News round-up by DDW’s Megan Thomas for 28 March – 1 April, 2022
From Covid updates to life-saving investments, this week’s news shows how valuable the drug discovery industry is and the impact it makes.
1. Covid-19 approval milestone for those who can’t be vaccinated
AstraZeneca’s Evusheld (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab) has been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and is the first antibody combination for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against Covid-19 licensed in Great Britain.
2. CatSci secures £4.5 million funding deal for drug development
CatSci, a partner for medicines development, has secured £4.5 million of investment to expedite the development and launch of what it calls its life-changing therapeutics.
3. Snail venom could be key to new pain relief medicines
New and more effective forms of pain relief medication could be developed using research based off the deadly venom of poisonous sea snails.
4. Sano Genetics raises $11m to expand patient recruitment tech
Healthtech company Sano Genetics has raised $11 million in a Series A funding round to help it expand its patient recruitment technology.
5. Serum Institute of India enters adolescents Covid-19 vaccine market
The recent approval of Novavax’s protein-based Covid-19 vaccine for adolescents aged 12-18 years will help its partner, the Serum Institute of India (SII) enter the adolescents’ market, according to GlobalData.
