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April 7, 2020 Bioscience Notebook

Sema4 ramps up COVID-19 testing in Branford; Biohaven TV commercial airs in primetime

IMAGE | Contributed Biohaven Pharmaceuticals has begun airing its first televised commercial for its newly approved migraine drug, Nurtec ODT.
By Natalie Missakian

As Gov. Ned Lamont pledged to ramp up testing for COVID-19, genomic testing firm Sema4 on Monday said it would partner with the state and health care providers to analyze up to 6,000 tests each week at its Branford lab. 

The Stamford-based company said it can provide results in 24 to 48 hours.

Doctors in Connecticut and New York are able to order the tests, which are available free to patients, Sema4 said. 

State officials have said there is a pressing need for increased testing capacity and speedier results to combat the virus. The testing can be especially useful for screening medical personnel and other high-risk populations, Sema4 said.

A spinoff of New York’s Mount Sinai Health System, Sema4 said it is also working to develop serum-based antibody tests to identify people already exposed to the virus who have developed immunity. 

That’s also important because people with antibodies can become potential blood donors to treat the sickest COVID-19 patients, Sema4 said. 

“With our proximity to the epicenter of the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, we desperately need increased testing capacity and reliable results reported as quickly as possible,” the state’s chief operating officer, Josh Geballe, said in a statement. 

Other Connecticut companies and institutions are also continuing to answer the call for help with the COVID-19 crisis.

* * *

Researchers at Yale University say a new drug they have been developing to treat lung fibrosis could be helpful combating the most deadly respiratory effects of COVID-19.

Yale said studies in mice have shown the drug, called sobetirome, is effective at preventing and treating Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). The potentially fatal condition is common in COVID-19 patients, particularly those who are older. 

Yale pulmonologist Naftali Kaminski, MD and his team began developing the drug a few years ago, according to a news release. 

“It was surprising how effective sobetirome was in mouse models,” said Kaminski. “We saw significant improvement.”

Kaminski said the drug could prevent ARDS by interfering with the massive immune “overreaction” in patients infected with COVID-19. This response, known as the “cytokine storm,” occurs during COVID-19’s “lurking period,” before patients begin experiencing symptoms, according to Kaminski.

The massive immune reaction leads to a flooding of immune cells and fluid into the lungs, which can lead to respiratory failure and death, he explained.

Kaminski and other researchers are seeking funding for clinical trials with high-risk COVID-19 patients both at Yale New Haven Hospital and in Greece, according to the release.

* * *

Vanessa Research Inc. said Monday it has begun manufacturing hand sanitizer at its Hungary manufacturing plant to address a shortage.

The Hamden biotech, which also has locations in Germany and Spain, said it manufactured the hand sanitizer according to formulation guidelines from the World Health Organization and U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

The simple sanitizer, Klarex Cleanse, has four ingredients: ethyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, glycerin and purified water. 

The company shipped the first batch of the sanitizer to the Hungarian market on March 22, after hiring more than 25 employees at its Hungary plant to aid production. It plans to introduce the product in the U.S. soon.

Meanwhile, state bioscience booster organization BioCT is sponsoring an online panel discussion Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to noon with Connecticut companies working on other coronavirus therapies and vaccines.

The discussion will feature panelists from Pfizer, the Jackson Laboratory, CaroGen, 4Catalyzer, NanoViricides and Thetis Pharmaceuticals. 

Members of the public can register here.

* * *

Biohaven Pharmaceuticals has made the big time — or at least primetime.

The New Haven biotech just began airing its first televised commercial for the company’s newly approved migraine drug, Nurtec ODT.

The 30-second spot is running both nationally and regionally, appearing during popular TV shows like The Voice, Ellen’s Game of Games and Big Bang Theory.

The commercial has also aired during daytime television shows like The View, Good Morning America and the Today Show.

The campaign, called “Onederful,” is a play on words that highlights Nurtec’s one-pill-per-migraine dosing, Biohaven CEO Vlad Coric, MD, told New Haven BIZ Monday. The FDA approved Nurtec, a fast-dissolving pill that can be taken without water, in February.

“We have one dose that’s taken up to once daily, and people are back to normal within one hour,” said Coric. “We wanted to get that across in a very clean, patient-centric way.”

Old Lyme resident Ellie Wiese, a 20-year-old migraine patient who took part in Nurtec’s clinical trials, appears midway through the television spot. 

Shown at first in the throes of an attack, she later appears transformed, smiling and working out at the gym. The other actors, depicting a subway commuter and a young mom, are also real-life migraine sufferers, Coric said.

The commercial ends with the tagline “One migraine. One dose. Onederful.”

The ad will run daily for the next few months, Coric said. He declined to disclose how much Biohaven spent on the commercial, for competitive reasons.

In addition to TV, Coric said Biohaven is running the ads on social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

Contact Natalie Missakian at news@newhavenbiz.com

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