Shares of Paris-based Abivax SA (Paris:ABVX) fell 25.4% to €21 (US$25.07) on March 8 after the company said it would halt a phase IIb/III trial of its lead candidate, ABX-464, in high-risk COVID-19 patients for lack of efficacy. The decision was based on a data safety monitoring board analysis that Abivax said revealed a "lower than expected rate (10.1%) of progression to severe disease or death with no difference between ABX-464 and placebo groups," each of which also received standard-of-care therapy.

The FDA issued an advisory about the use of thermal imaging systems as screening instruments for the COVID-19 pandemic landing the same day as a warning letter to Certify Global Inc. The agency’s concern is that these systems are being used without consideration for the limitations, including that they are not appropriate for mass screenings due to inaccurate findings that could elevate the risk of spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

PERTH, Australia – Genetic Technologies Ltd. signed a co-exclusive licensing deal with U.S.-based central lab Infinity Biologix LLC (IBX) for the production, sale and distribution of Genetic Technology’s COVID-19 serious disease risk test in the U.S. Branded as Genetype, the genotyping test combines a patient’s clinical profile with their genetic information to compute a patient’s risk of developing severe disease from COVID-19.