multiple manual operations and enabling simple, rapid point of care diagnostics. In summary, our AIOD-CRISPR assay provides a simple, rapid (typically 5-20 minutes), ultrasensitive (few copies) and highly specific method for nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics at the point-of-care. AM: Why is a one-pot reaction system so important? CL: As mentioned above, previously reported CRISPR-based nucleic acid detections typically require separate nucleic acid amplification and multiple manual operations, which undoubtedly complicates the testing procedures and is not ideal for point of care diagnostics. In our AIOD-CRISPR assay, all components for isothermal amplification and CRISPR-based detection are prepared in a one-pot format, which greatly simplifies the detection procedures and eliminates the risk of carry-over contaminations. Thus, our AIOD-CRISPR assay method has a great potential for developing next-generation point-of-care molecular diagnostics. AM: What are the next steps before a point-of-care diagnostic test using this method could become widely available? CL: We are integrating our AIOD-CRISPR assay into our microfluidic diagnostic chip to develop a simple, rapid, affordable, point-of-care diagnostic platform for SARS-CoV-2 detection at home or small clinics. We have long focused on developing simple, low-cost, point-of-care diagnostic technologies for rapid detection of infectious diseases. For instance, during the 2015-2016 Zika outbreak, we developed an instrument-free point-of-care molecular diagnostic technology for Zika virus detection.2 AM: What difference could a rapid, affordable, point-of-care test such as the one you are developing make to the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic?

CL: Rapid and early detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus plays a crucial role in facilitating early intervention and treatment (e.g. home isolation, social distancing) and preventing COVID-19 disease spread. We envision that such a simple, rapid, affordable, and point-of-care diagnostics technology can be widely used for detection of the SARS-CoV-2 at home or in small clinics, preventing or slowing the rapid spread of COVID-19. AM: Your method was used to detect SARs-CoV-2 and HIV could it be easily adapted in the future for other possible infectious disease outbreaks? CL: Yes, as a platform technology, our AIOD-CRISPR assay method can be easily adapted to detect other infectious disease in the future.

Changchun Liu, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut Health Center, was speaking to Anna MacDonald, Science Writer, Technology Networks. References:

1: Ding, X., Yin, K., Li, Z., & Liu, C. (2020). All-in-One Dual CRISPR-Cas12a (AIOD-CRISPR) Assay: A Case for Rapid, Ultrasensitive and Visual Detection of Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and HIV virus. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.19.998724

2: Song, J., Mauk, M. G., Hackett, B. A., Cherry, S., Bau, H. H., & Liu, C. (2016). Instrument-Free Point-of-Care Molecular Detection of Zika Virus. Analytical Chemistry, 88(14), 72897294. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.6b01632

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A Point-of-Care CRISPR-based COVID-19 Diagnostic on the Horizon - Technology Networks

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. (AgeX; NYSE American: AGE), a biotechnology company developing therapeutics for human aging and regeneration, reported its financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and year-end results for 2019.

Additional Recent Highlights

Balance Sheet Information

Cash, and cash equivalents, and restricted cash totaled $2.5 million as of December 31, 2019, as compared with $6.7 million as of December 31, 2018.

AgeX is in need of additional capital to finance its operations. On March 30, 2020, AgeX entered into a Secured Convertible Facility Agreement (the Loan Facility) with Juvenescence Limited pursuant to which AgeX may borrow funds from time to time. Loans from Juvenescence in excess of an initial $500,000 advance will be subject to Juvenescences discretion. If AgeX makes a second $500,000 draw under the Loan Facility, it will be required to implement a cost reduction plan that will entail significant reductions in staffing and research and development activities, and if a third advance of funds is approved by Juvenescence, AgeX and certain of its subsidiaries will be required to enter into a Security and Pledge Agreement pursuant to which they will pledge substantially all of their assets to collateralize all loans drawn under the Loan Facility. AgeX will issue stock purchase warrants to Juvenescence based on the amount of loans Juvenescence makes, and will issue 28,500 shares of AgeX common stock to Juvenescence if Juvenescence lends AgeX $3 million in the aggregate. Juvenescence will also have the right to convert outstanding loan balances into shares of AgeX common stock at market prices. More information about the Loan Facility can be found in AgeXs Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

As required under Accounting Standards Update 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements-Going Concern (ASC 205-40), AgeX evaluates whether conditions and/or events raise substantial doubt about its ability to meet its future financial obligations as they become due within one year after the date its financial statements are issued. Based on AgeXs most recent projected cash flows, and considering that loans from Juvenescence in excess of an initial $500,000 advance under the Loan Facility will be subject to Juvenescences discretion, AgeX believes that its cash and cash equivalents and a $500,000 loan under the Loan Facility would not be sufficient to satisfy its anticipated operating and other funding requirements for the twelve months following the filing of the Form 10-K. These factors raise substantial doubt regarding the ability of AgeX to continue as a going concern, and the report of AgeXs independent registered public accountants accompanying the audited financial statements in AgeXs Annual Report on Form 10-K contains a qualification to such effect.

Fourth Quarter and Annual 2019 Operating Results

Revenues: Total Revenues for the fourth quarter of 2019 were $0.5 million as compared to $0.3 million in the comparable quarter in 2018. Total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $1.73 million, as compared with $1.4 million in the same period in 2018, representing an increase of approximately 24%. AgeX revenue is primarily generated from subscription and advertising revenues from the GeneCards online database through its subsidiary LifeMap Sciences, Inc. Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2019 also included approximately $180,000 of allowable expenses under its research grant from the NIH as compared with $20,000 in the same period in 2018.

Operating expenses: Operating expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2019, were $3.2 million, as reported, which was comprised of $2.7 million for AgeX and $0.5 million for LifeMap Sciences, and were $2.5 million, as adjusted, comprised of $2.1 million for AgeX and $0.4 million for LifeMap Sciences.

Operating expenses for the full year 2019 were $14.0 million, as reported, which was comprised of $11.8 million for AgeX and $2.2 million for LifeMap Sciences, and were $11.2 million, as adjusted, comprised of $9.4 million for AgeX and $1.8 million for LifeMap Sciences.

Research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 decreased by $0.7 million to $5.9 million compared to $6.6 million in 2018. The decrease was mainly attributable to a nonrecurring expense of $800,000 to acquire certain in-process R&D in 2018.

General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased by $2.5 million to $8.1 million as compared with $5.6 million for 2018. The increases were mainly attributable to increased professional fees for consulting and accounting, insurance premiums, facilities related expenses, and non-cash stock-based compensation expense due to increased stock option grants. In April 2019 AgeX moved into its own facilities and terminated its shared facilities and services arrangement with Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (formerly BioTime, Inc.). Consequently AgeX now incurs the full cost of its facilities and finance and administrative personnel.

The reconciliation between operating expenses determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) and operating expenses, as adjusted, a non-GAAP measure, is provided in the financial tables included at the end of this press release.

Other income, net: Other income for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $0.3 million, as compared with $3.5 million in the same period in 2018. The decrease is entirely attributable to a nonrecurring $3.2 million gain on sale of our ownership interest in Ascendance Biotechnology, Inc. when that company was acquired by a third party in 2018.

Net loss attributable to AgeX: The net loss attributable to AgeX for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $12.2 million, or ($0.33) per share (basic and diluted) compared to $7.5 million, or ($0.21) per share (basic and diluted), for the same period in 2018.

About AgeX Therapeutics

AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: AGE) is focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics for human aging. Its PureStem and UniverCyte manufacturing and immunotolerance technologies are designed to work together to generate highly defined, universal, allogeneic, off-the-shelf pluripotent stem cell-derived young cells of any type for application in a variety of diseases with a high unmet medical need. AgeX has two preclinical cell therapy programs: AGEX-VASC1 (vascular progenitor cells) for tissue ischemia and AGEX-BAT1 (brown fat cells) for Type II diabetes. AgeXs revolutionary longevity platform induced Tissue Regeneration (iTR) aims to unlock cellular immortality and regenerative capacity to reverse age-related changes within tissues. AGEX-iTR1547 is an iTR-based formulation in preclinical development. HyStem is AgeXs delivery technology to stably engraft PureStem cell therapies in the body. AgeX is developing its core product pipeline for use in the clinic to extend human healthspan, and is seeking opportunities to establish licensing and collaboration arrangements around its broad IP estate and proprietary technology platforms.

For more information, please visit http://www.agexinc.com or connect with the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not historical fact including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as will, believes, plans, anticipates, expects, estimates should also be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. and its subsidiaries, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in more detail in the Risk Factors section of AgeXs most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commissions (copies of which may be obtained at http://www.sec.gov). Subsequent events and developments may cause these forward-looking statements to change. AgeX specifically disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise these forward-looking statements as a result of changed events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release, except as required by applicable law.

AGEX THERAPEUTICS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except par value amounts)

December 31,

2019

2018

ASSETS

CURRENT ASSETS

Cash and cash equivalents

$

2,352

$

6,707

Accounts and grants receivable, net

363

131

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

1,339

1,015

Total current assets

4,054

7,853

Property and equipment, net

1,126

Continued here:
AgeX Therapeutics Reports Fourth Quarter and Annual 2019 Financial Results and Provides Business Update - Business Wire

1. Nettie Stevens (1861-1912, American) discovered that a fetuss sex is determined by chromosomes contributed by the parents during conception. Previously it was believed that the environmental factors during conception determined sex.

2. Charlotte Auerbach (1899-1994, German) has been called the mother of mutagenesis due to her discovery of genetic mutations caused by mustard gas. It only took her 2 months to discover these mutations in X chromosomes of males flies exposed to the gas. She received a Keith Prize in 1948.

3. Barbara McClintock (1902-1992, American) is known for her groundbreaking discovery of mobile genetic elements at the young age of 29, one of the greatest experiments of modern biology. For this work she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1983.

4. Salome Gluecksohn-Waelsch (1907-2007, German) co-founded the field of developmental genetics. She used mouse embryo to study the effects of naturally occurring genetic mutations and the t-complex, a group of genes that direct the development of mouse tails. For all of her work in developmental genetics she was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1993 when she was 85 and still hard at work.

5. Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958, British) contribute to the major discovery of discovering the structure of DNA. She found that DNA takes two forms A and B. It was a photo of form B, photo 51, that provided Watson and Crick the the information that DNA was a double helix structure. Franklin also made major contributions on the filtration properties of types of coal during World War II. Franklin hypothesized that Tobacco Mosaic Virus was a hollow tube made of proteins that contained a single strand of RNA that spiraled inside the length of the tube like a thread spiraling inside a donut hole. After her early death at 38 from ovarian cancer, this hypothesis was found correct.

6. Esther Lederberg (1922-2006, American) provided foundation for future research in genetic inheritance in bacteria, gene regulation, and genetic recombination. She co-invented a simple method, replica plating, to reproduce bacterial colonies in masses while maintaining the original geometry of the colonies.

Photo credits top to bottom:The Marine Biological Laboratory,Jewish Studies,Encyclopdia Britannica,Albert Einstein College of Medicine,Nukas,Estherlederberg.com

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6 Women Who Impacted Genetics | My Gene Counsel - Post ...

Two years after Ebola ravaged parts of West Africa, the deadly virus in 2018 was making a comeback in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston sprang into action, reverse engineering the construction of a new vaccine and delivering 7,500 doses of it to the central African country for widespread use, all within 72 hours.

It was, in the words of Ben Raimer, interim president of UTMB, a proud moment for the university system, a collaborative effort that yielded life-saving results. Raimer cautioned, however, against the unrealistic expecations the Ebola success may have created for university researchers now grappling with the nuances of the far more complex novel coronavirus.

Were not a 72-hour virus maker here at UTMB, Raimer said. Weve done it one time for Ebola, but its not likely for this virus until we get a better understanding on how it functions in its various forms.

Coronavirus updates: Stay informed with accurate reporting you can trust

Public health experts generally predict that a coronavirus vaccine will take much longer and wont be ready for at least 12 to 18 months from the first known infection in late December. Whilemore than 20 vaccine candidates are in development, most are in the early stages, well before clinical trials. Uncertainty over the timeline has led to an unquenchable thirst for any morsel of good news regarding progress researchers have made in understanding how the virus attacks humans.

Scott Weaver understands this reality better than most. As the director of UTMBs infectious disease research programs, Weaver is tasked with helping manage nearly two-dozen projects related to the coronavirus, from macro initiatives like vaccine and antiviral treatment to more nuanced efforts such as why the virus affects people who smoke or vape more acutely.

For now, vaccine development is moving at a slower pace than Ebola, Weaver said, though he is hopeful that a previously developed SARS vaccine will prove effective. That vaccine, developed by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and UTMB researchers, effectively protected mice against SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, the pneumonia-causing virus from the same family a coronavirus that spread in the early 2000s. The vaccine never progressed to human testing because manufacturing of it wasnt completed until 2016, long after SARS had burned out.

Weaver noted two key challenges to completing work on the SARS vaccine: the genetically-altered laboratory mice used to test this vaccine had to be recreated from scratch; and funding sources, particularly from commercial interests, are hard to come by.

UTMB has cleared one hurdle. The transgenic mice embryos used for the original vaccine were recently implanted into female and male mice, and the first offspring were born several weeks ago. Of course, even after these mice are used to test vaccine candidates, those vaccines will have to be tested on non-human primates before the FDA will consider permission for clinical trials in people.

But even if UTMB does not win the vaccine arms race, the universitys coronavirus research has already made a significant difference in understanding the viruss complexities.

We have here three virologist faculty scientists who focus their work on coronavirus, so we were well prepared to gear up very quickly to do research on this virus, Weaver said.

Indeed, at the outset of the viral outbreak, UTMB developed a reverse genetic system to manipulate the virus genome. The Galveston National Laboratory at UTMB, a high-security biocontainment lab, was one of three labs in the country to get the coronavirus isolate in February after the Centers for Disease Control worked on the first virus sample in Washington state and cultured it in Atlanta.

Pei-Yong Shi, a professor of human genetics at UTMB, led this effort, which allows scientists to essentially recreate the virus from scratch.

We can understand the mutations and history of the virus. We will be able to manipulate the virus, to understand which regions are causing the disease so we can make vaccines and therapeutics, Shi said.

The UTMB genetic system played a vital role in helping develop badly needed diagnostic tests. The universitys World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses stockpiled the viral RNA the genetic material needed to optimize tests for federal approval.

There was a time period in late February where we were literally the only laboratory in the world providing these RNA samples for diagnostic (test) development, Weaver said. A lot of the big companies that you see now are starting to scale up diagnostics - like LabCorps and Quest and many of the big hospitals including some in Houston and here in Galveston - we provided that critical RNA to them so they could get their tests up and running as quick as possible.

One of the primary projects capturing the attention of UTMB scientists is testing antiviral drugs to treat the symptoms of the coronavirus, Weaver said. The drugs currently being tested were developed for other viral infections or non-infectious diseases, such as remdesivir, which was used to combat Ebola infections.

Both President Trump and the World Health Organization have highlighted remdesivir as a promising coronavirus treatment, though clinical trials are still ongoing to determine how effective the drug can be. UTMB has a clinical trial set up in the coming weeks to test remdesivir in Galveston County coronavirus patients.

Coronavirus in Houston: All of the latest news, numbers and analysis to keep you up-to-date, only on HoustonChronicle.com

In the middle of an outbreak like this, there are going to be so many people who are hospitalized and eligible for these clinical trials that well learn very quickly whether (remdesivir) has efficacy or not, Weaver said. I think thats really the best prospect for an improvement in patient care in the near future.

Tapping into funding sources to continue vaccine research is a bigger problem. One of the major differences between Ebola in 2018 and coronavirus that contributed to how quickly UTMB was able to develop a vaccine was the sustained funding for Ebola research. Besides the SARS outbreak in the early aughts and MERS in 2012, coronaviruses typically dont attract the same interest.

Its much harder to get funding, especially commercial interest, in the coronavirus vaccine, Weaver said. Unfortunately, that means we dont have as much to start from. There were some vaccines that were developed. They never went very far down the pipeline towards clinical trials, but at least were not starting completely from scratch.

But for as much work is being done behind the scenes in the race to cure and treat the coronavirus, Weaver said the immediate outcome and toll of this pandemic will be determined by public health measures such as social distancing.

One person on average transmits the virus to 3 or 4 additional people and if one of those is a high-risk person, they may die, if one of those is a healthcare worker, they may spread it to many more people, Weaver said. I just hope that everyone takes this very seriously.

nick.powell@chron.com

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UTMB once helped defeat Ebola. Can it replicate that success with coronavirus? - Houston Chronicle