HONG KONG – Pharmcadd Co. Ltd., a developer of an artificial intelligence (AI) and physics-based drug discovery platform, bagged ₩17.3 billion (US$15.5 million) in its series B funding. This brings the total funds raised since its establishment to $22 million.
Shares of Inovio Inc. (NASDAQ:INO) fell 25% to $6.85 on April 23 after the company said the U.S. Department of Defense scratched funding for the phase III portion of an ongoing trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, INO-4800, in light of the broad availability of other COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. The news followed recent phase I data showing '4800 performed about in line with already available competitors against SARS-CoV-2 variants now dominant in the U.S.
DUBLIN – The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has reiterated its support for Astrazeneca plc’s Vaxzervia COVID-19 vaccine, following an interim analysis of a data review, which the agency’s Committee on Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) has conducted over the past two weeks.
LONDON – A large scale U.K. study looking at the impact of COVID-19 vaccinations on antibody responses and new infections in 373,402 people in the general population has shown a single dose of vaccine cut infections by 65%. Symptomatic infections fell by 74% and infections with no reported symptoms by 57%, 21 days after receiving the first dose of either Astrazeneca plc’s or Pfizer Inc./Biontech SE’s vaccine.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices again took up the matter of risk vs. benefit with the COVID-19 vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson, and proved significantly less skeptical at its second meeting. The FDA and CDC swiftly determined that the recommended pause should be lifted and use of the vaccine should resume.
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Abbott, Cloud Dx, Dhl Holdings, Emed, Illumina, Inter Medico, Jolly Good, Kartos Therapeutics, McKesson, Premier, Quidel, Sight Diagnostics, Spacelabs Healthcare, Teijin Pharma.