CATEGORIES

Lunit AI solutions to power Samsung's X-ray devices for advanced chest screening

South Korea-based company Lunit, a leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, has announced a three-year supply contract with Samsung Electronics (Samsung Healthcare).

Novartis acquires Chinese startup SanReno Therapeutics to enhance kidney diseases treatment

China-based startup SanReno Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company specialising in the discovery, development, and commercialisation of innovative therapies for kidney diseases, has announced its acquisition by Novartis, a global medicines company.

WHO grants Emergency Use Listing to Biological E's COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax

Biological E (BE), an India-based vaccines and pharmaceutical company, has announced that the World Health Organization (WHO) has granted an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) to their Corbevax vaccine, which is India's first indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine that is based on protein sub-unit platform.

Novo Nordisk Foundation signs $25M partnership with CARB-X to fight drug-resistant infections

Denmark-headquartered Novo Nordisk Foundation is committing up to $25 million to support the early-stage development of innovative tools to prevent, diagnose and treat the most dangerous drug-resistant bacterial infections.

Qure.ai's Al-driven chest X-ray solution gets FDA clearance for enhanced lung nodule detection

Qure.ai, a health tech company that uses deep learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to make healthcare more accessible, has announced its 13th FDA clearance for its AI-enabled solutions.

Indian researchers link ageing of cells with ovarian cancer spread

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru have found that ovarian cancer cells can spread more easily in tissues that are senescent or aged because these tissues secrete a unique extracellular matrix that attracts the spreading cancer.

Australia develops tool to identify dust lung disease risk

A new dust testing methodology developed by Australia-based University of Queensland researchers offers workers better protection from diseases such as black lung and silicosis.

Korea designs wrist rotation module to enhance usability and efficiency in prosthetic limbs

Robotic assistive devices play a crucial role in supporting the daily activities of individuals with congenital disabilities or those who have experienced unfortunate accidents.

Dr Kuldeep Singh Sachdeva to assume key leadership role at Molbio Diagnostics

India-based Molbio Diagnostics has announced the appointment of Dr Kuldeep Singh Sachdeva to its leadership team.

Asieris Pharma picks Sophia Cao to lead women's health business unit

Asieris Pharmaceuticals has announced its set-up of the Women's Health Business Unit for commercialisation.

IIT Madras & Deakin University, Australia to launch academy for cutting edge healthcare research

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) and Deakin University, Australia, have announced the launch of 'IIT Madras Deakin University Research Academy.'

Singapore Institute of Technology offers new programmes in Health Sciences and Engineering

The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is launching new programmes in Health Sciences and Engineering in Academic Year 2024.

Can Knowledge Graphs Revolutionise Pharma R&D?

In life sciences, the adoption of new standards such as Study Data Tabulation Model (SDTM) and Analysis Data Model (ADAM) is proving critical for efficient and effective data management and sharing. SDTM provides a new way of organising human clinical and nonclinical study data tabulations, which is required for data submission to regulatory bodies like the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) Japan, while ADAM defines dataset and metadata standards for clinical trial statistical analyses, ensuring efficient generation, replication, and review of data. The Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC) 360 is another important initiative that aims to implement standards as linked metadata to support metadata-driven automation across the entire clinical research data lifecycle, making it easier for researchers to analyse and share their findings. The digital transformation of pharma industry regulatory processes, hence, has started to make data a key tool. However, with the increasing volume and complexity of data generated in drug discovery and clinical research, life sciences R&D practitioners need better ways of organising, structuring and exploiting their data, at scale.

How Biotech Sector Can Capitalise on AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now ramified in every sector including biotechnology. The impact of AI is already visible in the biotech sector and there is a boom of startups using AI for various applications. However, there is a need to develop a holistic regulatory system to make the technology more responsible. Let's explore further.

"We no longer need to endure the ravages of ageing"

Ageing is a natural part and the \"last mile\" of a human development programme, and Gero pioneered ways to understand, measure, and, ultimately, control its progression. Gero, a longevity biotech physics-enabled biotechnology company from Singapore is creating therapeutics against chronic diseases with a mission to slow down human ageing itself.

"Indian pharma is globally competitive and forwardlooking in technology, policy and industrial strategy"

From policy frameworks to addressing industry challenges and positioning, the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Government of India forthcoming initiatives to overhaul the pharma industry, are paving the way towards global pharmaceutical dominance. Dr Arunish Chawla, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Government of India in an exclusive interview with BioSpectrum, shares insights into the comprehensive strategy aimed at reshaping India's pharmaceutical landscape, propelling the nation to the forefront in the global arena.

"Al's superior speed & learning capability make it a natural fit for healthcare tasks demanding precision & early detection"

Vietnam’s VinBrain is developing AI solutions for healthcare and has developed more than 300 AI models specifically designed for processing medical images. DrAid, its groundbreaking intelligent AI platform, is positioned as the 'right-hand' assistant for healthcare professionals to enhance productivity and reduce patient care costs. Steven Quoc Hung Truong, Founder and CEO of VinBrain shares key insights into the company, its challenges, and ethical and regulatory considerations.

New Zealand MedTech Guns for Global Reach

New Zealand's medical technology industry is experiencing rapid growth. In 2022, the Technology Investment Network (TIN) reported that 17 MedTech companies ranked among the country's top 200 technology firms. A mix of established and emerging innovators is addressing challenging issues, from innovative surgical techniques to Al-driven micro-implantable devices. This transformation is fuelled by substantial support from both the government and private sector. Let's delve into the details of New Zealand's thriving MedTech ecosystem.

Next-Gen ADCs as Precision Weapon Against Cancer

Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) are emerging as a crucial frontier in targeted cancer care. Although the first ADC was approved in 2000, the space has experienced a renaissance in recent times. Major pharmaceutical players like Novartis and Pfizer, including startups, are announcing deals in this space almost every day. Within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, China stands at the forefront of ADC drug development. GlobalData reports that numerous domestic companies in China are actively shifting their focus towards the creation of pioneering ADC-based treatment options, particularly for solid tumours like breast, gastric, and bladder cancer. When we observe World Cancer Day on February 4, we explore the promising world of next-gen ADCs, exploring advancements and unravelling the advantages they offer compared to other therapies like cell and gene therapies.

What's Propelling mRNA Therapies Today?

Over the next three to five years, it is anticipated that the portfolio of mRNA treatments and vaccines will grow significantly due to the potential that mRNA has across indications.

Combating AMR with Bacteriophages

India is among the countries with a high burden of antibiotic-resistant infections.

"The Open Innovation Program has become a trend in the molecular diagnostics industry"

Established in 2000, South Korea based Seegene Inc is a leader in molecular diagnostics and achieved remarkable financial success with over $1 billion in revenue and 65 per cent gross margins.

Targeted Battle Against HPV

Since the launch of the global strategy against cervical cancer in 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has accelerated the initiative by virtue of commitments and strategies offered by governments and organisations worldwide.

Tech Trends for Life Sciences to Watch in 2024

Trends to watch in the life sciences industry are ones that support personalised, preventative healthcare, including high quality collection of samples, and the trends in data analysis resulting from the sensitive measurements of thousands of molecules by LC-MS/MS.

Digitalisation Pharma Tech Trends to look for in 2024

As companies look ahead to 2024 trends, those that are well prepared for the future will not ignore technology and digitalisation trends, but rather find new and valuable ways to leverage them.

Transformative Life Sciences Trends for 2024

The intersection of tech and healthcare holds immense potential for the life sciences industry.

US FDA approves first gene therapies to treat patients with sickle cell disease

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two milestone treatments, Casgevy (Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.) and Lyfgenia (Bluebird Bio Inc.), representing the first cell-based gene therapies for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD) in patients 12 years and older.

WHO's Science Council issues report on mRNA vaccine technology

Prompted by the life-saving impact of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization's Science Council has released a report reviewing the potential benefits and limitations of mRNA vaccine technology.

Fujitsu delivers advanced technology to Delight Health for treating delirium

Japan-based Fujitsu and Delight Health, a Bay Area startup, have announced that Fujitsu will licence its Topological Data Analysis (TDA) technology to Delight Health in exchange for an equity position in the company.

Singapore's Experimental Drug Development Centre inks new collaboration with Chinese startup XtalPi

XtalPi, an innovative technology company powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics from China, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), Singapore's national drug discovery and development platform hosted by A*STAR, for the expansion of their collaboration to encompass potential projects that will focus on the application of automated synthesis solutions and large language models in pharmaceutical research.