While regulators and policymakers across the world are stressing the need for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, therapies and devices, their own policies and regulations may be getting in the way of that goal. The World Trade Organization (WTO) released a list of trade-related bottlenecks July 20 that are hindering access to pandemic-related medical products.
DUBLIN – Panakès Partners SGR SpA has raised €150 million (US$177 million) in a first close of its second fund and is looking to secure a final tally of €180 million by year-end. That would represent more than twice the size of its first fund of €80 million and reflects its move into therapeutics investing.
Aditxt Technologies Inc. enhanced its immune response test for COVID-19 by adding a high-sensitivity neutralizing antibody quantification. With the expansion, the multidimensional test, Aditxtscore, provides a comprehensive measure of the strength of an individual's immune response to the novel coronavirus.
LONDON – U.K. rapid diagnostics specialist Mologic Ltd. has been acquired by a group of philanthropists led by George Soros’ Economic Development Fund and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and will be turned from a for-profit company to a social enterprise. The aim is to use the change in status to expand access to low-cost point-of-care testing for tropical diseases, including dengue, bilharzia and river blindness, as well at COVID-19. The name Mologic will be changed to Global Access Health (GAH), with the philanthropic owners saying they are to invest at least $41 million in the deal.
SD Biosensor Inc. made a splash in its KOSPI board debut on July 16, raising a total ₩776.4 billion (US$679.26 million). The company will now use the funds to mass-produce and promote the company’s diagnostic machines for various indications, including COVID-19.
10x Genomics Inc. launched its latest platform for single-cell analysis, the Chromium X Series, to cost-effectively "enable massively large-scale experiments," according to the company.
Cancer Research UK took a significant hit when its U.K.-wide charity shop chain had to close last year because of the pandemic. But, according to latest figures, its commercial arm could help it to bounce back after seeing its income more than double in the recent biotech boom. The organization reported record levels of investment in its spinout companies, which more than doubled in 2020-2021 compared with the previous year, jumping from £400 million (US$555 million) to £822 million (US$1.14 billion)
Nanodx Inc. entered into a license agreement with IBM Research to use IBM’s nanoscale sensor technology and develop diagnostic platforms for rapid and cost-effective detection of various diseases, including COVID-19 and traumatic brain injury, among others. This marks IBM’s first collaboration to allow a medical device company to use its nanoscale technology.
10x Genomics Inc. launched its latest platform for single-cell analysis, the Chromium X Series, to cost-effectively "enable massively large-scale experiments," according to the company. The system cuts the cost of single-cell analysis 83%, from 12 cents to 2 cents per cell, a significant step toward reducing the costs low enough to make genomic sequencing widely available.
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