HONG KONG – Diagnostic kits are in the spotlight as Vietnam battles a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, after a wave of community infections started appearing in late July. A new outbreak has infected more than 220 people since July 25, most of whom came from the coastal city of Da Nang.
“There’s a difference in knowing something and realizing something. We’ve known for quite a while now that we’re too dependent on other countries for our medical supplies. But during this pandemic, I think we’ve realized it,” U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) said at a recent congressional hearing on the progress being made in developing COVID-19 vaccines.
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Alume, Caligor, Blackrock Microsystems, Canon Medical Systems USA, Caris Life Sciences, Companion Medical, Curepsp, Dreamtech, Elevation Oncology, E7 Health, Epitomee Medical, Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals, Hologic, Irras, Lianbio, Medcall, Medtronic, Mcfarlane Medical, Microgendx, Nestlé Health Science, Onlume, Painteq, Pccw Global, Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Promega, Quidel, Sensifree, Sure Universal, Syapse, Titan Medical, Trendlines Group, Vonco Products, Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering, Zebra Medical Vision.
PERTH, Australia – As the state of Victoria in Australia records its deadliest day since the COVID-19 pandemic began, reporting 17 deaths and 394 new cases, Atomo Diagnostics Ltd.’s new COVID-19 antibody test could ease pressure on health care systems.
Shares of Omeros Corp. (NASDAQ:OMER) jumped 50.9% to $21.32 on Aug. 10 after it reported that six critically ill COVID-19 patients treated with its investigational lectin-pathway inhibitor, narsoplimab, recovered from the disease. The company said it will now seek government support to accelerate the drug’s large-scale manufacture. "We look forward to being able to make narsoplimab broadly available to hospitalized COVID-19 patients," said Omeros CEO Greg Demopulos.
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Anaptysbio, Avadel, Axsome, BMS, Eli Lilly, Enlivex, Genentech, Humanigen, Innovent, Kamada, Krystal, Logicbio, Ovid, Pharming, Precigen, Rhovac, Seres.
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked some innovation in testing, but not all that innovation has made it to market. Michael Mina, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University, said on an Aug. 7 conference call that the U.S. FDA’s “archaic view” of testing is impeding the use of paper strip tests he said would turn the tide in the effort to contain the pandemic.
