STAT+: Pharmalittle: Pfizer and BioNTech say vaccine is effective against Covid-19 variant; U.S. to join COVAX initiative

Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is, as the much-discussed change in Washington, D.C., offers the U.S. a fresh start on combating Covid-19, among many other things. Quite a to-do list, yes? Well, we will celebrate with a few cups of stimulation — maple bourbon is our choice today — and we invite you to join us. Meanwhile, time to get cracking. Here are a few tidbits to help you get going. We hope your day is productive and meaningful. And if you come across any juicy tidbits or secret dossiers, keep us in mind. …
The Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer ( PFE ) and BioNTech ( BNTX ) appears to work just as well against a fast-spreading variant of Covid-19 first identified in the U.K. as it does against earlier forms of the virus , STAT writes. The findings, based on an analysis of blood of participants in trials, are based on more extensive analysis than those released last week. Pfizer said a similar lab study showed the vaccine was effective against one key mutation, called N501Y, found in both of the highly transmissible new variants spreading in the U.K. and South Africa. Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…