As COVID-19 continues to ravage the global population, vaccination is becoming the sole hope for an effective disease control and prevention. Numerous pharmaceutical firms are racing and competing to develop a potential vaccine by deploying all their skills and resources. Companies have substantially accelerated the timeframe of vaccine production in comparison to the typical vaccine development process.
The publication of genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 on January 11, triggered intense global R&D activity towards vaccine development. Fortunately, up until the virus has not mutated to any significant extent maintaining its relatively stable SARS-CoV-2 genome. Currently, there exist roughly 4 to 10 genetic variations between the origin virus from Wuhan and the strains currently circulating. That’s a relatively small number of mutations for having passed through a large number of people. This makes it advantageous towards researchers attempt to create a single version of the COVID-19 vaccine.
This genomic data paved the way for range of novel technology platforms to evaluate vaccine development landscape for COVID-19, including nucleic acid (DNA and RNA), virus-like particle, peptide, viral vector (replicating and nonreplicating), recombinant protein, live attenuated virus and inactivated virus approaches. Vaccines based on viral vectors offer a high level of protein expression and long-term stability, and induce strong immune responses. Of the confirmed active vaccine candidates, 72 per cent are being developed by private/industry developers, with the remaining 28 per cent of projects being led by academic, public sector and other non-profit organizations.
Denne historien er fra June 2020-utgaven av BioSpectrum Asia.
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Denne historien er fra June 2020-utgaven av BioSpectrum Asia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Korea develops micro-structured artificial lung model using bioprinting technology
A team of Korean researchers has made a breakthrough that will greatly enhance the efficiency of respiratory disease research, garnering attention.
Philips names Ling Liu as Chief Region Leader of Greater China
Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, has announced the appointment of Ling Liu as the Chief Region Leader of Philips Greater China.
PW Skills launches School of Healthcare to solve India's critical shortage of medical professionals
PW Skills, the upskilling vertical of Physics Wallah (PW) has announced the launch of School of Healthcare across five cities in India, namely, Noida, Indore, Lucknow, Patna and Delhi.
Australian biotech incubator Proto Axiom announces $20 M Series B first close
Proto Axiom, the Australian biomedical technology incubator, has announced a $20 million first close of its targeted $30 million Series B, to bolster Australia's biotechnology sector through increased intellectual property (IP) retention.
Biogen, Beckman Coulter and Fujirebio to develop new tests for tau pathology
Biogen Inc., Beckman Coulter, Inc. (both based in the US) and Japan-based Fujirebio have announced a collaboration to potentially identify and develop blood-based biomarkers for tau pathology in the brain and to potentially clinically advance and potentially commercialise new tests for tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Pfizer upgrades pharma production plant in Melbourne
Australia is stepping up to the global fight against antimicrobial resistance, as Pfizer Australia announces a major upgrade to its manufacturing facility in Melbourne, Victoria.
mRNA as novel active ingredient - Plasmid Factory providing the template for tomorrow's vaccines
PlasmidFactory GmbH was founded in 2000 in Bielefeld/Germany with 4 employees. In the meantime, under the founder and managing director Dr. Martin Schleef, the company has become a well-known contract manufacturer (CDMO) for plasmid and minicircle DNA. Today, PlasmidFactory has ~50 highly qualified employees, and has established a GMP manufacturing facility.
"Our priorities will include identifying and understanding the challenges while engaging regularly with industry leaders to address their concerns"
K Raja Bhanu has been elevated from Executive Director to Director General of the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil), effective July 1, 2024. Bhanu brings a wealth of experience from his distinguished career in drug control and regulation. He has a proven track record in advancing drug quality, safety, and regulatory compliance. His leadership at the Drug Control Administration (DCA) was marked by significant initiatives that enhanced drug regulation standards and reinforced India's pharmaceutical reputation globally. In his current role, Bhanu is set to drive the expansion of India's pharmaceutical exports, boost global competitiveness, and adeptly navigate the complexities of international regulations, leveraging his extensive expertise to foster industry growth and global prominence. In an interaction with BioSpectrum, he shared his plans on addressing many challenges before the Indian pharma industry to stay compliant with international regulations. Edited excerpts:
"Australia has long been a global leader in research, yet our biotech sector has not lived up to its full potential"
Australia's first true biotech incubator, Proto Axiom, has secured $20 million in the first close of its $30 million Series B round to strengthen the nation's biotech sector through greater IP retention. Anthony Liveris, CEO of Proto Axio discusses the incubator's selection criteria, identifying the most promising biotech trends for global health, and outlining the key strengths that make Australian biotech globally competitive. Edited excerpts:
Unleashing Innovative Wound Care Solutions
The incidence of wounds is rising, especially in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. In Australia alone, 420,000 individuals are impacted by chronic wounds, leading to direct healthcare costs of AUD $3 billion, representing 2 per cent of the country's total healthcare expenditure. Similarly, data from Singapore between 2000 and 2017 revealed that the incidence of wounds among hospitalised adults was 300 per 100,000 for those over 18 and 800 per 100,000 for those over 50. Let's explore further.