VANCOUVER, British Columbia – With some positive early data for an antibody to block the COVID-19 virus, San Diego-based 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.
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.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Ashvattha, Basilea, Bird Rock, Cardiff, Cerecor, Chiesi, Immodulon, Macrogenics, Moleculin, Orpheris, Phasebio, Protalix, Roche, Theraly.
KARACHI, Pakistan – Beyond stepping up manufacturing of the medical devices it needs to fight COVID-19, Pakistan is using technology platforms to reach out to a large diaspora for help. The country is taking steps to leverage limited resources through a more comprehensive system of telehealth applications that allow for faster self-diagnosis and make it possible to tap into the expertise of Pakistani doctors.
Widespread testing is going to be key to safely reopening businesses and global economies in the current pandemic. To that end, Kahala Biosciences LLC, an Irvine, Calif.-based testing and tracking startup, and its technology partner, Rymedi Inc., of Greenville, S.C., have launched the Adiona COVID-19 antibody testing platform, combining antibody testing with a blockchain-enabled smartphone app to increase predictability and traceability of potential outbreaks.
The number of tests of various types for the SARS-CoV-2 virus are still growing, but the emergency use authorization (EUA) program is not the only option for developers. Timothy Stenzel, director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiology, said on the agency’s May 27 town hall that the agency would like to see test developers file for a 510(k) for their tests when the data are sufficient to support an application, adding that any such clearances will not affect the U.S. FDA’s interest in keeping plenty of similar tests on the market via the EUA mechanism.
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