DUBLIN – The global product development pipeline for COVID-19 is now twice as big as for any particular cancer indication, a major disease like Alzheimer’s or any other infectious disease indication.

PARIS – At the recent annual HealthTech Innovations Days in Paris, the European investment Fund (EIF) and the world’s largest life sciences consortium, EIT Health Germany, reported the development of a Venture Centre of Excellence (VCoE) in Europe.

DUBLIN – The biotechnology sector may be more awash with cash now than at any other time in its history. But that does not alter the fundamental dynamic between biotech and big pharma. If anything, their respective roles are becoming better defined, as biotechs learn how to build value into their assets to the point where big pharma is willing to step in and take on the financial risk of scaling a program where it can truly go global.

LONDON – Three large scale population surveys conducted between late June and the end of September have shown the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in England declined by 26.5% over three months. The findings rest on the results of more than 350,000 self-administered lateral flow blood tests that were carried out at home by volunteers who were randomly selected from general practitioner registers.

PARIS – Carthera SAS, of Paris, has obtained a $2.4 million grant and $12.5 million equity investment from the European Innovation Council (EIC) for the development of its ultrasound-based medical device for treating glioblastoma.

LONDON – COVID-19 research is generating a wealth of data every day, but it is coming from many and disparate sources, making it difficult to assess its quality, dovetail datasets together and decide how to apply it.

LONDON – The world’s first COVID-19 human challenge trial is due to start in London next year, after the government announced £33.6 million (US$43.5 million) funding for the project.

LONDON - The world’s first COVID-19 human challenge trial is due to start in London next year, after the government announced £33.6 million (US$42.5 million) funding for the project. In the initial phase, the aim is to establish the dose of SARS-CoV-2 needed to cause infection and to characterize the immune response to virus. That will lead on to tests of individual COVID-19 vaccines, in which volunteers will be challenged with the effective dose of SARS-CoV-2 one month after inoculation.

Royal Philips NV is launching its Quickclear mechanical thrombectomy system in the U.S. four months after obtaining FDA clearance. “Quickclear's intuitive design simplifies the entire thrombectomy procedure work flow. Our new medical device can help bring cost-effective solutions in both the hospital and outpatient care settings,” Chris Landon, senior vice president & business leader, image guided therapy devices at Philips, told BioWorld.