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GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Vir Biotechnology will collaborate to research and develop solutions for coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The partnership will leverage Vir’s proprietary monoclonal antibody platform technology to identify new anti-viral antibodies... Read More »
Hydroxychloroquine is flooding the Strategic National Stockpile this week as a potential treatment for COVID-19, thanks to a 30 million dose donation from Sandoz and another 1 million gifted by Bayer Pharmaceuticals.
Both hydroxychloroquine sulfate and chloroquine phosphate were given U.S. Food... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) intends to purchase the ID NOW COVID-19 rapid point-of-care test developed by Abbott Diagnostics Scarborough Inc., to expand the supply of diagnostics available to state, territorial and tribal public health labs.
Designed for the ID NOW... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stepped in to fast-track development of and access to two more investigational therapies for COVID-19 based on convalescent plasma and hyperimmune globulin from human blood.
By using blood donated from those who have recovered from the SARS-CoV-2... Read More »
Mounting a rapid and effective response to emerging public health threats is a continuing challenge, which will only become more important in an increasingly connected world, says Dr. Richard Welch, vice president and head of development services at Emergent BioSolutions Inc., a global life... Read More »
Novartis will initiate a Phase III clinical trial in collaboration with Incyte to evaluate the drug Jakavi for the treatment of severe immune overreactions caused by the coronavirus.
The reaction – called cytokine storm -- can lead to life-threatening respiratory complications in patients... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced two new corporate partnerships last week, with the Luminex Corporation and GenMark, Dx, respectively, to get more COVID-19 diagnostic tests to market.
Both are rapid diagnostic tests. The Luminex test draws from nasal... Read More »
Sarah Lofgren’s voice had a tinge of excitement when she explained why the bright green dots on one scientific slide disappeared on the next. The co-investigator at the University of Minnesota Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine showed how SARS, or severe acute respiratory... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions is working with the U.S. government to develop a therapy for patients diagnosed with coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
The partnership is through a $14.5 million grant from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop a COVID-Human Immune... Read More »
SAb Biotherapeutics, Inc. is now among those companies rushing to produce a COVID-19 treatment, and both the Department of Defense (DoD) and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) have partnered with it to make it happen.
SAb’s product is called SAB-185 and pushes for... Read More »
Science and technology firm Battelle said its CCDS Critical Care Decontamination System (CCDS) would decontaminate N95 respirator masks at the State University of New York at Stony Brook on Long Island.
The effort would protect frontline healthcare workers by decontaminating up to 80,000 masks... Read More »
According to a journal report published by members of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) this week, SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus which causes COVID-19 -- uncovers the advances and ongoing stumbling blocks in vaccine development.
Other outbreaks and epidemics have helped lead... Read More »
With help from U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), UC Health of southwest Ohio gained a new cobas 6800 diagnostic machine this week, which it intends to up its COVID-19 testing capabilities to nearly 1,000 tests per day.
“We are grateful to Senator Portman for his assistance in procuring this... Read More »
Doctors and researchers maintain a new free app is helping to track the onset and progression of COVID-19 symptoms nationwide while identifying those at risk sooner and slowing the outbreak.
Officials said the COVID Symptom Tracker requests contributors answer a few simple questions about... Read More »
The Army Contracting Command – Warren has awarded a $346.4 million contract to Oshkosh Defense to modernize vehicles in the Army and Army Reserve’s Heavy Tactical Vehicle (FHTV) fleets.
The scope of work involves the firm recapitalizing Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) and... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions announced Tuesday a partnership agreement with Novavax, under which it will provide molecule-to-market contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services to produce Novavax’s NanoFlu.
NanoFlu is Novavax’s seasonal influenza vaccine candidate with the proprietary... Read More »
Battelle and the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have joined forces to develop a diagnostic test for COVID-19.
The new rapid test will allow for faster turnaround time with results available in as few as five hours. Wexner Medical Center will administer the new test under its... Read More »
Raytheon Company, an electronics mission systems integration firm, recently secured a $2.1 billion, multi-year contract with the Missile Defense Agency to produce and deliver SM-3 Block IB interceptors.
"This procurement deal is a win-win for government and industry," Mitch Stevison, Raytheon... Read More »
Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc have begun patient treatment outside the United States as part of an evaluation of Kevzara (sarilumab) in patients hospitalized with severe cases of COVID-19.
The effort is part of Phase 2 and 3 trials in Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Canada, and... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is speeding up timelines for clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine candidates produced by Janssen Research & Development and Moderna.
“Vaccines are essential to saving lives,” BARDA Director Rick Bright said. “Delivering a... Read More »
Apple released an app and web site to help guide Americans through a series of questions about their health and exposure to determine if they should seek care for COVID-19 coronavirus symptoms.
The technology company developed the app and web site in partnership with the White House... Read More »
Battelle is manufacturing a system to rapidly decontaminate N95 respirator masks and other medical protective equipment.
The Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System (CCDS) is capable of decontaminating up to 80,000 masks per day and even more pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE)... Read More »
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is seeking to expedite Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance regarding allowing distilleries to continue manufacturing hand sanitizer in the wake of shortages created by COVID-19.
Reps. Andy Barr (R-KY) and John Yarmuth (D-KY) have led the initiative,... Read More »
Abbott became the latest company to release a COVID-19 diagnostic last week, pledging test turnaround times of as little as five minutes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the test emergency use authorization last week. It is meant to run on another Abbott product, the ID NOW... Read More »
The Strategic National Stockpile grew by 31 million doses of various medications this weekend, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) took on donations that may, eventually, aid clinical trials or be used to treat those hospitalized with COVID-19.
To be clear, none of those... Read More »
Johnson & Johnson wants to begin human testing of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate by September as part of a $1 billion joint investment between the company and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The end goal is to create a billion vaccines for emergency pandemic use to be... Read More »
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) hosted a virtual summit last week to foster collaboration among government agencies and biopharmaceutical innovators to eradicate coronavirus (COVID-19).
The two-day virtual event allowed companies working on treatments and vaccines to come... Read More »
Clinical trials for the potential COVID-19 antiviral remdesivir are getting underway at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), which announced this week that it is enrolling patients for two studies.
The test, developed by Gilead Sciences Inc., is a general-purpose antiviral first... Read More »
Entos Pharmaceuticals, a Canadian biotechnology company, is working on a DNA vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2 -- the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 -- and intends to test it on animal models.
The vaccine, produced using a proprietary drug delivery platform, offers yet another potential... Read More »
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a rapid response research (RAPID) grant to a Northwestern University researcher to develop a new self-sanitizing medical face mask.
The funding initiative stems from the NSF calling for immediate proposals addressing the spread of... Read More »
BAE Systems has secured a $339 million contract modification from the Army to address long-term readiness and modernization needs of the M109 self-propelled howitzer program.
The scope of work would include the production of 48 vehicle sets of M109A7 Self-propelled Howitzer (SPH) and its... Read More »
Professional services and technologies firm KBR has secured a $26.8 million task order to provide additional Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) cybersecurity engineering support.
The agreement aids the AFLCMC’s Engineering Directorate Cyber Systems Engineering Division in... Read More »
The U.S. government has reached collaboration agreements with three more companies in the ongoing effort to create rapid COVID-19 diagnostic tests and fill the divide between demand and supply.
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is involved in all three cases. It... Read More »
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has formed partnerships with the manufacturing and biotech industries to increase the state's supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies to battle the coronavirus.
The partnerships with the Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA) and the... Read More »
Merck & Co. officials said the firm has provided 500,000 personal protective masks to New York City as part of efforts to address the COVID-19 outbreak.
“COVID-19 is a generational challenge to the global community,” Merck Chairman and CEO Kenneth C. Frazier said. “At Merck, we embrace our... Read More »
