Health officials have predicted a sharp increase in COVID-19 and flu cases this winter

Opinions have been divided as thousand of NHS operations and appointments were cancelled or postponed due to Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral, on Monday 19 September. Some patients have cancelled their own appointments, where others have complained of the disruption.

Patients who need to regularly inject themselves can often experience needle anxiety and worry that they may not be able to carry out the procedure correctly each time, which can reduce compliance. With Sidekick, Ypsomed intends to adopt a digital approach to combat this problem, through the development of a molecule specifically targeted towards patients with chronic conditions who need to self-inject therapies on a regular basis.

Millions of people have been invited for their autumn COVID-19 booster jab in England and Scotland as of Monday 5 September, and care home residents will be the first to receive this vaccine.

A new genetically engineered virus has delivered a one-two punch against advanced cancers in initial findings from a Phase I trial. Scientists found that RP2 – a modified version of the herpes simplex virus – showed signs of effectiveness in a quarter of patients with a range of advanced cancers.

This collaboration will give patients tools to engage with their health services.

Sativex, also known as nabiximols, has been accepted by the SMC for use by NHS Scotland, as a treatment to improve symptoms in adult patients with moderate-to-severe spasticity due to multiple sclerosis (MS).

The Swiss pharma group has agreed to buy Seattle-based biotech Good Therapeutics and its preclinical-stage PD-1 regulated IL-2 receptor agonist programme for $250 million upfront, with undisclosed milestone payments on offer tied to development, regulatory, and commercial objectives.

A team of scientists from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark have designed a sticky tape skin test which could help predict if young babies are likely to develop bad eczema, according to BBC News.

A team of scientists at the Technical University of Denmark have genetically engineered yeast to recreate vinblastine, an anti-cancer drug which was in short supply between 2019-2021. It is hoped this breakthrough will pave the way to creating more synthetic anti-cancer drugs.

Zimbabwe's Cabinet has now launched a mass vaccination campaign

AstraZeneca’s IMFINZI (durvulumab) has been approved in the US for the treament of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer (BTC) in combination with chemotherapy (gemcitabine plus cisplatin).

China has become the first country to approve an inhaled COVID-19 vaccine, paving the way for potential use of the needle-free product in the country.

Half of healthcare facilities worldwide lack basic hygiene services, without water and soap or alcohol-based hand rub where patients receive care and in toilet facilities, according to the latest Joint Monitoring Programme report by WHO and UNICEF.

IVERIC bio has announced positive topline results from GATHER2, the company’s second Phase III trial of Zimura (avacintcaptad pegol), a novel investigational complement C5 inhibitor for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA).

A new system has been developed at UCSF which uses CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to re-engineer large quantities of cells for therapeutic applications.

Triall, a blockchain provider, has joined forces with Mayo Clinic to highlight the use of blockchain technology within clinical trial design and management of study data.

Data from a Phase III clinical trial has shown that the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine is 85.7% effective when administered to patients 60 years and older, burgeoning hopes for a first bivalent RSV vaccine candidate.

A collaboration effort has been agreed between Merck Research Laboratories (MSD) and Orna Therapeutics to discover, develop, and commercialise programmes of engineered circular (oRNA) therapies, in areas including infectious diseases and oncology.

US-based Kelai Pharmaceutical has hired Canada-based full service contract research organisation (CRO), Nutrasource Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Providers, to assist with their early stage drug growth programme, where they hope to establish drug candidates from botanical crops to develop prescribed drugs.

Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT), a rare disease pharmaceutical company, has been bought by Pfizer for $5.4 billion in cash. The purchase will give Pfizer ownership of Oxbryta, a sickle cell disease-fighting drug which generated $195 million in 2021, with Pfizer expecting an increase in profits when it’s introduced to the global market.

SpectrumX have announced recent changes to their state-of-the-art production facility in Knutsford, Cheshire. This has paved the way towards the production of its drug substance, SPC-069, for clinical trials, according to Proactive Investors.

The site aims to cut 40% of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025

South Africa’s Biovac has made its first batch of the mRNA shot. The company finished its first doses at its facility in Cape Town, according to Bloomberg.

The Cedar Rapids City Council will be sponsoring JRS Pharma’s application for state financial assistance to help expand its manufacturing operations in southwest Cedar Rapids, according to Corridor Business.

17.1% of companies were recruiting in August 2022, compared to 19.6% the same time last year

Brainomix – the AI-powered MedTech solutions company – and Bridge Biotherapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel drugs for cancer, fibrosis, and inflammation, have announced a new partnership.

The group consists of nine ventures, plus two corporate-sponsored innovation projects from Novo Nordisk – all aligned with BioInnovation Institute’s (BII) focus on developing scientific healthcare initiatives.

These resources offer a blueprint for future development of digital endpoints

Under the strategic partnership, Microsoft’s computational services, Cloud, and artificial intelligence (AI) will be combined with Novo Nordisk’s drug discovery, development, and data science expertise.

In the last decade, AI has taken the field of neurology by storm. It has particularly revolutionised the way that Parkinson’s is diagnosed, researched, and managed. Lina Adams explores the technological advances that are underway as researchers aim to understood more about Parkinson’s pathology.

Pharmafocus speaks to Eoin O’Carroll, cofounder and CEO of oncology platform ONCOAssist, about the importance of digital platforms in this complex and ever-evolving field

Dr Jerry McMahon has been appointed CEO for STORM Therapeutics as it transitions into a clinical-stage company with a pipeline of products targeting RNA modifying enzymes.

Norwegian immuneoncology company Lytix has announced the appointment of Stephen Worsley as Chief Business Officer.

Pliant Therapeutics has appointed Katharine Knobil to its Board of Directors.

Valeo Pharma is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the commercialisation of innovative prescription products in Canada, with a focus on respirology/allergy, opthamology, and other products.

NervGen is a clinical stage biotech company dedicated to developing innovative solutions for the treatment of nervous system damage. They have appointed Matvey Lukashev, PhD, as the company’s Vice President of Research and Preclinical Development.

5 interesting cases of neurological phenomenons