Reports out of Russia that the country approved a COVID-19 vaccine came with more questions than answers, as some in the rest of the world fretted over the apparently paltry degree of testing. Though the product has not completed phase III trials – human research thus far has involved only two groups of volunteers of 38 people each – Russia President Vladimir Putin is said to have declared Gam-COVID-Vac adequately studied.
“There’s a difference in knowing something and realizing something. We’ve known for quite a while now that we’re too dependent on other countries for our medical supplies. But during this pandemic, I think we’ve realized it,” U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) said at a recent congressional hearing on the progress being made in developing COVID-19 vaccines.
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Alume, Caligor, Blackrock Microsystems, Canon Medical Systems USA, Caris Life Sciences, Companion Medical, Curepsp, Dreamtech, Elevation Oncology, E7 Health, Epitomee Medical, Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals, Hologic, Irras, Lianbio, Medcall, Medtronic, Mcfarlane Medical, Microgendx, Nestlé Health Science, Onlume, Painteq, Pccw Global, Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Promega, Quidel, Sensifree, Sure Universal, Syapse, Titan Medical, Trendlines Group, Vonco Products, Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering, Zebra Medical Vision.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: American Gene Technologies, Arvelle, Atyr, Clearside, Equillium, Fennec, Kyorin, Mersana, Mesoblast, Neurogene, Protalix.
Sight Diagnostics Ltd. raised $71 million in series D financing to expand its commercial operations and increase research and development efforts into disease detection from its fingerprick blood analyzer Sight OLO.
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.