The world’s largest genomics study in patients with life-threatening COVID-19 infections has uncovered 16 new genetic variants associated with severe disease and drawn up a roadmap for research into new therapies and diagnostics. The research involved comparing the complete genome sequences of 7,491 patients admitted to 224 intensive care units in the U.K. against those of 48,400 participants in Genomics England’s 100,000 Genomes project, and of a further 1,630 people who had mild COVID-19. While some of the gene variants found in the Genomicc study affect the function of a protein, others influence the amount of the protein that is expressed. An example is mucin-1, where overexpression led to worse outcomes. Read More
The indirect impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the life sciences sector continues to grow, as the West responds with more and more sanctions against Russia. In one of the latest moves, the European Commission announced March 4 that it is suspending cooperation with Russian entities in research, science and innovation. Read More
Investors are backing precision medicine company Cancer IQ Inc. with $14 million to expand use of its cancer prevention platform. The series B funds will be used to scale the company’s cancer screening service among diverse, uninsured, and rural populations in the U.S. Read More
Royal Philips NV expanded its commitment to increasing awareness of cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CEID) infections with a new partnership with the American Heart Association (AHA). The organizations are rolling out a program to educate medical professionals on the proper management of these infections which are commonly treated with antibiotics, an approach that leads to reinfection in the majority of cases. Read More
New legislation providing a tax incentive for Australian medical innovations was introduced in Australia’s House of Representatives, and industry stakeholders are lauding the move. The measure, providing a special tax regime on income derived from patents, a “patent box,” will apply for income years beginning on or after July 1. Read More
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Breg, Calyx, Clinchoice, J2 Medical, Oncimmune, Premier, Tytocare. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Artventive Medical, Biobot Surgical, Mawi DNA Technologies. Read More
