Respiratory complications caused by COVID-19 can propel a patient from a mild cough one day to a ventilator and an ICU only 10 days later. As countries around the world work to stockpile ventilators and citizens continue social distancing measures, biopharma companies are tackling the development of fast-acting therapeutics to disrupt a dire disease trajectory in hospitalized patients. An industry-wide frantic race has ensued. On March 5, BioWorld reported that there were approximately 30 therapeutics and vaccines in development for COVID-19. As of April 28, there were 343 total: 249 therapeutics and 94 vaccines.
LONDON – Leading genome sequencing groups are launching the first meta-analysis in the hunt for genetic factors that explain why some people have worse COVID-19 symptoms than others, after agreeing to share patient sequence data from around the world.
Pasadena, Calif.-based Circularity Healthcare LLC has initiated a clinical trial to evaluate its transdermal microcirculation device in COVID-19 patients with underlying health conditions. The aim is to see if use of the noninvasive deoxyhemoglobin vasodilator (from which the product derives its name) improves outcomes in patients suffering from coronavirus-related complications.
Hospitals may be providing patient care outside of normal clinical settings during the COVID-19 outbreak, but this raises the question of how to access patient data systems in these makeshift settings. Arthur Young, president and CEO of Interbit Data Inc., of Natick, Mass., told BioWorld that the company’s solution is to add Internet-based access to its Netsafe system.
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Abbvie, Allergan, Alphatec Holdings, Carmell Therapeutics, Electrocore, Eos Imaging, Erba Mannheim, Genalyte, Gilson, IBM, Institute for Systems Biology, Menarini-Silicon Biosystems, Merck, Nano-X Imaging, Novacyt Group, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, O-Two Medical Technologies, Qiagen, Synaptive Medical.
Keeping you up to date on recent developments in cardiology, including: Helping heart cells regenerate; Heart failure hormone has role in sepsis; Speeding up ER treatment; Cheating cell death improves infarct outcomes.
Preliminary data from the first part of a phase II/III trial testing the interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor antibody Kevzara (sarilumab, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sanofi SA) in patients with severe or critical respiratory illness caused by COVID-19 found that, relative to a placebo, the medicine "had no notable benefit on clinical outcomes" among that combined group.
Given all the public-private partnerships responding to the need for timely COVID-19 therapies, diagnostics and vaccines, the demands to forgo patents or exclusive licenses for coronavirus products and the clamor that industry shouldn’t “profit” from U.S. taxpayer-supported research are growing louder.
Pittsburgh-based Alung Technologies Inc. has received emergency use authorization from the U.S. FDA for its Hemolung Respiratory Assist System (RAS) to treat lung failure caused by COVID-19. The technology could help to ease demand for ventilators, which have been in short supply in coronavirus hot spots, and provide an alternative for patients who can’t tolerate mechanical ventilation.
Vayyar Imaging Ltd., which focuses on 4D radar imaging, reported that the Israeli government is using its sensor technology to fight the spread of COVID-19. “Vayyar uses 3D imaging to map what is happening in any environment but incorporates a fourth dimension – detecting and analyzing changes over time – to provide the most comprehensive monitoring solution,” Ofer Familier, general manager of Vayyar, told BioWorld.
