The biotech industry's rapid response to COVID-19, a pivot of global scope, is driving a broad array of approaches to tackling the infection. On Monday, the first day of BIO's virtual convention, the trade group gathered some of the effort's leading voices to take stock of how those efforts are shaping up. It put a spotlight on work underway at Athersys Inc., Regeneron Inc., SAB Biotherapeutics Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Vir Biotechnology Inc.

When BIO 2019 closed its doors in Philadelphia last June, none of the delegates of the industry’s largest event would have predicted that the next meeting, scheduled for San Diego, would be canceled and the event would be transformed into a virtual version. In just a few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has decimated our normal way of life and, until effective therapeutics and vaccines become available, how we conduct the business of biotechnology will remain radically different. This will be one of the many themes explored during BIO Digital Week that kicked off today.

PERTH, Australia – Aussie biotech CSL Ltd. and the University of Queensland (UQ) have entered a development agreement with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to accelerate  development, manufacture and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the University of Queensland.

HONG KONG – Israel-based Vayyar Imaging Ltd. and Hong Kong-based Meditemi Co. Ltd. have teamed up to create a more intelligent care robot that provides a range of remote monitoring capabilities, including early detection of COVID-19 symptoms.