Today Stories

Johnson & Johnson Limited is pleased to announce the appointment of Charmaine England as Area Managing Director for Consumer Health Northern Europe, effective 17 May 2021.  England will oversee the Northern Europe business, which includes the UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. She will manage a portfolio of iconic Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health brands, including AVEENO®, JOHNSON’S®, LISTERINE®, NEUTROGENA®, OGX®, CALPOL® and NICORETTE®. In her new role, England joins the company’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Consumer Health Leadership team, where she will focus on meeting fast-evolving consumer needs, deepening partnerships with customers, and building an empowered team. England previously served as Managing Director for Johnson & Johnson’s Consumer…

The agreement will further enable global supply of mRNA-1273, Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine with Samsung Biologics’ fill and finish manufacturing service May 22, 2021-- Moderna (Nasdaq: MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, and Samsung Biologics (KRX: 207940.KS), a leading global CDMO providing a fully integrated end-to-end contract development and manufacturing service, today announced a Manufacturing Services and Supply Agreement in which Samsung Biologics will provide large scale, commercial fill-finish manufacturing for mRNA-1273, Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Upon execution of the deal, technology transfer will commence immediately at Samsung Biologics’ facilities in Incheon, South Korea, utilizing a state-of-the-art production line equip…

New agreement to supply 900 million doses to the European Commission (EC), with option to request up to an additional 900 million doses Additional dose deliveries beginning December 2021 through 2023 Pfizer and BioNTech have now committed a total of up to 2.4 billion doses of COMIRNATY® to the EC since the beginning of the pandemic Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) today announced a new agreement with the European Commission (EC) to supply 900 million doses of COMIRNATY®, the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine, to the European Union (EU), with an option for the EC to request up to an additional 900 million doses. This new agreement is in addition to the 600 million doses that have already been committed to the EU through 2021. The additional 900 million agreed doses are exp…

COVID-19 made 2020 the most challenging year in decades – but clinical researchers rose to the challenge. Thanks to clinical trials, millions of doses of life-saving vaccines have been developed and administered around the world, giving hope for a better year ahead. Hope. That’s what clinical researchers provide. Every day, they rise to a new challenge and give patients and families hope for a healthier, more promising tomorrow. On this Clinical Trials Day, the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) thanks clinical researchers around the world for continuing to rise to the challenge and give us hope. Hope in the battle against infectious disease. Hope in the battle against cancer. Hope in the battle against anything that challenges our pursuit of a better tomorrow. Why May 2…

- American Heart Association and Abbott announce new initiative to advance health equity, fight high blood pressure and chronic conditions in greater Austin area The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, and the global healthcare company Abbott, today announced a new multi-year initiative to reduce high blood pressure and chronic diseases affecting historically underserved local communities in Austin, Texas. The initiative is made possible through a generous financial contribution from Abbott, and will support three Federally Qualified Healthcare Clinical Systems (FQHCs) in Central Texas in providing educational resources, support and self-monitoring devices necessary for high-risk hypertensive and diabetic patient…

Merck to support up to six additional research projects at the BioMed X Institute in Heidelberg within the next six years Call for application for a global crowdsourcing project, ‘Regulatory T Cell Dysfunction in Autoimmunity and Inflammaging’ Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the extension of its ongoing collaboration with BioMed X, Heidelberg, Germany. Under the new agreement, Merck will start up to six additional research projects at the BioMed X Institute, building on ongoing research projects in the fields of oncology (DNA damage response and RNA splicing) and autoimmunity (intestinal epithelial barrier in autoimmune diseases). The next joint global crowdsourcing project will explore mechanisms of immune senescence and mitochondrial dysfunction in regu…

Adjuvanted recombinant COVID-19 vaccine candidate triggered strong neutralizing antibody responses in all adult age groups High immune response after a single dose in patients with prior infection shows strong booster potential Global Phase 3 study expected to start in the coming weeks The Sanofi and GSK adjuvanted recombinant COVID-19 vaccine candidate achieved strong rates of neutralizing antibody responses, in line with those measured in people who have recovered from COVID-19, in all adult age groups in a Phase 2 study with 722 volunteers. A global pivotal Phase 3 study is expected to start in the coming weeks. The Phase 2 interim results showed 95% to 100% seroconversion following a second injection in all age groups (18 to 95 years old) and across all doses, with acceptable tolerab…

As part of the agreement, Biogen will leverage Envisagenics’ AI platform with the goal of better understanding Central Nervous System diseases Biogen Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) and Envisagenics today announced a new collaboration to advance ribonucleic acid (RNA) splicing research within central nervous system (CNS) diseases. As part of the collaboration, Biogen will leverage Envisagenics’ proprietary artificial intelligence (AI)-driven RNA splicing platform, SpliceCore®, to define and understand the regulation of different RNA isoforms in CNS cell types. Genetic information encoded in the human chromosome is converted into RNA molecules which is then used as the template to make proteins. RNA splicing is the process that trims out extra information embedded in the intermediate RNA molecules, a…

CHICAGO and ABBOTT PARK, Ill., May 12, 2021 – United and Abbott today announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration to use Abbott’s BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Home Test and Abbott’s NAVICA app to help make the international travel experience more seamless. Recently updated CDC guidelines permit travelers to self-administer a rapid antigen test under the real-time supervision of a telehealth service and use the verified negative test result to board an international flight to the U.S. if they test negative. “We appreciate the private sector proactively helping travelers have access to easy, reliable COVID-19 test options,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH. “Comprehensive testing that is easy, rapid, accurate and trusted is a fundamental strategy for preventing the spread of COVID-19.” …

AberInnovation’s BioAccelerate has been incubating some of the most promising bioscience companies in Wales for three years now. Previous successes have included sugar industry disrupters ARCITEKBio and high-end mead producers Shire Meadery, both now resident at the AberInnovation Incubator building on the outskirts of Aberystwyth.   With the second phase of this year’s BioAccelerate now underway, let’s take a look at some of the brightest ideas coming out of the new hub for collaborative R&D and innovation in west Wales.   Amigrow   At the cutting edge of several emerging technologies, Amigrow aims to leverage artificial intelligence (AI), satellite imagery, Internet of Things (IoT) and crowdsourced data to transform the way food is grown worldwide.   Through effectively harnessing t…

Collaboration aims to identify novel AAV capsids with enhanced properties to facilitate the development of new gene therapies for CNS and neuromuscular disorders Capsigen’s screening technology is designed to produce dose optimized, fit for purpose vectors that may have applicability across Biogen’s gene therapy pipeline Capsigen to receive a $15 million upfront payment and is eligible to receive potential research, development and commercial milestone payments Biogen Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) and Capsigen Inc. announced today that they have entered into a strategic research collaboration to engineer novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids that have the potential to deliver transformative gene therapies that address the underlying genetic causes of various CNS and neuromuscular disorders. A…

Lupus is a global health problem that affects people of all nationalities, races, ethnicities, genders, and ages. Lupus can affect any part of the body in any way at any time, often with unpredictable and life-changing results. Important Facts to Know about Lupus: It is a serious and potentially life-threatening autoimmune disease. It can damage any organ or tissue from the skin or joints to the heart or kidneys. It develops in response to factors both inside and outside of the body; however, the exact cause of Lupus is unknown. Symptoms of Lupus come and go and change over time which makes it difficult to diagnose. Common symptoms include joint pain, skin rashes, overwhelming fatigue, and fevers that last for days or weeks. Lupus is not contagious. Whilst there isn’t a cure for Lupus, it…

- A new, first-of-its-kind study known as TAP-CHF leverages expertise across Abbott's cardiovascular portfolio to optimize treatment for patients suffering from both AFib and heart failure - The trial will utilize Abbott technology including cardiac ablation and sensors to monitor for both pulmonary artery pressure and abnormal heartbeats - Historically, treating patients with both AFib and heart failure has been challenging, with few effective treatments or options to adequately manage both conditions simultaneously Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced a new trial focused on improving the treatment for people simultaneously battling both atrial fibrillation (AFib) and heart failure. The first-of-its-kind trial aims to provide new insights into more effective treatment for patients with AFib…

Projects led by collaborating researchers from the two organizations will focus on autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions PARIS and Palo Alto, CA – May 6, 2021 – Sanofi has entered into a three-year research collaboration with Stanford University School of Medicine. Together, the two organizations and their scientists will work to advance the understanding of immunology and inflammation through open scientific exchange. Additionally, Sanofi will provide funding and scientific inputs into projects of mutual interest, crossing multiple therapeutic areas including autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions. “We look forward to working with some of the most innovative scientists in the human immunology community. Together we will explore groundbreaking concepts and obtain deepe…

Moderna, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, today announced an expansion of the Moderna Technology Center (MTC) in Norwood, MA including more than doubling of space to transform the facility from a production and lab space to an industrial technology center. This expansion includes increasing the Company’s production and lab space from approximately 300,000 square feet to approximately 650,000 square feet through renovation of existing space and acquisition of a 240,000 square foot building located on the same campus for expansion of its commercial and clinical activities. “Our manufacturing facility has been core to our long-term strategy and has enabled us to provide the scale and flexibility to support the development…

PREVENT-19 clinical trial expanded to assess the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 for the prevention of COVID-19 in up to 3,000 12-17-year-old adolescents President of Research and Development, Gregory Glenn, M.D., to provide update regarding the additional trial arm during World Vaccine Congress Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, today announced that it has initiated a pediatric expansion of its Phase 3 clinical trial for NVX-CoV2373, the company's recombinant protein vaccine candidate against COVID-19. The additional arm of the ongoing PREVENT-19 pivotal trial will evaluate the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 in up to 3,000 adolescents aged 12-17 across up to 75…

osteolabs GmbH today announces the formation of osteolabs UK Limited in Marlow near London. osteolabs UK is a Joint Venture between osteolabs GmbH as majority shareholder and Christopher Brain, an experienced Medtech business professional with a track record of well over 15 years with some leading IVD companies such as Abbott, Cepheid and Roche Diagnostics. Chris will assume the Managing Director/General Manager role for osteolabs UK Ltd. from May 1, 2021 onwards. osteolabs UK plans to work with clinical osteoporosis professionals across Great Britain in order to ensure easy and efficient access to the CE-marked OsteoTest for early detection of osteoporosis which was successfully introduced in Germany and other European countries in 2020. Osteoporosis represents a major disease burden in t…

Deal expands anti-infectives pipeline with addition of novel antifungal Phase 2 candidate, Fosmanogepix (APX001) Opportunity to advance Pfizer’s expertise and deep heritage in infectious disease Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced today that it has acquired Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held company dedicated to the development of therapies for debilitating and life-threatening diseases that affect people with compromised immune systems. Amplyx’s lead compound, Fosmanogepix (APX001), is a novel investigational asset under development for the treatment of invasive fungal infections. More than 1.5 million cases of invasive fungal infections occur worldwide each year, with mortality rates as high as 30-80% across infection typesi. Fosmanogepix has a novel mechanism of action with…

New distribution channel for effect pigments and additives for coatings, printings and plastics in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland Distribution for Surface Solutions industrial portfolio in the Nordics will be transfered to Bodo Möller Chemie Group Bodo Möller Chemie Group will start serving Merck customers as of May 1, 2021 Darmstadt, Germany, April 27, 2021 – Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the transfer of the customer service for its Surface Solutions industrial business in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland to Bodo Möller Chemie Group. By combining the excellence of Merck products and distribution expertise for technical materials in the Nordics, the service level for customers in the coatings, printings and plastics industries…

Australia has the highest age-standardized incidence rate for all cancers in the world and one of the countries with substantial cancer screening programs. Against this backdrop, several pharma companies are conducting clinical trials related to cancer drugs in the country. Among these, Roche continues to be a key player with the highest number of clinical trials in oncology indications, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.   Ms. Sasmitha Sahu, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Despite high incidence rates, mortality rate is low in Australia due to early and extensive screening. Owing to the government’s greater focus on managing cancer, patients can gain access to good diagnostic facilities, healthcare and novel cancer therapies. Participation in clinical trials e…