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.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Astrazeneca, Carmell, Carsgen, Cytodyn, Diffusion, Eiger, Green Valley, Halozyme, Janssen, Mateon, Neurocrine, Polyneuron, Takeda.
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Adverum, Avadel, Axsome, CTI Biopharma, Harpoon, Hua, Italfarmaco, Myovant, Regeneron, Sanofi, Valo.
Siemens Healthineers AG expects to have a total antibody test available in late May 2020 to identify individuals exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The rapid diagnostic test detects IgM as well as IgG and other antibodies in the blood.
Pittsburgh-based Alung Technologies Inc. has received emergency use authorization from the U.S. FDA for its Hemolung Respiratory Assist System (RAS) to treat lung failure caused by COVID-19. The technology could help to ease demand for ventilators, which have been in short supply in coronavirus hot spots, and provide an alternative for patients who can’t tolerate mechanical ventilation.