Hesperos Inc.'s Human-on-a-Chip in vitro system demonstrated two types of responses of the immune system in a study conducted with Hoffman-La Roche Pharmaceuticals and the University of Central Florida.
As more COVID-19 antibody testing becomes available, one question has been on everybody’s mind: Does the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the global pandemic, mean that people are protected from future infection? To that end, Genscript Biotech Corp., of Piscataway, N.J., has applied for emergency use authorization (EUA) with the U.S. FDA to market a test that specifically recognizes neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.
HONG KONG – China’s Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co. Ltd. has struck a deal with Merck KGaA for a clinical trial program in China to investigate the efficacy and safety of Junshi’s anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody (MAb), Tuoyi (toripalimab) in combination with Merck’s Erbitux (cetuximab) as a treatment for recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN).
With some positive early data for an antibody to block the COVID-19 virus, Sorrento Therapeutics Inc. is now looking to test a product in a few dozen intensive care patients by the end of July or early August and move into a much broader pool of patients by October.
LONDON – The World Health Organization (WHO) is stepping up its effort to try and ensure equitable access to any approved COVID-19 vaccines and therapies, putting in place a system for sharing all intellectual property, information and clinical trials data needed to enable generic manufacturing.
SUZHOU, China – With the outbreak tightly contained, business activities are starting to get back to normal in China. Opening in Suzhou on Thursday, the Enmore Bio Conference 2020 is one of the first industry galas to take place since the coronavirus hit the country. In the opening session, Chinese biotech insiders pointed to a bumpy road ahead for Chinese companies in the post-COVID-19 era.
Exact Sciences Corp., of Madison, Wis., detailed three studies of the Oncotype Dx Breast Recurrence Score test during the virtual 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
LONDON – After eight years in development, Memed Diagnostics Ltd. has secured CE marking for its point-of-care blood test, which is able to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections in 15 minutes.
Swept up into a coronavirus whirlwind, the biopharma industry has ramped up development of therapeutics and vaccines and altered business plans to fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a way that nobody could have imagined only months ago.
