If you believe the theme of the World Dementia Council (WDC) meeting in London this week, dementia is “in a new era,” where it will be possible to prevent, diagnose and treat neurodegenerative disease. That is not the case for most people living with dementia today, but the approval of the first disease-modifying drugs and the imminent arrival of new blood-based biomarkers is “a big moment,” Lenny Shallcross, executive director of WDC told the meeting on Mar. 20.
Performing experiments and potentially manufacturing products in space offers some unique advantages in a near-zero gravity environment. Space changes buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure and convective heat flow. Researchers are studying how those changes affect cells, but also looking to take advantage of the changes to create products in manufacturing processes that wouldn’t be possible on earth.
While it made a sturdy effort as biopharma companies opted for licensing deals over M&As in 2022, the year did not surpass 2021 in deal values, falling about 3.5% short. Lackluster M&A values dropped to their lowest levels in five years and were down by 35.6% compared with 2021.
In the fourth year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization is monitoring two omicron subvariants, BA.5.2 and BF.7, causing a surge of COVID-19 cases in China. It also is keeping abreast of rising XBB.1.5 cases and declining BQ.1 cases in Europe and the U.S., where hospitalizations have increased in recent weeks. Global cases in the last month are trending below the same timepoints in 2020 and 2021, and deaths are significantly down, suggesting a move toward an endemic stage.
Investment in the fourth quarter of 2022 was dismal in Asia Pacific, as the global venture community focused on preserving capital. And the region faced other challenges throughout the year, as leaders in Australia and across Asia became acutely aware of the vulnerabilities in their supply chains. But the year also saw some big deals and collaborations involving companies across Asia Pacific, along with advances in regenerative and digital medicine.
The world is emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, as both cases and deaths have remained consistently low in recent months, despite continuous mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Nevertheless, there is a shuffling of candidates in the arsenal as new variants bump once-effective therapies and the next generation of options enter the arena.
Nearing the end of 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic clearly no longer dominates the clinical activity reported by biopharma companies. Overall clinical data tracked by BioWorld is down significantly, as is the proportion focused on the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Therapeutics and vaccines targeting cancer, infectious diseases and neurological disorders, however, remain a stronghold.
Easy access to financing, talent, and connection to sizable potential markets are Hong Kong’s advantages to develop the health care robotics industry, according to speakers at the Asia Summit on Global Health.
South Korea’s regenerative medicine market is expected to grow from $51 million in 2016 to $320 million by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 20%, So Ra Park, chair and founder of Korea’s Regenerative Medicine Acceleration Foundation said.
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