You hear from every pol and pundit: The coronavirus does not distinguish between Black and White, rich and poor, Republican or Democrat.
That’s just bullshit.
This virus is one highly partisan little bug.
And a racist. Call it “Corona Crow.”
The virus attacks “the vulnerable.” And in our society, “vulnerable” does not refer to billionaire reality show hosts. Check out this Center for Disease Control chart based on studies using the Public Health Disparities Geocoding Project. Influenza hospitalization rates for impoverished African-Americans are three times the rate compared to non-poor whites.
Above: Age-adjusted incidence of influenza-related hospitalizations per 100,000 person-years by racial/ethnic group and census tract poverty level. FluSurv-NET, 14 states, 2010–2012
And the bug really, really likes Donald Trump. We have no choice: We’re all going to have to vote by mail if this malaise continues unabated. Or die.
But going postal will all but guarantee Trump’s re-election.
Providen Response to the Covid-19 Crisis
- Providen is prepared to help pharmacies, healthcare facilities, and communities that require support through the Covid-19 Pandemic -
WINNIPEG, March 25, 2020 /CNW/ - Pharmacists will play a critical role during the Covid-19 Outbreak in Canada. If we can look to Italy, Spain and other pandemic hot spots, pharmacies have been placed in challenging circumstances. They have been tasked with providing essential services to their patient networks. As the most accessible healthcare provider working on the front lines, pharmacy staff are challenged with extra workload to provide advice, dispense prescription, and non-prescription medications and to help close gaps in a strained healthcare environment. As Italy has also shown, pharmacies are also not only having to deal with increased workload and patient demand but also staff shortages, pharmacy closures and deaths as it relates to Covid-19 exposure. They have also moved as many as possible of their patients to a home delivery model to reduce staff exposure and provide products to infected or infirm patients.
Providen Pharmacy Logistics is a closed-door high-volume central fill pharmacy that provides packaging and distribution of prescription and non-prescription products to community pharmacies and correctional/healthcare facilities. Our industrial facilities can package compliance packaging, vial filling, unit of use and through our partner pharmacy, custom compounding all pursuant to a prescription. We can facilitate the fulfillment of large volumes of medications either sent in bulk, back to pharmacies ready for delivery or sent directly as individual orders to patients' homes. We are able to provide solutions to help patient contact pharmacies with workload and help to mitigate or deal with pharmacy closures.
Pharmacies in Canada will be challenged with many obstacles as it relates to their patients and communities. As part of a comprehensive pandemic plan Providen is notifying stakeholders that we are available to help in any way possible.
If you have any questions or would like to work directly with Providen to help with a solution please reach out to us as soon as possible as there are some time restrictions and work needed to get accounts set up.
About Providen Pharmacy Logistics Providen Pharmacy Logistics is a western Canadian pharmacy organization providing technology and central fill solutions to retail pharmacy and institutional healthcare facilities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. With the head office located in Winnipeg Manitoba, and a second facility in Calgary, Alberta, Providen has been providing back end logistic solutions since 2011.
SOURCE Providen Pharmacy Logistics
Rensselaer Experts Available To Discuss COVID-19 Pandemic and Effects on Society
From AI to supply chains to board games, Rensselaer faculty provide wide-ranging expertise
TROY, N.Y. – In addition to the capabilities of one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute recently announced that it was making the expertise of its world-renowned faculty available to the broader research community to support work responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rensselaer expertise is also available to members of the media as they work to cover various aspects of the new coronavirus disease and its innumerable effects on society.
The following topics represent some of the many angles — including some that may prove unexpected — that Rensselaer experts are available to speak to as the crisis unfolds. The list is not comprehensive. Rensselaer faculty and staff will continue to make progress on new projects and collaborations related to COVID-19 as they rise to meet this global challenge. Additional experts and stories from Rensselaer can be found at news.rpi.edu.
Supercomputing Consortium: As a member of the national COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium, Rensselaer has made AiMOS, the most powerful supercomputer housed at a private university, available to researchers engaged in the fight against COVID-19. “This effort requires expertise, collaboration, and the ability to process incredible amounts of data, and Rensselaer is offering all three at this critical time,” Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson said. “In particular, the ability to model at multiple scales requires the unique capabilities of AiMOS.”
Big Data and Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful new ally in tracking COVID-19, modeling the virus at the molecular level, and analyzing the myriad research results being published daily. James Hendler, the Tetherless World Professor of Computer, Web, and Cognitive Science at Rensselaer and director of the Rensselaer Institute for Data Exploration and Applications (IDEA), is engaged in marshaling AI resources at Rensselaer. For example, IDEA and the Rensselaer Libraries have collaborated to maintain lists of COVID-19-related data sources and scholarly research publications. AI is being used to translate literally thousands of scientific insights from text-based research products into forms that can more easily be analyzed. “The bottom line is that dealing with COVID-19 is a ‘big data’ problem, and AI is a crucial tool in the big data toolkit,” Hendler said.
Viral Traps: As researchers worldwide scramble to formulate a vaccine to combat COVID-19, a Rensselaer team is pursuing a potentially powerful solution to control the pandemic: a viral trap that is easily adapted to different classes of viruses, enabling a “plug-and-play” approach to virus detection and antiviral activity. Jonathan Dordick, an endowed professor of chemical and biological engineering, and Robert Linhardt, an endowed professor of chemistry and chemical biology, said the Rensselaer team is exploring how their work in the areas of viral detection, therapy, and inhibition could be used against COVID-19 and other viruses in the future. Their team views such innovative approaches as a vital hedge against the growing threat of global pandemics.
Supply and Demand: Retailers across the United States are implementing purchasing limits on certain items as governmental leaders urge citizens to pace their buying habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. José Holguín-Veras, an endowed professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rensselaer and director of the Center for Infrastructure, Transportation, and the Environment, has studied panic buying that happens before and after a crisis. These purchases are a natural human reaction to concern over potential shortages, but Holguín-Veras says they can also be problematic. Initiatives that could lessen that impact include agreements with key private-sector vendors to ensure critical supplies, campaigns to educate the public, and rationing and demand-management policies.
Ecological Impacts: “As people shift their behaviors in response to COVID-19, our environmental impacts also shift. Ecosystems respond,” said Kevin Rose, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Rensselaer. Rose’s work focuses on understanding large-scale patterns and changes occurring in freshwater ecosystems, including lakes, reservoirs, ponds, rivers, and streams. He is monitoring how restrictions on human work and movement impact the ecology. Currently, aquatic ecosystems that are used to heavy human traffic, such as canals or trade routes, are calmer and some are clearing up. In other places, active management is needed to maintain high water quality and balanced ecosystems. Many of those efforts are stalled right now. As ecosystems begin waking up from winter conditions, some invasive species may become a bigger problem this summer unless management efforts are restored.
Navigating the Bear Market: Thomas Shohfi, an assistant professor of finance and accounting at the Lally School of Management at Rensselaer, advises young investors through the RPI James Student Managed Investment Fund. He believes it’s important to remember that young investors have never experienced a bear market, something that is stressful for even the most experienced investors. For millennials new to this environment, a rapid loss of investment account value and severe daily swings can be very difficult to handle emotionally at a time when they’re also dealing with the fears of getting physically sick from COVID-19. “I tell them not to let it dictate their lives and to not become addicted to watching the fluctuations,” Shohfi said. “Be confident in the long term and avoid short-term speculative risks that could permanently damage their portfolio.”
Best Board Games: Maurice Suckling is more qualified than just about anyone to recommend the best board games for families, couples, and others stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. A professor of practice in the Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences program at Rensselaer, he teaches about game writing, board games as storytelling, and games as historical simulations. He has credits on over 50 published video games and is also a published board game designer. His most recent board game, Chancellorsville: 1863, is in production with Worthington Publishing and will be released later in 2020.
Effective Telecommuting: In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, businesses are looking for ways to maintain productivity and a healthy work force. Telecommuting has emerged as one of the best options for companies to continue their workflow. But according to Timothy Golden, a professor in the Lally School of Management at Rensselaer, it takes effort from both the managers and the employees to make it work. “Research shows that transitioning to working from home on a full-time basis can be bumpy at first, if not done right,” said Golden, a leading expert in the field of telecommuting, telework, and the relationship between technology and managerial behavior. “Staying connected and making sure that your employees do not feel isolated, either socially or professionally, is especially important if they are to remain dedicated and productive.”
Entrepreneurial Opportunities: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses is growing more apparent every day. Small businesses, from restaurants and bars to beauty salons and tattoo parlors, are particularly struggling to regain their footing as the crisis forces more and more customers into their homes for an indefinite period. The leaders of the Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship can discuss how entrepreneurs might effectively respond to this difficult time and why — despite the seemingly bleak future — they might be the most adept at handling change.
Better Health Through Proper Lighting: Exposure to a robust 24-hour light–dark cycle promotes circadian entrainment, which has many well-documented health benefits. For the many individuals who have been forced indoors by the COVID-19 pandemic, the correct use of light is an essential tool for maintaining mental, emotional, and physical health. For example, Mariana Figueiro, a professor and the director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer, suggests that people who are mainly indoors right now increase their light exposure by a factor of four during the daytime. Morning light provides the most benefit in terms of avoiding the circadian disruptions that can lead to depression, anxiety, and insomnia. If someone has one table lamp in their home office or wherever they spend the bulk of the day, three more lamps should be added for a total of four. Extra lights should be turned off in the evening, mimicking sunset.
The Vaccine Video Game: Ushering a drug or vaccine from the research bench to the bedside of a patient in need is a complex process. To help medical students comprehend the steps and stages in this pipeline, faculty and students in the GSAS program at Rensselaer, in collaboration with the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, are developing Cure Quest. According to Ben Chang, a professor of arts and the director of the GSAS program at Rensselaer, this mobile computer game “will allow medical students to tie together the necessary steps for vaccine development in dramatic cases like we’re seeing right now with COVID-19.”
Social Media and State of Mind: As an expert in how information spreads on social media, Lydia Manikonda, an assistant professor in the Lally School of Management at Rensselaer, has been tracking data from Chinese social media platforms specifically pertaining to COVID-19 since mid-January, and following American data since the beginning of February, to develop an understanding of how people are bearing the various burdens created by the pandemic.
Managing Stress Responses: The COVID-19 pandemic is causing people extreme stress and anxiety, which can lead to changes in the body and the brain. Alicia Walf, a senior lecturer in the Cognitive Science Department at Rensselaer, and Tomie Hahn, a professor in the Department of the Arts at Rensselaer and the director of the Center for Deep Listening, have combined their years of research and experience to provide a number of scientifically grounded stress reduction strategies and wellness practices that can be implemented to reduce these physical responses to stress and anxiety.
About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is America’s first technological research university. Rensselaer encompasses five schools, 32 research centers, more than 145 academic programs, and a dynamic community made up of more than 7,900 students and over 100,000 living alumni. Rensselaer faculty and alumni include more than 145 National Academy members, six members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, six National Medal of Technology winners, five National Medal of Science winners, and a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. With nearly 200 years of experience advancing scientific and technological knowledge, Rensselaer remains focused on addressing global challenges with a spirit of ingenuity and collaboration. To learn more, please visit www.rpi.edu.
STANFORD GRADUATE HAS THE ANSWER TO REMAIN ACTIVE AND IN SHAPE WHILE STAYING AT HOME.
Ocinator, the only fitness program developed on Stanford University’s campus, offers its program free for 30-days to help people staying at home during the Coronavirus crisis
STANFORD, CA--- Afraid of unwanted pounds from lack of movement and eating too much during the Coronavirus crisis? Ocinator.comannounced today that it is making its innovative and smart fitness program free for 30-days.
Ocinator is 20-minutes per day of intelligent, targeted, and easy-to-do at-home exercise sessions. This is not a program that will “kill you.” Ocinator is designed to build you, to improve your looks, posture, and quality of life, for years to come.
Ocinator is now, for the first time, available for free to the public including its simple eating guide and its revolutionary 3-minute, low-impact and heart pumping cardio workouts.
The Ocinator program is ideal for men and women of any age. Included in the free program:
· Online access to each day’s 20-Minute Ocinator Workout · Online access to Ocinator’s 3-Minute Cardio Workouts · Online access to the Ocinator Food Guide · Exclusive access Ocinator’s creator email for questions
“Now, more than ever, we must keep on moving and avoid injuries” says Nico Chavando, creator of the Ocinator Program and graduate of Stanford University. “No pain, no gain’ was the thinking in the 1980’s. Our extensive research and success stories prove that if you want to maintain excellent health levels, it’s important to work out consistently and efficiently and eat right. During this pandemic crisis, eating right and not dieting is the best way to take care of our bodies. Our Eating Guide helps our members achieve results without dieting, and we also made it available for free.”
He adds, “In contrast to many workout programs, Ocinator’s 20-minute daily workouts minimize workout time, exercise repetitions, and overall pain. Ocinator’s unique exercise program shows you exactly how to work out for results, not exhaustion. With Ocinator, you will be able to exercise consistently and efficiently at home. You may never come back to the germ-filled gyms after trying Ocinator. If you are ready to come back from this crisis looking amazing, feeling happier and more confident, Ocinator is for you.”
The Ocinator eating program is created for the busy people. “Most of us don’t have 3-4 hours a day to prepare meals and snacks, and count calories, as the many other programs recommend. Trying to follow one of those unrealistic and limiting diets, in many cases, sets you up for failure and frustration,” says Nico Chavando.
Ocinator’s eating program is not a diet; it is a simple and straightforward food guide that lists the foods you can eat at home, fancy restaurants, or even the largest fast-food chains. Ocinator lays out what to eat and what to stay away from. Simple.
ShiftLink, Inc. provides an automated solution to expedite the shift-filling process to help front-line staff
TORONTO, March 24, 2020 /CNW/ - ShiftLink, Inc., an innovator in shift management software, is working closely with healthcare providers and organizations who employ front-line staff to offer an automated shift-filling solution.
"An efficient shift management process is automated, paperless, and requires few phone calls," says Julie Adams, Chief Executive Officer of ShiftLink. "Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, organizations require a 24/7 staff rotation, and we are working very closely with them to provide support wherever we can," says Adams.
ShiftLink ensures appropriate levels of staff are on duty and are not spending critical hours on the phone. Steven Parker, Senior Manager at Shepherds of Good Hope in Ottawa says, "This software [ShiftLink] is being used and it has been a game-changer for management and staff, especially in times like these."
ShiftLink is offering to waive all set up fees, customization of the platform, virtual training, and 24-7 support to any hospital in Canada to help battle COVID-19 demands, and is ensuring the deployment of the solution to emergency and intensive care departments can be ready within a few days.
"We are extremely proud to be offering a solution to this very real and challenging time by helping hospitals, shelters and clinics ensure that its focus can remain where it is needed most – on patients and clients. ShiftLink has proven to be a great fit with hospitals and the community service sector and we are honoured to support local communities as we manage through the challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak," says Richard Bicknell, Chief Operating Officer, ShiftLink.
ShiftLink has sent out over 2 million shift notifications to date, is union-friendly, and offers a "code orange" feature that supports emergency response protocols.
ShiftLink, Inc. is a Canadian technology company based in Whitby, Ontario that supports social enterprises, hospitals, shelters, and other organizations that depend on frontline workers. Its solution is a customizable cloud and mobile application that significantly reduces the time, cost, and frustration associated with filling open shifts.
SOURCE ShiftLink inc
How Weightlifting Can Help Balance Your Testosterone
Low testosterone is a common problem that affects one in four men over 30. However, many men ignore the signs and symptoms or chalk it up to getting older. You might be surprised to know that weight-bearing exercise can boost your testosterone levels naturally. Read on to learn how pumping iron can pump up your testosterone.
Resistance Training Raises Testosterone
A man’s testosterone production increases following a resistance training workout, which means that incorporating weightlifting and other resistance exercises into your fitness routine can elevate your levels over time. Focus on strength training for two to three days per week and make your workouts last between 30 minutes and an hour. Alternate resistance training with workouts for flexibility and cardiovascular health.
Fitness Balances Hormones
Maintaining a healthy level of physical and cardiovascular fitness is a great way to improve your overall hormonal balance, and lifting weights is one of the best ways to get in shape. Strength training not only supports a healthy level of testosterone in men but also helps keep other hormones like cortisol and insulin in check.
Lean Muscle Burns Body Fat
Body fat, especially around the midsection, increases estrogen and lowers testosterone in men. Building lean muscle through weightlifting is a very effective way to burn that excess fat and increase your testosterone levels. However, low testosterone can be a vicious cycle because it’s more difficult to build muscle when your levels are low. Temporarily supplementing with a medication like the transdermal testosterone androgel can help you achieve greater muscle mass, reduce body fat and balance your hormones.
Forced Repetition Generates More Testosterone
If your testosterone levels are truly in the dumps, consider using forced repetition workouts to get your body pumping this hormone on high. Forced repetition involves lifting as many reps as you can followed by a partner helping you lift a few more. This technique was shown in a study from Finland to produce more testosterone than lifting weights alone.
Although weight training can help increase your testosterone levels, rest and recovery time is just as important. You need to let your muscles rest in between workouts so your body can repair and rebuild muscle fibers. Getting enough sleep is also essential because a man’s body produces testosterone and other vital hormones during the deeper cycles of REM sleep.
APA TO STATES, INSURERS: PROVIDE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE DURING COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
Use of telecommunications will help prevent spread of virus, APA asserts
WASHINGTON — The American Psychological Association called on states and insurers to move quickly to allow people to connect with their mental health providers remotely using telehealth as the need for mental health services rises during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are asking state policymakers to temporarily suspend state licensing requirements for telepsychological services, which would allow patients greater access to their providers and ensure continuity of care during this crisis,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, APA’s chief executive officer.
“The federal government has just identified psychologists as critical, essential workers in the U.S. response to COVID-19. But this does not mean that psychologists and psychology trainees must do work in person," he said. "Essential psychological services can, and in many cases, should be delivered through telehealth. It is critically important that psychologists are able to meet the needs of their patients and communities during this difficult time, without further increasing the risk of contagion.”
Private insurers should also approve payments for videoconferencing for all providers without limitation, as well as telephone-only services, and psychological and neuropsychological testing, he said.
Advances in telecommunications now allow people to interact with their psychologists through video, telephone and secure messaging platforms. These technological platforms allow people to receive mental health treatment while avoiding the spread of the disease, according to APA.
Legislation passed by Congress in early March provided psychologists with greater flexibility in providing telehealth services to seniors on Medicare. However, it stopped short of providing similar benefits to those on Medicaid and private insurance. This legislation also did not extend Medicare reimbursement for audio-only services via telephone or for psychological or neuropsychological testing. Many patients and some providers do not have access or capability to use cellphones with video chat. They may also not have internet service or sufficient broadband speed. This is especially true for the many vulnerable populations served by psychologists, including older adults, those with disabilities, people residing in rural areas, those with a lower income, and others.
The federal legislation also does not supersede state licensing laws. Licensed psychologists are typically prohibited from using telehealth to provide services across state lines. APA calls for temporary suspensions of state licensing laws and regulations regarding telepsychological services in order to meet critical needs during the crisis. Some jurisdictions have already issued emergency declarations or have existing temporary practice provisions allowing licensed, out-of-state providers to deliver services during this public health emergency. A number of states have already acted to allow audio-only phone access to telehealth services, in addition to video chat.
“This is an extraordinary public health crisis with vast and unpredictable implications for the nation’s mental health,” Evans said. “Social isolation, grief, fear and stress are already having a real and crippling impact on Americans. Federal and state leaders and insurance companies must take immediate steps to expand access to mental health treatment for all.”
Government and insurance policies in response to the coronavirus crisis are changing rapidly. APA’s COVID-19 webpage provides frequent updates on this issue. For an up-to-date summary of changes to state-by-state licensing laws, check the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards’ web site.
Seeking.com Member Sign Ups Up 74 Percent Over Same Time Last Year Doctors and dating coaches agree that person-to-person communication is essential to mental health during social distancing, explaining an increase on average of 10,000 additional new users per day on the world’s largest Sugar Dating Site, SeekingArrangement.
March 24, 2020, Las Vegas -- As mandatory shutdowns of all non-essential businesses spread across the globe, and social distancing becomes the norm, tens of millions of singles are forced to find alternative ways to connect and interact with each other.
Without the ability to meet new people at bars, gyms or other public places, SeekingArrangement provides a platform that allows singles to adapt quickly and stay connected.
The focus of the dating site has always been to establish meaningful online connections in-order to get comfortable enough to take it to the next level, meeting in-person. Although that’s become increasingly difficult in recent weeks, daters are signing up in droves, finding like-minded adults to escape isolation. While physical distancing is important, the company feels that there has never been a time when we needed to be even more socially and emotionally connected to other human beings.
“Couples (and singles) should increase communication during this physical separation,” says CEO and Founder of Whose Apple Dynamic Coaching and Consulting Services Dr. Linda Williams. “Frankly, many relationships will be tested -- which is not a bad thing at all. This time will either strengthen or show weaknesses in the relationship. Those relationships founded on the physical, rather than a deeper foundation, may prove challenging, But, this is an opportunity to increase emotional intimacy outside of the physical.”
“The importance of making a connection and staying connected during these times is paramount for people susceptible to depression and anxiety,” according to a Pew Research Center study revealing “isolation exacerbates an individual’s level of dissatisfaction with aspects of their personal life, to the extent that they are depression-prone, where isolating them could lead to negative mindsets that get worse the longer they remain isolated.”
With little insight on when social distancing will end, SeekingArrangement will continue to help support mental health by helping singles meet new people safely, through online engagement.
In a new interview with CMRubinWorld, Steve Mesler, Co-Founder and CEO of Classroom Champions, says all American schools will be able to learn anytime.
NEW YORK (PRWEB) MARCH 24, 2020
Classroom Champions, an organization that supports social and emotional learning (SEL), has launched a new platform and curriculum with Olympic and Paralympic athlete mentors. In a new interview with C.M. Rubin, Founder of CMRubinWorld, Mesler explains that the bottom line for the initiative was to create a safe place that takes the wisdom of athletes who are “walking the talk of perseverance, grit, and leadership,” and provide it to all teachers and schools in the United States. The platform will allow Classroom Champions to put Olympic and Paralympic athlete mentors in front of kids at a time in their lives when they’re most impressionable.
The Classroom Champions platform includes a brand new curriculum with 8 thematic units that focus on real-life evidence-based SEL learning topics for educators to leverage. Units are anchored in athletes’ video lessons supported by lesson plans and other family engagement materials. “There’s no other place where you can learn social and emotional lessons taught by the world’s best,” says Mesler.
Steve Mesler is the Co-Founder and CEO of Classroom Champions, a non-profit dedicated to connecting students with world-class athlete mentors. The organization supports social and emotional learning (SEL) and academic achievement, and provides curriculum and mentorship programs to districts, schools, and teachers to encourage children to achieve successful futures. Working with 150+ Olympic, Paralympic, university student-athletes, and professional athletes who volunteer as mentors, Classroom Champions has provided scholarships to Title I, rural, and indigenous communities across the continent. Learn more at: http://www.classroomchampions.org.
CMRubinWorld’s award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, brings together distinguished thought leaders in education and innovation from around the world to explore the key learning issues faced by most nations. The series has become a highly visible platform for global discourse on 21st century learning, offering a diverse range of innovative ideas which are presented by the series founder, C. M. Rubin, together with the world’s leading thinkers.
Government of Canada providing financial support towards Medicago's COVID-19 vaccine development
Quebec City biopharmaceutical company moving towards testing stages of COVID-19 vaccine candidate
QUEBEC CITY, March 24, 2020 /CNW/ - Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, welcomes the support from the Government of Canada for the development of a vaccine against COVID-19. On March 12, Medicago announced the successful production of coronavirus Virus-Like-Particle (VLP) in just 20 days after receiving the virus gene, thus having a viable vaccine candidate against COVID-19.
This Government support will allow Medicago to rapidly move from preclinical testing to clinical trials, as well as scaling up production for pandemic response.
"We are grateful to the Government of Canada without whom the advancement of this project through the final phase of development would not be possible. The cost of such development is a major obstacle for growing companies like ours which must spend hundred of millions of dollars to bring a product to market," said Dr. Bruce D. Clark, President and CEO of Medicago. "COVID-19 was not on any company's radar, and that's why financial support from governments is so important."
This past weekend, the Government of Quebec also announced that it would contribute $7 million to help Medicago with the progress of the vaccine.
Medicago is a leader in plant-based technology having previously demonstrated its capability to be a first responder in a flu pandemic. In 2009, the company produced a research-grade vaccine candidate against H1N1 in just 19 days. In 2012, Medicago manufactured 10 million doses of a monovalent influenza vaccine within one month for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), part of the U.S. Department of Defense. In 2015, Medicago also demonstrated that it could rapidly produce an anti-Ebola monoclonal antibody cocktail for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Medicago's first product, a seasonal recombinant quadrivalent VLP vaccine for active immunization against influenza, is currently under review by Health Canada following the completion of a robust safety and efficacy clinical program involving over 25,000 patients.
About Medicago Medicago is a biopharmaceutical company with more than 450 employees in Canada and the United States. Medicago's mission is to improve global health outcomes by leveraging innovative plant-based technologies for rapid responses to emerging global health challenges. Medicago is committed to advancing therapeutics against life-threatening diseases worldwide.
