From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A new study suggests that current antiviral pills being used to treat COVID-19 remain effective against the highly transmissible Omicron variant, while intravenous antibody drugs appear to be "substantially" less successful.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison report that the drugs behind the new oral pills have proved successful in lab tests, and say it would be "welcome news" if the anti-viral pills are confirmed to work against Omicron in human patients.
However, lab tests also revealed that the currently available antibody therapies, which are typically given intravenously in hospitals, are less effective against Omicron than earlier variants of the virus.
The researchers say some antibodies showed to have "entirely lost their ability to neutralize Omicron at realistic dosages."
The findings, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, are in line with other studies that show most available antibody treatments are less effective against Omicron, according to researchers.
"The bottom line is we have countermeasures to treat Omicron. That's good news," said lead author and virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka in a press release. "However, this is all in laboratory studies. Whether this translates into humans, we don't know yet."
Data has shown that various antiviral pills, including from Pfizer and Merck, can help reduce the severity of COVID-19 in at-risk patients if taken early in the course of infection. Experts say approval of such medication could help decrease the burden of the pandemic on hospitals.
Researchers note that COVID-19 antiviral pills were designed and tested before the Omicron variant was identified. Data has shown the Omicron variant is more heavily mutated than earlier versions of the virus, meaning it can spread more readily and even evade antibodies from prior infection or vaccination.
However, the findings suggest that mutational differences do not reduce the effectiveness of drugs designed to treat the original virus strain.
In lab experiments using non-human primate cells, researchers tested multiple antibody and antiviral therapies against the original strain of COVID-19, as well as some of its prominent variants, including Alpha, Delta and Omicron.
According to the study, Merck's antiviral pill molnupiravir and the intravenous drug remdesivir were just as successful against the Omicron variant as they were against earlier virus strains.
Instead of testing Pfizer's oral Paxlovid pill, the study's authors analyzed a related drug by Pfizer that is given intravenously and currently in clinical trials. Researchers found that both drugs disrupted the same part of the "viral machinery," retaining their effectiveness against Omicron.
However, researchers say the tested antibody treatments were overall less effective against Omicron than antiviral pills.
Two antibody treatments -- sotrovimab by GlaxoSmithKline and Evusheld by AstraZeneca -- retained some ability to neutralize the virus, but required anywhere from three to 100 times more of the drugs to do so, according to the study.
The study found antibody treatments by Lilly and Regeneron were also unable to neutralize Omicron at their regular dosages.
Researchers say these results are expected given the different mutations in the Omicron variant's spike protein.
The study notes that most antibody treatments were designed to bind to and neutralize the original spike protein, and any major changes to the protein can make the antibodies less likely to attach.
In comparison, antiviral pills for COVID-19 target the "molecular machinery" the virus uses to make copies of itself once inside cells. Data shows the Omicron variant only has a few mutations to this machinery, which makes it more likely that these drugs will retain their ability to disrupt the replication process, researchers say.
While the effectiveness of the antiviral pills against Omicron is "welcome news," researchers say global health agencies cannot currently use the medication as a common treatment for COVID-19 due to limited supply.
The study's authors say they are now focused on testing new antibody candidates in an attempt to identify those that could potentially neutralize the Omicron variant.
Public health officials around the world have been working to approve anti-COVID pills, with Health Canada authorizing the use of Pfizer's antiviral treatment earlier this month.
The federal health agency says Paxlovid is the first oral and at-home prescription medication to be cleared for use in Canada, and can be given to adults ages 18 and older to treat mild to moderate cases of COVID-19, if they have a confirmed positive test and are at a high risk of becoming seriously ill.
Health Canada has also been reviewing Merck's molnupiravir pill since mid August.
In late December, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for both Pfizer and Merck’s drugs.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.