Positive data on BioNTech's mRNA cancer vaccine

Plus: Philadelphia reimposes mask mandate

Before it became famous for working with Pfizer on a Covid vaccine, German-based biotech company BioNTech was focused on using mRNA technology for a different disease: cancer. But the company didn’t stop pursuing that part of its pipeline. Today, it announced that data from an early stage clinical trial found that an mRNA vaccine that it’s developed for cancer amplifies the effect of CAR-T cell treatment. The study found the cancer vaccine to be safe and well tolerated by the participants in the study, with some patients showing a “partial response” to the treatment. There’s still much more study to go before it can be determined how effective BioNTech’s treatment is, but these findings are encouraging about the prospect of using the mRNA technology that was proven during the pandemic.

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More Covid News

After two years with the vaccine-maker, Moderna's David Meline will step down as finance chief and retire from the company this summer.

Smell loss from Covid infections appears to be tied to damage in the part of the brain associated with smell, according to a study published Monday by JAMA Neurology.

New York is the latest in a growing number of states giving patients direct access to nurse practitioners, as the Covid-19 pandemic has led legislators to adopt laws lifting barriers to primary care access.

Public health experts have expressed concern that the CDC’s community level maps may be providing a confusing picture of the pandemic to the public. 

The Biden administration may continue to require Americans to wear masks on public transportation, airplanes and in airports after the mandate runs out next week because of the new rise in Covid-19 cases.

What Else We Are Reading

• With COVID mission over, Pentagon plans for next pandemic (AP)

• The ‘successful failures’ of Apollo 13 and Covid-19 vaccination (STAT)

• Pfizer to drop $74M for COVID cough-screening smartphone app developer (FIERCE BIOTECH)