Affordable, scalable, and accessible

A high-precision antibody test and promising alternative vaccine for COVID-19

Posted by: Team Tony

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In part 2 of this special edition episode, Tony – along with his friend Dr. Peter Diamandis, the Harvard Medical School trained M.D. and executive founder of Singularity University – explore the present and future of COVID-19.

If you haven’t heard Part 1, be sure to listen to it as Dr. Bob Hariri joined the conversation to provide additional context and clarification of the COVID-19 numbers we’re seeing around the clock in the news.

Today, Tony and Peter speak with Mei Mei Hu and Lou Reese of United Biomedical, a company that is now offering an affordable and accurate diagnostic test for COVID-19 through its subsidiary, COVAXX.

Their antibody test is different from others, as it can detect not only if you currently have the virus, but also it signals if you’ve ever had the virus, which is crucial in determining the true rate of mortality associated with COVID-19 – and whether people are immune and therefore able to stop isolating, and go back to work.

Lou and Mei Mei’s team at COVAXX is also working on a breakthrough alternative option to a traditional vaccine for coronavirus, which you’ll hear discussed in the last half of the episode.

EPISODE NOTES

[00:00] Let Tony know what you think
[1:00] Intro to episode part two
[1:30] Testing for antibodies
[2:00] Tony opens show
[2:30] Tony intros Peter Diamandis
[3:00] A look back at part one
[3:30] What we should be thinking about
[4:00] Covaxx
[4:30] Lou and Mei Mei are on a mission
[5:00] United Biomedical
[6:00] Longevity of company
[6:30] Peptide vaccine
[7:00] How is their strategy different?
[8:00] Durable antibodies
[8:30] IgG specific
[9:00] A very different type of test
[10:00] You need lots of tools in the toolbox
[11:00] Longer lasting antibodies
[12:00] Disparity in tests
[13:00] ELISA test
[13:30] Existing ELISA labs
[14:30] Challenge with original numbers
[15:00] More testing can change things
[15:30] County-wide testing
[16:00] Second round of testing
[17:00] We don’t know what works yet
[18:00] You should get a cookie
[19:00] 3 different groups
[20:00] Isolate those you need to
[20:30] San Miguel County
[21:00] 2014 Article
[22:00] Has this virus been around for longer?
[23:00] Testing is critical
[24:00] Test distribution
[24:30] People recognize the need for testing
[25:00] Essential workers are a priority
[25:30] Testing the population
[26:00] How can we get involved?
[27:00] Clinical network
[27:30] Covaxx.com
[28:00] Testing first responders
[29:00] How it works
[30:00] Lou and Mei Mei’s different approach
[31:00] Mimicking the virus
[32:00] How pigs play in
[32:30] Pricing
[33:00] Scale is crucial
[33:30] Safety
[34:00] Peter slows it down
[35:00] Zero downside
[36:00] Experience in coronaviruses
[36:30] Unprecedented acceleration from FDA
[37:30] In time for next influence season
[38:30] Summer trials
[39:00] Down to our favorites
[40:00] Other vaccines
[41:00] Vision into reality
[41:30] You just have to care
[42:00] Greater purpose
[42:30] Sacrifices are made
[43:00] The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
[44:00] Manifestation
[45:00] Hearing no should be energizing
[46:00] Don’t think you can’t make a difference

 

About Lou Reese

Lou Reese is Co-CEO of COVAXX, and CEO of United Neuroscience and a member of the executive committee of United Biomedical, Inc. Lou co-founded an investment and advisory firm with active investments in real estate, energy, hospitality, and life sciences. His investments focus on achieving global impact in critical important areas through innovative models and approaches. He is passionate about better understanding communities and group flow. Lou loves all things vision and believes in creating environments in which we can reach our potential to be disruptive originals. He was formerly an investment banker at J.P. Morgan. He received his B.A. from University of Pennsylvania and attended Columbia Business School.

 

About Mei Mei Hu

Mei Mei Hu is Co-CEO of COVAXX, as well as CEO of United Neuroscience and a member of the executive committee of United Biomedical, Inc. She oversaw the launch of one of the first endobody vaccines in the world and the successful spin-out of three companies. Mei Mei was formerly a consultant at McKinsey & Company where she advised pharmaceutical companies on strategic, operational and organizational issues. She holds a B.A. from University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.

 

 

About Dr. Peter Diamandis

Peter Diamandis is Chairman and CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation, best known for its $10 million Ansari X PRIZE for private spaceflight. Today the X PRIZE leads the world in designing and operating large-scale global competitions to solve market failures. Diamandis is also the Co-Founder and Vice-Chairman of Human Longevity Inc. (HLI), a genomics and cell therapy-based diagnostic and therapeutic company focused on extending the healthy human lifespan. He is also the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Singularity University, a graduate-level Silicon Valley institution that studies exponentially growing technologies, their ability to transform industries and solve humanity’s grand challenges.