It seems that after an initial frenzy at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when seemingly almost any old test could somehow make it on the market (check out the April news review for comments on quality issues), we’ve seen not just quality tests but also kits with added features appear from summer 2020. More and more COVID-19 tests have been […]
Check out my latest monthly review! It showcases Blue Steens’ latest posts, some news from biopharma & medtech as well as interesting events I have attended or noticed. At a glance In terms of COVID-19, test kits are becoming more elaborate; repurposed drugs promise to accelerate recovery; and vaccine development is in full swing globally with Russia having already approved […]
Convalescent plasma (CP) therapy gained FDA emergency use authorisation (EUA) in August. It appears that this is surrounded by some controversy and suspicion of politicisation. Without getting anywhere near politics here, let’s not forget that health agencies’ interest in CP is nothing new. The FDA has previously encouraged survivors to donate plasma and supported developments in this space along with […]
I have had discussions lately about the perception that an immunity passport is the same as a vaccination passport. This is not so. The choice of words matters! Let’s explore this from a basic immunological perspective.
Check out my latest monthly review! It showcases Blue Steens’ latest posts, some news from biopharma & medtech as well as interesting events I have attended or noticed. At a glance In terms of COVID-19, we’ve seen interesting technologies being added to the spectrum of testing capabilities; hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment seems to be falling from favour whilst remdesivir […]
Daclizumab, marketed as Zinbryta, was approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) in the USA and Europe in summer 2016. Daclizumab has shown superior efficacy when compared to placebo and a standard treatment (AVONEX®, interferon beta-1a) and is believed to be on a par with other novel treatments. It is a once-monthly subcutaneous injection which the patient can administer themselves. This is quite convenient to […]