Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Biolife Sciences, Epicgenetics, Hologic, Medtronic, Mindray North America, Precision Nanosystems, Sectra Epicgenetics, Sensyne Health, Sqi Diagnostics, Tegra Medical, Titan Medical, Truvian Sciences.

Interest in testing the mettle of three widely available drugs against COVID-19 gained traction Monday, led by suggestions that daily low-dose aspirin might lower the risks of complications and death from the disease.

Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Aeglea, Bayer, Bioinvent, Bioxcel, Forte, Janssen, Nicox, Nitric Oxide Innovations, Passage, Santen, Sesen, Spectrum, Tracon, Y-mabs.

Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Allakos, Anaptysbio, Astrazeneca, Biovaxys, Cohbar, Collegium, Contrafect, Cytodyn, Geovax, GSK, Lidds, Moderna, Novartis, Olema, Quell, Resverlogix, Revolution, TFF, Titan.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Advaxis, Allakos, Allergy, Amarin, Ana, Arcutis, Atyr, Biocardia, Biophytis, Biosig, Cingulate, Crinetics, Exelixis, Forma, Galera, Glycomimetics, Gmax, Hifibio, Kiniksa, Mustang, Nanobiotix, NBE, Novartis, PTC, Regeneron, Rexgenero, Sanofi, VBI.

Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: 1health.io, Arc Bio, Genesprint Group, Holo Surgical, IMEC, Infrawear, Remote Medical International, Royal Philips, Suralign Holdings, TÜV Rheinland.

The latest global regulatory news, changes and updates affecting medical devices and technologies, including: Nuclear Regulatory Commission issues advisory letter to INIS; HHS authorizes pharmacy interns to test for COVID-19.

With more than two months left in 2020, it is imminently clear that the $147.3 billion in biopharma projected deal values will likely rise above last year’s record of $160.3 billion, considering the average value per month more than covers the gap. Mergers and acquisitions are currently tracking in fifth place over the past seven years with projected values at $134.7 billion.

HONG KONG – Even with vaccine administration just around the corner, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has warned his ministers to not rush the launch of COVID-19 vaccines over mounting public concerns about whether those vaccines would be certified halal, or permissible under Islamic law.

Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Ascendis, Astrazeneca, Evgen, Kezar.