COVID-19

Twist Bioscience has launched Revelar Biotherapeutics to develop and commercialise an antibody that neutralises all known variants of concern of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in preclinical studies.   In addition, Revelar will have the ability to leverage the antibody discovery and optimisation platform of Twist Biopharma to license additional antibodies for up to five targets over the next four years.  Emily Leproust, CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience, said: […]

Emergex Vaccines has announced that it has received the necessary regulatory approvals to initiate a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of its vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2.  The Phase I trial is a double-blind, randomised and comparator-controlled study of two groups of 13 volunteers at high and low doses. In addition to providing safety […]

On November 16, 2021, AstraZeneca reported that two billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been released for supply. Experts have commented on the news and explained how it has been possible to produce so much of the vaccine in less than a year, and the unprecedented strategy used to improve international equity of access.  […]

CN Bio has entered a research collaboration with the Infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON) to validate the next generation of Covid-19 research tools.  iiCON’s £174 million programme brings together industry, academia, and clinicians to accelerate the discovery, development and deployment of new treatments and products. Led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), its partner members include Unilever, […]

Birmingham Biotech and the University of Birmingham have signed a licensing agreement to commercialise a novel anti-viral nasal spray that protects against Covid-19. The formulation was engineered by Professor Liam Grover, from the university’s Healthcare Technologies Institute, and a team of researchers who also collaborated on its testing.  Covid-19 is both contracted and transmitted by inhalation of […]

Beximco Pharmaceuticals has launched a generic molnupiravir, an oral antiviral drug for symptomatic Covid-19 patients developed by Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, following Emergency Use Authorisation by the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA), the regulatory authority in Bangladesh.   Molnupiravir is world’s first oral product to treat symptomatic Covid-19, which was approved by the UK’s Medicines and […]

A study has found that some people are able to clear the Covid-19 virus quickly due to strong immune response from existing T-cells, which could lead to a new generation of vaccine development.   In a study published in Nature, researchers found that individuals with potential exposure to Covid-19 do not necessarily develop PCR or antibody […]

Megan Thomas, DDW, comments on her experience of ELRIG UK’s Drug Discovery 2021 Having started my role as Editorial Assistant at DDW during the pandemic – my first within the drug discovery industry – my instinct was, “what a time to be in the thick of it”. As 2021 unfolded, scientists developed Covid-19 vaccines which […]

Acknowledging a successful career, a significant contribution to drug discovery and the ELRIG community, as well as a recent OBE, Steve Rees, VP Discovery Biology, R&D, AstraZeneca, discusses pivotal moments in his career, the work he coordinated around the Cambridge Covid-19 Test Centre, and his eagerness to re-connect with friends and colleagues in the drug discovery industry.  […]

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the drug discovery industry to re-imagine how it operates, as well as the roles within it. Rob Howes, Director of AstraZeneca’s Cambridge Covid-19 Testing Centre, believes ELRIG’s Drug Discovery 2021 will be an opportunity for the industry to re-connect as we return to in-person events and scientists return to their ‘day jobs’. When the […]