PERTH, Australia – As the state of Victoria in Australia records its deadliest day since the COVID-19 pandemic began, reporting 17 deaths and 394 new cases, Atomo Diagnostics Ltd.’s new COVID-19 antibody test could ease pressure on health care systems.
Shares of Omeros Corp. (NASDAQ:OMER) jumped 50.9% to $21.32 on Aug. 10 after it reported that six critically ill COVID-19 patients treated with its investigational lectin-pathway inhibitor, narsoplimab, recovered from the disease. The company said it will now seek government support to accelerate the drug’s large-scale manufacture. "We look forward to being able to make narsoplimab broadly available to hospitalized COVID-19 patients," said Omeros CEO Greg Demopulos.
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Anaptysbio, Avadel, Axsome, BMS, Eli Lilly, Enlivex, Genentech, Humanigen, Innovent, Kamada, Krystal, Logicbio, Ovid, Pharming, Precigen, Rhovac, Seres.
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked some innovation in testing, but not all that innovation has made it to market. Michael Mina, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University, said on an Aug. 7 conference call that the U.S. FDA’s “archaic view” of testing is impeding the use of paper strip tests he said would turn the tide in the effort to contain the pandemic.
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Co-Diagnostics, Guardant Health, Scientia Vascular.
Out of 922 biopharma financings so far in 2020, nearly a quarter of them – 211 – were done by companies working on a COVID-19 therapeutic or vaccine. More strikingly, however, the $27.8 billion raised by those pandemic-focused firms represents about 40% of the $71.8 billion total collected through the end of July. That amount is the highest BioWorld has ever tracked.
