Vaccine competition: Sanofi shelves mRNA-based Covid jab work September 28, 2021 French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has shelved plans for its own mRNA-based Covid-19 jab due to the vaccine-success and dominance of rivals Pfizer and Moderna. Instead, Sanofi is set to focus on a different coronavirus vaccine making approach with its British partner GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). It signals the growing weight of the companies, namely BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna and [...]
Covid-19 vaccine maker Oxford Biomedica posts “record” revenue surge September 22, 2021 Gene and cell therapy group Oxford Biomedica has recorded “record” results in the past six months, boosted by its Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing with AstraZeneca. Revenue surged 139 per cent to £81.3m in the six months to 30 June, from £34m in the same period last year – mainly due to its bioprocessing and commercial [...]
15,000 Brits who took part in Novavax trials unable to prove Covid vaccine status September 20, 2021 Ministers are being urged to help thousands of people who took part in Covid-19 vaccine trials who cannot prove their vaccination status. Trial participants have described being “trapped” and “in limbo” because they are unable to get a licensed Covid-19 vaccine or travel abroad. Around 15,000 Britons took part in the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine clinical [...]
Researchers study bats in remote part of Cambodia in search for Covid-19 origin September 20, 2021 Researchers are collecting samples from bats in northern Cambodia in a bid to understand the coronavirus pandemic, returning to a region where a very similar virus was found in the animals a decade ago. Watch the full report.
WHO appoints Gordon Brown as ambassador for global health financing September 20, 2021 The World Health Organisation this morning appointed former prime minister Gordon Brown an ambassador for global health financing. Brown has been campaigning tirelessly in recent months for wealthy nations and the private sector to ensure the equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. He is calling for a concerted global effort to save lives, especially in poorer [...]
Vaccine minister: ‘We have a right to cancel’ the 140m Valneva jabs order September 14, 2021 Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi has said that the government had “a right” to quash its Covid-19 vaccine deal with French pharmaceutical firm Valneva. Health secretary Sajid Javid agreed, saying in the government’s Covid-19 autumn and winter plan this afternoon: “There are commercial reasons that we have cancelled the contract. “The vaccine in question would not [...]
Oxford Nanopore bets on London with IPO, to top up its £2.5bn valuation September 9, 2021 Oxford Nanopore, whose DNA technology has been used to sequence global variants, is set to float in London, in a listing that could secure a valuation north of £2.5bn. The biotech firm is the latest technology heavyweight to confirm its intentions for an initial public offering (IPO) in the UK’s capital, which has been on [...]
Alibaba-backed LinkDoc mulls private $200m fundraiser after frozen US IPO September 9, 2021 Chinese medical data firm LinkDoc Technology is reportedly looking to raise between $200m and $300m from a private fundraiser, weeks after it froze plans for a US float. LinkDoc, which is backed by Alibaba Health Information Technology, is also mulling a fresh initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong instead of across the pond, Bloomberg [...]
Compulsory jabs? Consultation on vaccinations for health staff begins September 9, 2021 The government has launched a consultation today to make a decision on whether there should be compulsory jabs for frontline workers in health and care settings. The six-week long consultation could result in staff receiving mandatory Covid-19 and flu vaccines to protect their patients and people receiving their care, unless they are medically exempt. The [...]
Spire Healthcare returns to operating profit amid climbing Covid costs September 9, 2021 Independent hospital group Spire Healthcare has returned to an operating profit in the past six months, after being hit by climbing Covid-19 costs. The group swung from a £189.8m operating loss last year, managing to secure £46.2m in the six months to 30 June, according to its interim results this morning. Revenue also jumped 38.9 [...]