Shares of Vir Biotechnology Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR) and Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:CPIX) each rose modestly on June 21 as both delivered positive updates on their COVID-19 programs. Vir and its partner, Glaxosmithkline plc, shared final clinical data confirming the efficacy of their monoclonal antibody therapy, sotrovimab, following an FDA emergency use authorization for the therapy last month. Cumberland announced five case studies in which its antibiotic, Vibativ (telavancin), successfully treated hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia in COVID-19 patients.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Merck, Orphazyme, Sanofi.
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Co-Diagnostics, Hecin, Holista Colltech.
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Boston Scientific, Edevice, Genesis Medtech Group, Horcon, Inivata, Neogenomics, Pattern Computer, Predictmedix, Rakuten Medical, Shimadzu.
About a year-and-a-half after the sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the onslaught of COVID-19 therapeutic and vaccine development that followed, the biopharma industry boldly tackles a slew of ongoing issues from vaccine hesitancy and supply inequities to the ramifications of a potential intellectual property waiver and the pressing need to prepare global systems for the next pandemic.
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Aim, Altan, Antengene, Astrazeneca, Athira, Ethypharm.
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Biogen, Curevac, Harbour, Kancera, Pfizer, Qpex, Satsuma, Targovax, Tarsus, Viking.
Diagnostics powerhouse Danaher Corp. has agreed to buy Aldevron LLC, a privately held biotech company that supplies a key ingredient for COVID-19 vaccines, from EQT VIII Fund for $9.6 billion in cash. Based in Fargo, N.D., with additional operations in Madison, Wis., Aldevron makes high-quality plasmid DNA, mRNA and recombinant proteins used in vaccines, gene and cell therapy, gene editing and diagnostic applications.