HONG KONG – Suwon-based Olix Pharmaceuticals Inc. is completing the final preclinical work before starting clinical trials for its as-yet-unnamed COVID-19 drug candidate, developed inside three months using RNA interference (RNAi) technology.
Six months to the day that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a public health emergency, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with its hideous red spikes, continues to taunt the world, hopping from host to host and haunting humans, many of whom wonder the same thing: What’s next?
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee met for a second time in three days to address the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the COVID-19 pandemic. While a witness said the Defense Production Act (DPA) is no panacea for production, one message emerging from the hearing is that producers need to hear from end users about demand just as much as users need to know about available inventories.
Hologic Inc. beat expectations for the third quarter of fiscal year 2020, posting net earnings of $137.9 million, or 53 cents a share, up 46.9% from the same period a year ago. Worldwide revenue declined 3.5% to $822.9 million, due to the divestiture of Cynosure Holdings Inc., but grew 7.7% organically (8.1% in constant currency), as demand for COVID-19 tests offset a slide in other businesses.
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: 7D Surgical, Abingdon Health, Ethicon, Quest Diagnostics, Seegene.
Keeping you up to date on recent developments in diagnostics, including: Expanding sampling options for COVID-19 could increase testing; Envisia classifier improves IPF diagnosis; Structural study gives insight into plaque formation.
By filing an IND with the FDA to initiate a phase II/III study of EB-05, a monoclonal antibody, Edesa Biotech Inc. joined the handful of companies developing COVID-19 treatments that inhibit Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling. The Toronto-based company’s stock (NASDAQ:EDSA) responded by rocketing 81.38% upward Thursday to close at $9.45, after trading as high as $19.10.