LONDON – Leading genome sequencing groups are launching the first meta-analysis in the hunt for genetic factors that explain why some people have worse COVID-19 symptoms than others, after agreeing to share patient sequence data from around the world.
Pasadena, Calif.-based Circularity Healthcare LLC has initiated a clinical trial to evaluate its transdermal microcirculation device in COVID-19 patients with underlying health conditions. The aim is to see if use of the noninvasive deoxyhemoglobin vasodilator (from which the product derives its name) improves outcomes in patients suffering from coronavirus-related complications.
Hospitals may be providing patient care outside of normal clinical settings during the COVID-19 outbreak, but this raises the question of how to access patient data systems in these makeshift settings. Arthur Young, president and CEO of Interbit Data Inc., of Natick, Mass., told BioWorld that the company’s solution is to add Internet-based access to its Netsafe system.
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Abbvie, Allergan, Alphatec Holdings, Carmell Therapeutics, Electrocore, Eos Imaging, Erba Mannheim, Genalyte, Gilson, IBM, Institute for Systems Biology, Menarini-Silicon Biosystems, Merck, Nano-X Imaging, Novacyt Group, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, O-Two Medical Technologies, Qiagen, Synaptive Medical.
Keeping you up to date on recent developments in cardiology, including: Helping heart cells regenerate; Heart failure hormone has role in sepsis; Speeding up ER treatment; Cheating cell death improves infarct outcomes.
Preliminary data from the first part of a phase II/III trial testing the interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor antibody Kevzara (sarilumab, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sanofi SA) in patients with severe or critical respiratory illness caused by COVID-19 found that, relative to a placebo, the medicine "had no notable benefit on clinical outcomes" among that combined group.
Given all the public-private partnerships responding to the need for timely COVID-19 therapies, diagnostics and vaccines, the demands to forgo patents or exclusive licenses for coronavirus products and the clamor that industry shouldn’t “profit” from U.S. taxpayer-supported research are growing louder.