Health
COVID variant JN.1 no more severe than previous strains, CDC data shows
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced this week that data indicates the current dominant strain of COVID-19 is no more severe than previous forms.
The JN.1 variant, currently the most common strain in the country, has no more severity than others, according to a report published Monday by the CDC.
“CDC continues to learn more about JN.1, but currently there is no evidence that it causes more severe disease,” the report stated.
WHO PANDEMIC TREATY ‘EQUITY THEATER,’ PENCE ADVOCACY GROUP SAYS, URGES US WITHDRAW FROM ‘UNSALVAGEABLE BODY’
JN.1 is currently the most dominant strain of SARS-CoV-2 after yet another mutation. (iStock)
It continued, “Current COVID-19 vaccines are expected to increase protection against JN.1, as they do against other variants, by helping prevent severe illness.”
JN.1, which is currently the country’s fastest growing variant, is expected to continue to increase in prevalence among COVID cases, the CDC stated. It is very similar to the BA.2.86 variant, which is an omicron subvariant that emerged in August.
It is now responsible for an estimated 85.7% of cases in the U.S. as of Jan. 22.
WASHINGTON POST URGES GOVERNMENT TO UNDERSTAND ‘WHAT SOCIETY STANDS TO LOSE FROM LOCKDOWNS’
A general view of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta. (REUTERS/Tami Chappell/File Photo)
Despite its quick growth, the agency has said “there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants,” as it does not appear to cause increased severity of illness.
The report was affirmed by CDC official Dr. Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner during a webinar.
“There are early signals that that may not be the case,” Azziz-Baumgartner said when asked if the variant was more severe than past strains, though emphasizing that individuals could experience the virus differently.
A doctor loads a dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe at a clinic in Worcester, Massachuetts. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
“Now, it’s important to remember that how a virus affects an individual is a unique ‘n’ of one,” Azziz-Baumgartner said. “It could be very severe. People could die from a virus that, to the general population, may be milder.”
The vaccines, tests and treatments that are currently available are expected to be effective against JN.1.
Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new injectable therapy is showing positive results in reducing melanoma throughout a five-year period.
The personalized mRNA cancer therapy, called intismeran autogene, combined with the cancer immunotherapy drug KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), is a collaboration between Merck and Moderna.
The results from the phase 2b KEYNOTE-942 study were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago on May 27.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
After about a five-year follow-up, the combo drug was found to reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% compared to pembrolizumab alone.
The researchers analyzed data from 157 patients with high-risk stage 3 and 4 melanoma whose cancer had been removed via surgery. The participants were split into two groups — one received the combo therapy and the other only received pembrolizumab, according to a press release.
The therapy was found to reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% compared to pembrolizumab alone after a five-year follow-up. (iStock)
The findings revealed that the combination group saw benefits that were “sustained and durable over time.”
Intismeran autogene is designed using mutations identified in a patient’s own tumor, with the intention of teaching the immune system what the cancer looks like so that it can recognize and attack it.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
According to the researchers, intismeran is “well-tolerated” with a “manageable” safety profile.
The most commonly cited side effects of the personalized mRNA vaccine plus KEYTRUDA were fatigue, injection-site pain, chills, fever and headache. The researchers reported no new long-term safety concerns and no severe vaccine-related adverse events.
The combination therapy is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 study — the final confirmation stage.
Patients with late-stage melanoma have a “significant risk” of cancer recurrence, according to an expert. (iStock)
In a Merck press release from January, Kyle Holen, MD, Moderna’s senior vice president and head of development, oncology and therapeutics, noted that this data highlights the “potential of a prolonged benefit … in patients with resected high-risk melanoma.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“We continue to invest in our platform in oncology because of encouraging outcomes like these, which illustrate mRNA’s potential in cancer care,” he said.
Dr. Marjorie Green, senior vice president and head of oncology, global clinical development at Merck Research Laboratories, also commented that for many patients with stage 3 or 4 melanoma, there is a “significant risk of recurrence following surgery.”
Researchers confirmed that the combination therapy is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 study. (iStock)
“As such, demonstrating the longer-term potential of intismeran autogene and KEYTRUDA to reduce the risk of recurrence for certain patients with melanoma is a meaningful milestone,” she said.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
The company cited encouraging five-year follow-up data and pointed to upcoming late-stage INTerpath trial results with Moderna in several hard-to-treat cancers.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
-
San Francisco, CA2 minutes agoLive Updates: San Francisco Primary Election 2026
-
Dallas, TX5 minutes agoDallas weather: Flash flooding strands vehicles near DFW Airport after heavy rain
-
Miami, FL10 minutes agoMiami-Dade condo owners plead for help after weeks-long elevator outrage impacting residents’ health
-
Boston, MA17 minutes agoWho Will Form the Boston Bruins’ Future Core?
-
Denver, CO20 minutes agoFamily: Injured firefighter improving after deadly wrong‑way crash on I‑25 in Denver
-
Seattle, WA32 minutes agoSeattle mayor is violating city law over CCTV cameras ahead of FIFA World Cup, CM says
-
San Diego, CA35 minutes ago15 Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend: June 3-7 | San Diego Magazine
-
Milwaukee, WI40 minutes ago
Celebrating 250 years of independence through Milwaukee’s immigrant narratives
