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The latest report on the Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapeutics market is an all-inclusive assessment of the business sphere and highlights the vital parameters of the industry including current trends, industry size, market share, present renumeration, periodic deliverables, and profit estimates over the forecast timeline.

New Market Research Report on Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapeutics Market size | Industry Segment by Applications (Prescription and Over-the-Counter (OTC), by Type (Pharmaceuticals and Biopharmaceuticals), By Regional Outlook - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Opportunity, Latest Trends, and Forecast to 2025.

The report provides a comprehensive evaluation of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapeutics market performance during the study period. Insights pertaining to drivers that affect the market dynamics, as well as the growth pattern over the predicted timeframe are documented in the report. It further elaborates the challenges of the market and define the growth prospects in the forthcoming years.

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Unveiling the geographical landscape of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapeutics market:

Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapeutics Market bifurcation: USA, Europe, Japan, China, India, South East Asia.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapeutics Market: Development Factors and Investment Analysis by Leading Manufacturers - Express Journal

HOLMDEL, N.J., Oct. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The 5th Annual Companion Diagnostics Forum will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, October 27-28, 2020. Register at http://companiondiagnosticsforum.com.

"The online Companion Diagnostics Forum is focused on the need for Companion Diagnostics to grow and keep pace with novel developments in Pharma," said Event Chair Oscar Puig from Eli Lilly, adding, "We are providing access to key people in this important field that are working every angle to ensure patients get the personalized medicine they require."

Keynote speaker Steve Anderson, CSO from Covance, explained that"Companion diagnostics are a critical component for delivering on the promise of precision medicine. This conference brings together industry leaders to discuss and review innovations and emerging applications in companion diagnostics."

Some of the therapeutic areas that will be covered are Oncology, ALS and trauma-related disorders. Education, regulations and adoption in clinical applications will be discussed at this year's forum. Speakers will addresshow these various areas are combining to bring better healthcare to patients.

Ronnye Schreiber, CEO, PlanetConnect and event organizer, said, "We are pleased that we can offer this custom virtual environment to ensure that the Forum could move forward even though we cannot meet in-person."

See a complete agenda and register online at http://www.companiondiagnosticsforum.com.

About PlanetConnect The Companion Diagnostics Forum is produced by PlanetConnect, a certified woman-owned conference producer and event production company with more than 25 years experience running scientific symposia for pharmaceutical, research, IT and manufacturing organizations. With decades of experience providing cost-effective, creative solutions, PlanetConnect enables companies to focus on making meaningful connectionsnot just meetings.

Contacts:Event Chair: Oscar Puig, Translational Medicine, Oncology Late Stage Development, Eli Lilly [emailprotected] Event Manager: Ronnye Schreiber, CEO, PlanetConnect, [emailprotected]

SOURCE PlanetConnect

http://www.planetconnect.com

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The 5th Annual Companion Diagnostics Forum on Oct 27-28 gathers scientists, clinicians, regulators and industry professionals for two days of...

Data from a 5-year open-label treatment period on the safety profile of erenumab (Aimovig) showed the treatment helped patients with episodic migraine (EM) achieve a sustained reduction in the number of monthly migraine days (MMD) and the number of days in which therapies were needed for acute migraines.

The set of data we have now obtained is very, very important from the clinical point of view,said Messoud Ashina, MD, PhD, professor of neurology in the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at theUniversity of Copenhagen and lead investigator of the study.

Erenumab, which wasapprovedby the FDA in 2018, is a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitor administered via self-injection once a month. The treatment blocks the CGRP receptor, which is believed to play a crucial role in migraine. Erenumab can be injected as a 70- or 140-mg dose in adults with migraine. Results from the phase 2 study were initially published during the Migraine Trust Virtual Symposium.

In an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), Ashina reviewed the findings and discussed potential next steps for the treatment.

The sustained efficacy of erenumab is integral, as many migraineurs experience a wearing off of treatment effects after 3 or 4 months on a single preventive therapy, Ashina explained. Furthermore, the study found that erenumabs safety profile was nearly identical to that observed during the double-blind period, and no additional adverse reactions were reported. The most common adverse events included nasopharyngitis and upper respiratory tract infections.

Although roughly 70% of the 216 patients enrolled in open-label phase of the study reported long-term efficacy, researchers do not yet know what accounts for the heterogeneity in terms of response. So far, we havent found any predictors for efficacy, and we need more research and more new studies to explain why this group of patients does not respond to monoclonal antibodies, Ashina said.

Currently, the Efficacy and Safety of Erenumab in Pediatric Subjects with Episodic Migraine (OASIS EM) trial is underway. When it comes to the treatments effects in pediatric populations, Ashina expects to see similar long-term results. This is one of the areas with a huge unmet need for new treatments, he said. Medications currently available for children can have side effects and adverse events, making some specialists hesitant to prescribe preventive treatments to younger populations.

Based on the safety and tolerability that we see in an adult population [with erenumab], we would expect to also see positive results in children, as this population also has a high frequency of episodic migraine, Ashina said. But lets see, because we havent seen data yet.

OASIS EM is estimated to be completed in August 2025.

In addition to studies on erenumabs efficacy in children, Ashina noted that future studies ought to be conducted on predicting the treatments efficacy in patients. If predictive markers of efficacy are found, this will also pave the way for personalized medicine in the future.

The second issue is with erenumab and also other monoclonal antibodies is about safety and tolerability in patients with different comorbidities, Ashina explained. As most clinical trials do not include patients with serious comorbidities, real-world data will be essential to understand the effects of erenumab on these patients.

Registry studies can also be used to track any effects that monoclonal antibody treatments may have on pregnant women. Erenumab is currently contraindicated during pregnancy, but you can imagine that when you have a drug with a long half-life, and if you get pregnant, it might theoretically affect the baby, Ashina said.

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Dr Messoud Ashina Talks Through the 5-Year Safety and Efficacy Data on Erenumab - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network

CHICAGO, Oct. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Research Antibodies and Reagents Marketby Product (Antibodies (Type, Form, Source, Research Area), Reagents), Technology (Western blotting, Flow Cytometry), Application (Proteomics, Drug Development), End User - COVID-19 Impact - Global Forecast to 2025",published by MarketsandMarkets, the global market size is projected to reach USD 14.1 billion by 2025 from USD 10.1 billion in 2020, at a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period.

The growth is due to evolution of market owing to factors such as growth in proteomics and genomics research, rising demand for high-quality antibodies for research reproducibility, and increasing R&D activity and expenditure in the life sciences industry. Fueled by the growing demand for personalized medicine and structure-based drug design, the global market is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years.

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The COVID-19 outbreak has boosted research activity due to efforts to understand the dynamics of the infection. We estimate that the major share of research antibody and reagent manufacturing, along with personalized medicine, will grow at a stable pace in the next five years. Due to the increase in research activity, both the availability of funding for research and the demand & manufacturing of reagents and antibodies are expected to grow. As companies after pandemic have scaled up their operations for testing and tracking the infection of COVID-19. This has given a chance for growth in profits for companies operating in the NGS and PCR markets. The growth in revenue is 57%, as COVID-19 testing has increased with the use of the latest technology of genetic and molecular testing. The shift in demand for research for COVID-19, neurobiology, and oncology has created a huge scope for testing solutions, such as western blotting, flow cytometry, ELISA, and drugs for researchers and laboratories.

The antibodies segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Based on product, the research antibodies market is segmented into reagents and antibodies. The antibodies segment is expected to grow at highest CAGR in forecast period. This is due to the research-use antibodies offer high specificity and selectivity and are used ubiquitously in biochemical and medical research for protein-target identification, regulatory characterization, and discovery.

The primary antibodies segment is accounts for the largest share of the research reagents market

Based type, the research reagents market is segmented into primary antibodies and secondary antibodies. The primary antibodies segment held the largest share of the global research antibodies market in 2019. This segment is witnessing a strong growth due to the use of these antibodies in numerous types of assay formats. Their accuracy in biomarker detection and their high specificity and sensitivity are also driving their adoption

The media & sera reagent is expected to account for the largest share of the market, by type, in 2019

Based type, the research antibodies and reagents market is segmented into media &sera, stains & dyes, fixatives, buffers, solvents, enzymes, probes and other reagents. The media & sera reagent segment held the largest share of the global research antibodies market in 2019. The large share of this segment is primarily attributed to the use of these components in all types of assays, cell cultures, and techniques.

The western blotting segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market, by technology, in 2019

Based on technology, the research antibodies market is segmented into western blotting, flow cytometry, ELISA, Immunohistochemistry, Immunofluorescence, Immunoprecipitation, and other technologies. Western blotting segment is expected to grow at highest CAGR in forecast periods (2020-2025). This is due to the high adoption of this technique in proteomic and genomic research. The results achieved are easy to interpret, unique, and unambiguous, making it suited for evaluating levels of protein expression in cells, monitoring fractions during protein purification, and comparing the expression of a target protein from various tissues.

The pharmaceutical & biotechnology segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Based on end user, the research reagents market is segmented into the pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, academic & research institutions and Contract Research Organizations. The growth of this segment is due to antibodies provide a gold standard for the detection of a biomolecule or a pathway and are even capable of detecting specific changes in potential drug targets. Additionally, highly specific reagents are used to measure pharmacokinetic parameters in the preclinical and clinical development of biological drugs. The increasing demand for personalized medicine and government initiatives in this sector are the key market drivers for this segment.

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The APAC market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The Asia Pacific research reagents market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2020 to 2025.The growth of this market is primarily due to growing proteomics and genomics research and increasing research funding, investments by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and growing awareness of personalized therapeutics in the region. Also, high-growth countries, such as China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, and Singapore are the major contributors to the Asia Pacific research antibodies and reagents market. This region is expected to grow at the highest pace during the forecast period primarily due to growing proteomics and genomics research and increasing research funding, increasing investments by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and growing awareness about personalized therapeutics.

The prominent market players are Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), Merck Group (Germany), Abcam plc (UK), Becton, Dickinson and Company (US), Bio-Rad Laboratories (US), Cell Signaling Technology (US), F. Hoffmann-La Roche (Switzerland), Danaher Corporation (US), Agilent Technologies (US), PerkinElmer (US), Lonza (Switzerland), GenScript (China), and BioLegend (US).

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Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets' flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

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Mr. Aashish MehraMarketsandMarkets INC.630 Dundee RoadSuite 430Northbrook, IL 60062USA: +1-888-600-6441Email: [emailprotected]Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/research-antibodies-reagents-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/research-antibodies-reagents.asp

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Research Antibodies and Reagents Market worth $14.1 Billion by 2025 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets - PRNewswire

TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Registration is now open for the World Cord Blood Day 2020 virtual conference (register free on Eventbrite) featuring world renown cord blood transplant doctors and cellular therapy researchers. To be held on November 17th, the virtual conference will provide an opportunity for healthcare professionals, expectant parents, and students to learn about life-saving cord blood stem cells via a mix of livestream and on-demand sessions. The public is also invited to participate in a wide variety of free educational events being held around the globe by WCBD Official Participants (see listings on http://www.WorldCordBloodDay.org).

Attendees of the virtual conference will learn how cord blood has been used in more than 40,000 stem cell transplants since 1988 to treat over 80 life-threatening diseases including leukemia, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and lymphoma. Ground-breaking research will also be presented by scientists who are discovering cord blood's full potential in CAR-NK immunotherapy, the emerging field of regenerative medicine to potentially treat autism, cerebral palsy, Covid-19 related MIS-C and more. Keynote presentations will be made by Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg (Duke Department of Pediatrics, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development), Dr. Katy Rezvani (MD Anderson Cancer Center), Dr. Jonathan Gutman (University of Colorado), Dr. Leland Metheny (Case Western Reserve University), and Monroe Burgess (Quick Specialized Healthcare Logistics). Dr. Moshe Israeli (Rabin Medical Center) will lead the opening session on HLA matching and cord blood.

In addition, a panel of industry experts will discuss how cord blood has come to the forefront during the Covid-19 pandemic. Increasingly, stem cells transplant doctors are using cord blood units collected well before the pandemic and now available for immediate use. Attendees will also hear from Dr. David Hall and Vanessa Yenson, who both beat cancer thanks to cord blood transplants.

To view the full agenda, please visit: https://www.worldcordbloodday.org/online-medical-conference-agenda-wcbd-2020.html

Organized and hosted by Save the Cord Foundation (501c3 non-profit), this year's event is officially sponsored by Quick Specialized Healthcare Logistics. "We're proud to be a sponsor of World Cord Blood Day for the fourth year in a row. This year is sure to be very informative and exciting, providing the latest information from some of the industry's top doctors and researchers. We're humbled to play a role in the research and development of cord blood derivative therapies by providing logistics supply chain solutions to cord blood, biotech and pharmaceutical companies worldwide," said David Murphy, Executive VP of Quick's Life Science Division.

Inspiring Partners this year include the Cord Blood Association (CBA), Be the Match (NMDP), World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA-Netcord), AABB Center for Cellular Therapy and Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT).

Visit http://www.WorldCordBloodDay.org to learn how you can participate and/or host an event. Join us on social media using the hashtags: #WCBD20 and #WorldCordBloodDay.

About Save the Cord Foundation

Save the Cord Foundation (a 501c3 non-profit) was established to advance cord blood education. The Foundation provides non-commercial information to parents, health professionals and the public regarding methods for saving cord blood, as well as current applications using cord blood and the latest research. Learn more at http://www.SaveTheCordFoundation.org.

About Quick Specialized Healthcare Logistics

Quick is the trusted logistics leader serving the Healthcare and Life Science community for almost 40 years. Quick safely transports human organs and tissue for transplant or research, blood, blood products, cord blood, bone marrow, medical devices, and personalized medicine, 24/7/365. Quick's specially trained experts work with hospitals, laboratories, blood banks and medical processing canters, and utilize the safest routes to ensure integrity, temperature control and chain of custody throughout the transportation process. Learn more at http://www.quickhealthcare.aero.

Media Contact:Charis Ober[emailprotected]520-419-0269

SOURCE Save the Cord Foundation

http://www.SaveTheCordFoundation.org

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World Cord Blood Day 2020 Speakers to Present Revolutionary CAR-NK Cell Therapy, Potential Treatments for Covid-19 Related MIS-C and Advantages of...

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence over the last decade have the potential to revolutionize how drugs are developed. These are the top 10 companies in Europe that are working to make AI drug discovery a reality.

Drug development is a slow and increasingly expensive process. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to make the drug development process quicker, cheaper and more efficient. This technology can make scanning vast libraries of chemical compounds that might be able to treat a certain disease easier, can speed up the analysis of biomedical information from the literature, and can help companies recruit the most suitable patients for clinical trials. AI can also streamline the design of better drugs and incorporate new data, such as genomic analysis, to help personalized medicine become a reality.

There are now an increasing number of companies that are using AI to improve drug discovery and development in a variety of different ways. We enlisted the help of experts in the industry to select the top European companies in this area. As ever, these are in no particular order.

Location: Oxford, UKFounded: 2012

Exscientia was one of the first companies to apply AI technology to drug discovery. Its focus is to quickly identify and optimize drug candidates that are more likely to succeed in clinical trials than those selected by conventional means.

The companys first AI-designed drug candidate, to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, began human testing in a phase I trial earlier this year. It took Exscientia 12 months to bring the candidate to clinical trials rather than the average time of around five years. More recently, the company announced it was working with US partners to apply its technology to searching for drug candidates to treat Covid-19.

The Oxford-based company has deals with Bayer, BMS, Sanofi, GSK, and Celgene to co-develop new drugs for a variety of diseases and conditions. Exscientia also closed an impressive 54M Series C round at the end of April, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Location: Cambridge, UKFounded: 2014

Healx uses AI to analyze extensive medical research data with the goal of repurposing and finding new combinations of existing drugs to treat rare diseases such as fragile X syndrome, Angelman syndrome and muscular dystrophy.

The company raised a 50.8M Series B round in October 2019. Shortly after, Healx announced it was committing 17M to run its Rare Treatment Accelerator program, allowing patient groups a chance to work with the company to find new treatments for rare diseases.

The companys most advanced program, a drug repurposed for fragile X syndrome, took less than two years to reach clinical trials instead of the normal five-to-seven years this process usually takes. Like many others, Healx is using its technology to search for treatments for Covid-19.

Location: London, UKFounded: 2013

BenevolentAI has developed an AI platform that can identify new drug target candidates for any therapeutic area. The company has its own pharmaceutical team to investigate potential leads and develop their own products. The company began life as Stratified Medicine before changing its name in 2016.

BenevolentAI is working in a variety of disease areas including Alzheimers and ALS. While the company is working on its own drug candidates, it also has various partnerships including with the big pharma companies AstraZeneca and Novartis. BenevolentAI recently hit the news when it discovered a potential treatment for Covid-19, the existing rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib, which has shown to improve and speed up the recovery of hospitalized patients with Covid-19.

The company technically reached unicorn status in 2018 when it achieved a valuation of 1.7B after a big fundraising. However, the companys valuation suffered significantly when Neil Woodford, who had been a major investor, was forced to wind up his fund in 2019, though the valuation has since improved again.

Location: Eschborn, GermanyFounded: 2011

Unlike other companies in the field, Innoplexus doesnt develop its own pharmaceuticals, Instead, the firm gives pharma companies, biotechs, contract research organizations and life sciences professionals access to its data platform to help them design better drugs and improve decision making throughout the drug development process.

The company uses AI and blockchain to search published papers, online data from presentations, symposiums and conferences, clinical trial data, and publicly available hospital data as well as unpublished datasets.

Last spring, Innoplexus closed a Series C round worth an undisclosed amount in the double-digit millions. In March, The company released an analysis of hundreds of clinical studies that suggested a treatment for Covid-19 consisting of hydroxychloroquine combined with a variety of other drugs, including Gileads antiviral remdesivir.

Location: Copenhagen, DenmarkFounded: 2008

Evaxion has a focus on infectious diseases and oncology. The company has developed two AI platforms that can be used to create immunotherapies by selecting the antigens that are most likely to produce strong immune responses against infections or cancer.

One of the platforms is used for the development of personalized cancer immunotherapies. In April 2019, the company dosed its first patient with its lead candidate, a therapeutic vaccine targeting solid tumors. The other platform can identify vaccine antigens that trigger protective responses against pathogenic bacteria in less than a day.

At the end of last year the company raised 16M. As with most of the other companies in this space, Evaxion has launched its own Covid-19 effort an AI platform designed to enable a faster response to emerging viral pandemics by identifying potential vaccines and taking them to clinical trials within just 13 weeks.

Location: Frankfurt am Main, GermanyFounded: 2016

Genome Biologics has a focus on RNA interference therapies for cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases. The company uses an AI platform to assist in identifying suitable drug targets and also allows 2D and 3D investigation of RNAi disease targets in a variety of animal models.

Genome Biologics was developed with support from the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Labs Incubator in Beerse, Belgium, where the company has an office. The company is still young, but has raised 2.5M in grant and seed funding to further develop its technology. Its lead candidate treatment is expected to start phase I/II testing in heart failure patients next year.

Genome Biologics recently joined Blue Knight, a collaboration of companies created by Johnson & Johnson Innovation and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in the US, that aims to anticipate potential global health threats and infectious diseases.

Location: Lyon, FranceFounded: 2010

Novadiscovery uses data from preclinical and clinical studies to model a drugs effect on patients and predict whether it will be successful or not at treating a specific disease. The company has worked on a wide range of indications including liver disease, respiratory disease, hepatitis, immuno-oncology, and cardiovascular disease.

Compared to other similar companies, Novadiscovery is able to work with small and large data sets alike. The AI platform is also designed to be transparent and allow users to check if the tool is working correctly.

The company raised 5M in Series A funding earlier this year to develop its technology further and offer it to clients as a cloud-based service where users pay for access.

Location: Dublin, IrelandFounded: 2014

Nuritas uses its AI platform to search and analyze large libraries to find potential drug candidates or nutritional additives. In particular, the company focuses on identifying and developing peptide drugs.

Although it has a strong focus on developing nutritional supplements, Nuritas is also using its platform to develop potential drug candidates. The company is currently investigating a fibrosis target that is implicated in a number of diseases including liver, renal and cardiac disease.

Nuritas has raised 53.9M since it was founded in 2014 and has collaborations with big players such as Nestle, Johnson & Johnson and BASF. The company has also joined the Covid-19 effort and is searching for antiviral peptides that could block the virus causing Covid-19, SARS-CoV-2, from infecting cells or locally reduce lung inflammation without the need for complete immunosuppression.

Location: Budapest, HungaryFounded: 2015

Turbine has a focus on cancer. The company has built a dynamic computational model of human cell biology that uses AI to predict how cancer cells respond to drugs and finds new targets, biomarkers and therapies. By running thousands of simulated experiments, this technology can dramatically speed up drug development.

Turbine is currently focusing on DNA damage repair targets, found in 30% of cancers, particularly in patients resistant to other therapies. The company secured 3M in seed funding at the end of last year and has partnered with German big pharma Bayer to develop new applications for its existing cancer drugs. It also has its own preclinical-stage drug development programs in development.

Location: Tel Aviv, IsraelFounded: 2016

Tel Aviv-based CytoReason is definitely worth a mention on this list. The company has one of the largest libraries of human molecular data in the world. It uses this information to create computational cell models of the human immune system to advance drug development.

For example, an analysis of melanoma biopsies using the companys AI platform identified that patients who responded to the drug nivolumab had higher numbers of adipocyte cells than those who did not. The company has also discovered several potential new targets for this cancer that had not previously been investigated.

CytoReason has not revealed its funding to date, but has high-value partnerships with several big pharma companies including Pfizer, GSK and Roche focusing on drug development in immunology.

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Top 10 Companies Combining AI and Drug Discovery in... - Labiotech.eu

PALM BEACH, Fla., Oct. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a new avenue for revenue generation for pharmaceutical companies. Adverse effects, such as recurrence of cancer and organ failure, associated with conventional chemotherapies and rising demand for technologically advanced healthcare solutions are boosting the demand for immunotherapies. Moreover, introduction of newer drug classes, such as target receptors for multiple myeloma and checkpoint inhibitors, is poised to make way for advanced therapeutics in the market.Monoclonal antibodies are the most widely used immunotherapeutic drugs globally. Development of monoclonal antibodies as effective immunotherapeutic options areresulting in discovery of new therapeutic options for cancer treatment. A recent industry reportfrom MarketsAndMarkets projected that the global immunotherapy drugs market is projected to reach USD 274.6 billion by 2025 from USD 163.0 billion in 2020, at a CAGR of 11.0 % during the forecast period. The growth of this market is majorly attributed to the rising prevalence of target diseases, increasing demand for monoclonal antibodies and biosimilars, increasing adoption of immunotherapy drugs over conventional treatments, and a favorable approval scenario. However, timeline issues, side-effects, and manufacturing complexities and a high attrition rate in the product development cycle are expected to challenge market growth. Active biotech and pharma companies in the markets this week include Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: ATNM), AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ: AZN), Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), Northwest Biotherapeutics(OTCQB: NWBO), Merck (NYSE: MRK).

The report said that: "Based on type, the immunotherapy drugs market is segmented into monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, interferons & interleukins, and other immunotherapies. The monoclonal antibodies segment accounted for the largest share of the global immunotherapy drugs market in 2019. This large share can be attributed to their high specificity and fewer side-effects, increasing focus on personalized medicines, initiatives by industry players, and the rising target disease incidence and patient pool On the basis of therapeutic area, this market is segmented into cancer, autoimmune & inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases, and other therapeutic areas. Cancer accounted for the largest share of the global immunotherapy drugs market, by therapeutic area, in 2019. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the growing prevalence of cancer, rising research activity in this area, and reimbursement coverage for immunotherapies for oncology."

Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: ATNM) BREAKING NEWS: Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Awarded Grant by National Institutes of Health to Study Novel Iomab-ACT Targeted Conditioning with a CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy - Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Actinium" or the "Company") today announced that the National Institutes of Health has awarded Actinium a Small Business Technology Transfer grant to support a clinical collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ("MSK") to study Iomab-ACT, Actinium's CD45-targeting Antibody Radio-Conjugate, for targeted conditioning to achieve lymphodepletion prior to administration of a CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapy developed at MSK. The CD19 CAR-T has been previously studied by MSK in a Phase 2 trial with chemotherapy conditioning in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL) or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). MSK will lead this first of its kind study to utilize targeted radiopharmaceutical ARC-based lymphodepletion to replace chemotherapy-based conditioning prior to CAR T-cell therapy. The study will assess the feasibility of using Iomab-ACT targeted lymphodepletion prior to MSK's 19-28z CAR-T and assess safety and efficacy outcomes relative to results with MSK's CAR-T 19-28z in patients who had received chemotherapy-based lymphodepletion prior to CAR-T administration.

Results published in the New England Journal of Medicine with MSK's 19-28z CD19 CAR-T in 53 patients with R/R B-ALL reported complete remissions in 83% (44/53) of patients. Median event-free survival (EFS) was 6.1 months and median overall survival (OS) was 12.9 months at a median follow up period of 29 months (range 1 65 months) for all patients. Patients with low disease burden, defined as less than 5% blasts in the bone marrow, had markedly enhanced outcomes with increased median EFS of 10.6 months and median OS of 20.1 months. There was a 26% (14/53) rate of Grade 3 of greater cytokine release syndrome (CRS), with 1 patient death as a result, and 42% of patients experienced Grade 3-4 immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). In addition to improved duration of response and survival, patients with low disease burden prior to receiving CAR T-cell therapy had lower rates of CRS and neurotoxicity.

"We are excited to be collaborating with MSK on this trial as they are aleader in the field of cellular therapies. We selected MSK's 19-28z CAR T-cell therapy for this NIH grant funded collaboration because ithas produced high response rates in patients with relapsed or refractory B-ALL who have previously undergone several lines of standard therapy. However, toxicities such as cytokine release syndrome and neurologic toxicity, as well as durability of response, remain a challenge as is the case with many other CAR T-cell therapies" commented Dr. Mark Berger, Actinium's Chief Medical Officer. "Iomab-ACT enables the delivery of targeted radiation that selectively and specifically targets immune cells, including those implicated in the CAR-T-associated toxicities of cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. We are hopeful that this study will demonstrate improvements in safety and outcomes with MSK's CAR 19-28z as a result of Iomab-ACT targeted lymphodepletion and that this will allow clinicians to make important improvements in patients' ability to receive CAR T-cell therapies."

CAR-T is a type of cellular therapy in which a patient's own (autologous) T-cells are genetically engineered outside of the body to target the patient's cancer cells and which are then reinfused back into the patient to seek out and kill cancer cells. Currently there are 2 approved CD19 targeted CAR-T therapies, which both require chemotherapy-based conditioning to deplete the patient's lymphocytes, known as lymphodepletion, and many other CAR-T constructs in development that also use chemotherapy conditioning for lymphodepletion.

Iomab-ACT targets cells that express CD45, an antigen found on immune cells such as lymphocytes and macrophages as well as leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells and delivers the radioisotope warhead iodine-131 to achieve cell depletion. Iomab-ACT is intended to deplete CD45+ immune cells such as macrophages that are implicated in CAR-T related toxicities and may also have an anti-tumor effect on chemo-refractory cancers. Iomab-ACT is a low dose extension of Actinium's lead program, Iomab-B, which is being studied in a pivotal Phase 3 trial for targeted conditioning prior to a bone marrow transplant. Preclinical data supporting Iomab-ACT's application in targeted lymphodepletion prior to ACT such as CAR-T was recently published in the journal Oncotarget (https://www.oncotarget.com/archive/v11/i39/). In addition, clinical data with trace doses of Iomab-B has shown transient, reversible lymphodepletion in patients and drug clearance pharmacokinetics that fit within the vein to vein time of CAR-T manufacturing and administration.

Sandesh Seth, Actinium's Chairman and CEO, said, "This clinical trial collaboration with MSK is a strong step forward for Actinium and our targeted conditioning program. The 19-28z CAR-T has already produced promising data and we look forward to working with MSK to explore Iomab-ACT's potential to reduce toxicities and improve patient outcomes. As we advance towards the SIERRA interim analysis in the fourth quarter, we are focused on the continued expansion of our ARC-based targeted conditioning program for bone marrow transplant and cell and gene therapies with the goal of providing targeted conditioning regimens that are less toxic and more effective than current chemotherapy-based conditioning. With these therapies being administered in a select number of concentrated centers, we see a large and growing market opportunity where our ARC-based targeted conditioning can improve outcomes and increase access to these important curative treatment options." Read this full release and more news for ATNM at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-atnm/

Other recent developments in the biotech industry include:

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ: AZN) AstraZeneca's TAGRISSO(osimertinib) recently announced it has received acceptance for its supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) and has also been granted Priority Review in the US for the adjuvant treatment of patients with early-stage (IB, II and IIIA) epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated (EGFRm) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after complete tumor resection with curative intent.

While up to 30% of all patients with NSCLC may be diagnosed early enough to have potentially curative surgery, disease recurrence is still common in early-stage disease and nearly half of patients diagnosed in Stage IB, and over three quarters of patients diagnosed in Stage IIIA, experience recurrence within five years.

Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) recently announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended approval ofOpdivo(nivolumab) for the treatment of adults with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based combination chemotherapy. The European Commission (EC), which is authorized to approve medicines for the European Union (EU), will now review the CHMP recommendation.

"This positive CHMP opinion underscores the potential ofOpdivoin the EU treatment landscape for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, with the ATTRACTION-3 trial showing clinically meaningful survival coupled with a favorable safety profile," said Ian M. Waxman, M.D., development lead, gastrointestinal cancers, Bristol Myers Squibb. "We look forward to the EC's final decision, which could mark the first time an immunotherapy is approved for any upper gastrointestinal cancer in the EU. We remain committed to continuing to explore the potential benefits ofOpdivoin earlier settings of esophageal cancer."

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, recently announced findings from two additional Phase 3 studies evaluating the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of V114, the company's investigational 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. In the PNEU-PATH (V114-016) study, healthy adults 50 years of age or older received V114 or PCV13 followed by PNEUMOVAX23 one year later. Immune responses following vaccination with PNEUMOVAX 23 (month 13) were comparable in both vaccination groups for the 15 serotypes in V114. Results also showed that at 30 days post vaccination with either V114 or PCV13 (day 30), immune responses were comparable for both groups across the 13 serotypes shared by the conjugate vaccines and higher in the V114 group for serotypes 22F and 33F, the two serotypes not included in PCV13. In PNEU-DAY (V114-017), a Phase 3 study in immunocompetent adults 18 to 49 years of age with underlying medical conditions associated with increased risk for pneumococcal disease, V114 generated immune responses generally comparable to PCV13 for the 13 shared serotypes and higher immune responses for serotypes 22F and 33F at 30 days post-vaccination. Results from both studies are based on opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) responses a measure of vaccine-induced functional antibodies. V114 was generally well tolerated in both studies, with a safety profile consistent with that observed for V114 in previously reported studies.

Northwest Biotherapeutics(OTCQB: NWBO), a biotechnology company developing DCVaxpersonalized immune therapies for solid tumor cancers, recently announced that the database for the Phase III trial of DCVax-L for Gliobastoma has been locked. With the database now locked, the independent service firms managing the Clinical Trial are arranging for the independent statisticians to have access to the unblinded raw data from the Trial. Neither the Company nor any party other than the independent statisticians will have access to any unblinded data at this stage.

The statisticians will proceed as quickly as possible with analyses of the raw data and prepare summaries of the Trial results for review by the Company, the Principal Investigator, the Steering Committee of the Trial, the Scientific Advisory Board, and a panel of independent brain cancer experts, who will analyze the data with the statisticians in preparation for public announcement and scientific publication.

DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated forty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

Contact Information:

Media Contact email:[emailprotected] -+1(561)325-8757

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Promising New Cancer Treatments Advancing Through The Pipeline In Over $200 Billion Dollar Drug Market - PRNewswire

Not even a week after Nvidia announced that it would be providing hardware for the first four of the eight planned EuroHPC systems, HPE and AMD are announcing another major EuroHPC design win. Finnish supercomputing center CSC revealed today that its forthcoming LUMI system commissioned under the auspices of EuroHPC will be built by HPE using AMD processor technology. With a target Linpack performance of 375 petaflops, LUMI is the second of three planned pre-exascale machines under EuroHPC to have its hardware detailed. The system also breaks new ground in energy efficiency.

The system

LUMI is based on the HPE Cray EX supercomputer architecture, and will harness next-generation AMD Epyc CPUs and AMD Instinct GPUs. Storage will include 7 PB of accelerated flash-based storage (LUMI-F, utilizing a Cray ClusterStor E1000 storage system); an 80 PB Lustre file system (LUMI-P); and 30 PB of encrypted object storage (LUMI-O). LUMIs primary GPU-driven partition (LUMI-G) will be supplemented by a data analytics partition with 32 TB of memory and additional GPUs (LUMI-D), as well as a CPU partition featuring around 200,000 AMD Epyc CPU cores. LUMI will use HPE Slingshot networking.

LUMIs main partition is expected to deliver over 550 peak petaflops of computing power, just above (current Top500 leader) Fugakus 513.8 peak petaflops. Committed Linpack performance, meanwhile, is 375 petaflops (shy of Fugakus 415.5). This makes LUMI the most powerful of the five planned EuroHPC systems that have been detailed so far: Italys Leonardo system is expected to deliver over 200 peak petaflops; Luxembourgs Meluxina, over 18; the Czech Republics EURO IT4I, 15.2; and Slovenias Vega, 6.8.

Energy efficiency & siting

LUMI will support research from ten countries, comprising a new LUMI consortium: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland. The consortium says that LUMI will enable more precise climate models; advanced AI applications in areas like self-driving vehicle development; large-scale social science analytics; personalized medicine research; and much more. Up to 20 percent of LUMIs capacity will be reserved for European industry and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The system will be installed in a new datacenter at CSCs campus in Kajaani, Finland, where CSC says the system will take up roughly the size of a tennis court. The datacenter is expected to be ready by Q4 2020; the first phase of LUMI, by Q2 2021; and the second phase of LUMI, by Q4 2021. LUMI will use 100 percent renewable energy (thanks to local hydropower) and its waste heat will be used to supply approximately 20 percent of the yearly district heating needs of its host town, resulting in a stated net negative carbon footprint of 13,500 tons of CO2 equivalent per year.

HPE says that LUMI will use approximately 8.5 megawatts, which translates into an extremely efficient 44.1 gigaflops per watt. For context, this is nearly double the efficiency of thecurrent Green500 leader, MN-3, which delivers 21.1 gigaflops per watt. Extrapolating LUMIs numbers out, an exascale system would require just around 22.7 megawatts well within the 40-megawatt limit targeted by the planned U.S. exascale systems (a goal that requires a minimum efficiency of 25 gigaflops per watt), and close to the ambitious 20-megawatt exascale goal set by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) in the early 2010s. With HPE supplying those three exascale systems as well, this may be the first real preview of those systems computational efficiency.

Once operational in mid-2021, the LUMI supercomputer will be one of the most competitive and green supercomputers in the world, said Anders Jensen, executive director of EuroHPC. Such [a] leadership-class system will support European researchers, industry and [the] public sector in better understanding and responding to complex challenges and transforming them into innovation opportunities in sectors like health, weather forecasting or urban and rural planning.

LUMIs total cost of ownership through 2026 is expected to be approximately 200 million ($237.1 million), of which 140 million ($165 million) will go toward the supercomputer itself. This cost will be split between the European Commission (100 million), Finland (50 million) and the remaining nine countries in the LUMI consortium (50 million).

The EuroHPC roadmap

LUMI is the second EuroHPC system so far that is being built by HPE (with the other being EURO IT4I). Leonardo, Meluxina and Vega, meanwhile, are all being built by French IT firm Atos. As a U.S. company, HPE appears to have successfully wooed EuroHPC with promises to bring some of its operations across the pond: HPE will be manufacturing liquid-cooled Cray EX supercomputers and Apollo systems in its Kutn Hora factory in the Czech Republic (where EURO IT4I will be based), and the company has also committed to establishing a Center of Excellence in Europe that will provide R&D services and expertise in support of exascale readiness.

Three of the eight planned EuroHPC systems are yet to be detailed: the four-petaflops PetaSC system, hosted by Sofia Tech Park in Bulgaria; the ten-petaflops Deucalion system, hosted by the Minho Advanced Computing Center in Portugal; and the 200-petaflops MareNostrum 5 system, hosted by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center in Spain. By process of elimination, MareNostrum 5 will be the last of the three pre-exascale systems to be fully announced. For the third machine, the tendering process is in its very final phase now, Jensen said, so there will be announcements on that in the coming weeks.

LUMI is the latest in a series of wins for HPEs Cray EX systems, which will serve as the basis for the three planned U.S. exascale systems (Aurora, El Capitan and Frontier) and Australias most powerful supercomputer (just announced this week). Conspicuously absent, however, are mentions of the European Processor Initiative (EPI) and its planned first-generation Rhea CPUs, ostensibly slated for 2021. Jensen maintains that the EPI continues to factor into the future of EuroHPC.

The ambition is that when we get to the exascale systems which is what we will be discussing in the coming years that EPI will deliver a processor that we can base at least one of the upcoming exascale systems on, he said.

Header image: concept art of the LUMI supercomputer. Image courtesy of CSC.

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HPE, AMD and EuroHPC Partner for Massive LUMI Supercomputer - HPCwire

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Caladrius Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLBS) (Caladrius or the Company), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of cellular therapies designed to reverse, not manage, disease, announced today that its Chief Medical Officer, Douglas W. Losordo, M.D., FACC, FAHA, will participate in 8th annual Chief Medical Officer Summit 360, being held virtually on October 26-27, 2020.

Breakout Session Details: Title: Tracking Personalized Medications in Gene and Cell TherapyDate/Time: October 26, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

For more information on the 8th annual CMO Summit 360, or to register, please click here.

About Caladrius Biosciences

Caladrius Biosciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of cellular therapies designed to reverse, not manage, disease. We are developing first- in-class cell therapy products based on the notion that our body contains finely tuned mechanisms for self-repair. Our technology leverages and enables these mechanisms in the form of specific cells, using formulations and modes of delivery unique to each medical indication.

The Companys current product candidates include CLBS119, a CD34+ cell therapy product candidate for the repair of lung damage in patients with COVID-19 who are experiencing respiratory failure, for which the Company recently initiated a clinical trial as well as three developmental treatments for ischemic diseases based on its CD34+ cell therapy platform: HONEDRA (formerly CLBS12), recipient of SAKIGAKE designation and eligible for early conditional approval in Japan for the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI) based on the results of an ongoing clinical trial; CLBS16, the subject of a recently completed positive Phase 2a clinical trial in the U.S. and slated to begin a comprehensive Phase 2b trial in the U.S. during 4Q20 for the treatment of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD); and CLBS14, a Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designated therapy for which the Company has finalized with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) a protocol for a Phase 3 confirmatory trial in subjects with no-option refractory disabling angina (NORDA). For more information on the company, please visit http://www.caladrius.com.

Contact:

Investors:Caladrius Biosciences, Inc.John MendittoVice President, Investor Relations and Corporate CommunicationsPhone:+1-908-842-0084Email:jmenditto@caladrius.com

Media:W2O GroupChristiana PascalePhone: +1-212-257-6722Email:cpascale@w2ogroup.com

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Caladrius Biosciences to Participate in the 8th Annual Chief Medical Officer Summit 360 - GlobeNewswire

GeekWire Summit panelists, clockwise from top left: Threshold co-founder Emily Melton; Canaan Partners general partner Nina Kjellson; and Biomatics Capital co-founder Julie Sunderland.

Investor interest in healthcare technology is on the rise amid a pandemic that has put a spotlight on telemedicine, patient monitoring, and more. Global VC funding to digital health companies reached a record $10.3 billion through the first nine months of this year, up 43% year-over-year, according to Mercom Capital Group.

At the GeekWire Summit on Tuesday, we brought together three investors who are spending time at the crossroads of technology and healthcare. Read on for takeaways from the conversation, which included Threshold co-founder Emily Melton, Biomatics Capital co-founder Julie Sunderland, and Canaan Partners general partner Nina Kjellson. Dr. Robert Overell, president of Foundation BioVenture, moderated the discussion.

No slowdown: Nearly all industries braced for the worst when COVID-19 began spreading. But the investors agreed that activity within the healthcare tech market is now accelerating. Sunderland called out the progress being made with COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines, as well as advances with telemedicine and remote care.

Its been a good signal of the thesis we all have, which is that we live at an extraordinary time in terms of innovation in biopharma and innovation in the application of technology to healthcare, Sunderland said.

Melton added: We are not seeing a slowdown now. If anything, its actually faster than its ever been and one of the most competitive markets Ive ever been involved in.

Holy grail:As remote care becomes more common, collecting reliable data from patients outside the clinic or hospital and making it seamless will be paramount. Kjellson called it the holy grail of remote care.

Whether its for clinical use to practice better medicine, or for clinical trials to get better data, that is a trend accelerated by COVID and is here to stay and will drive value going forward, she said. From an investment basis, if we can improve that reliably, we should be looking for those opportunities and investing in those opportunities. It will make better medicines, it will drive better clinical trials, its good for the healthcare system.

Melton said thats particularly true if the right value-based incentive business models are also put in place so people are encouraged to participate in the data collection process.

Sunderland said shes excited about using data to drive behavior change, but the lack of payment mechanisms is a roadblock to capturing value and building new businesses.

When you run into that wall of trying to sell tools into the payer system, and you realize how hard it is and how long those enterprise cycles are and how hard it is to get to scale even if you were creating value from patients, you get discouraged pretty quickly, she said.

Not just computers for healthcare: The relationship between tech and healthcare is rapidly evolving as digital tools and services are applied across various sectors.

Melton called out Livongo, the digital disease management company that announced its $18.5 billion acquisition by Teladoc Health in August. The Livongo solution includes both hardware such as monitoring devices, and software that provides data insights and enables patient communication.

We get excited about those intersections, said Melton, whose firm invested in Livongo. Its not just thinking about only investing in software companies or services businesses or medical devices companies, but looking at where to bring those pieces together to create unique experiences that drive more value.

Kjellson added that many biotech companies are now built on the power of informatics, whether its processing data or doing faster DNA sequencing. She also brought up Vineti, which sells software that helps manage the supply chain and manufacturing process for biotech firms developing personalized treatments. The company counts both Threshold and Canaan Partners as investors.

Vineti is trying to be the enterprise solution to modernize how you connect all of these nodes from the couriers to clinicians to the manufacturers so you have a really safe, seamless, transparent process for how precision medicine gets delivered to patients, Kjellson said. Thats a very different way of thinking about health IT than computers for healthcare.'

[The full interview with the healthtech investors, and other GeekWire Summit sessions, are available on-demand exclusively to attendees of the virtual event.Learn more and register here.]

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Healthtech investors on the holy grail of remote care and a new way of thinking about health IT - GeekWire

CGA members will be able to access on-site rapid testing for Covid-19 subject to Health Canada approvals

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Victory Square Health Inc. (VS Health or the "Company") a portfolio company of Victory Square Technologies Inc. ("Victory Square'') (CSE:VST) (OTC:VSQTF) (FWB:6F6) has entered into an agreement with the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), a national trade association representing the leading operators and suppliers in Canadas casino gaming and lottery industry subject to Health Canada approval.

The Company announced on October 6, 2020 that it had submitted all formal documents and research for Health Canada approval of its proprietary Safetest Covid-19 Rapid test. This sales, distribution and testing agreement will enable VS Health to assist the members of one of Canadas largest hospitality industry associations ensuring the health and safety of the 180,000 employees that make up the gaming industry in Canada. Before the industry shut down in March, Canadian casino and bingo operators had over 50 million unique visits annually to their properties.

This Safetest Covid-19 Rapid Testcomplement will allow each participating property to access rapid, easy, efficient and cost-effective daily Covid-19 Rapid tests to ensure employees are not infected with the Covid-19 virus, which will in turn keep workplaces safe. The test may also be administered to customers, subject to Health Canada approvals.

We are very pleased to engage with Victory Square Health, said Paul Burns, President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association. We believe that providing access to rapid testing, like the Safetest Rapid Test product, is one of the most important tools to help reopen our economy and to allow for greater confidence in increasing capacities in venues across the hospitality industry.

I am delighted with this important agreement with the CGA so that Victory Square Health may realize its goal of commencing distribution of its exclusive Rapid Test kits on a national scale, said Victory Square CEO Shafin D. Tejani. The gaming and entertainment industries have been adversely affected by this pandemic and we are confident that our products and testing services will enable these properties to reopen and increase capacity through our Covid-19 tests. We look forward to providing our Safetest Rapid Test kits and testing services to all companies affected by Covid-19 following Health Canada approvals so that they can get their teams back to work and help grow our economy.

Victory Square Health is committed to assisting Canadians and Canadian organizations. The company recently announced a strategic partnership with the Canadian Police Association and its members across Canada.

VS Health was founded in 2016 to accelerate the development of personalized medicine and technology solutions including diagnostic tests to support patient care and improve health outcomes. Its first product, the Leishmaniasis Rapid Test, was developed in partnership with the UFMG, Federal University of Minas Gerais. Safetest took advantage of its expertise in the subject to develop other antibody-based tests and a robust R&D pipelines of diagnostic kits for Hansens Disease, Brucellosis, HTLV and blood sample screening tests.

Disclaimer:

The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its product has the ability to eliminate, cure or contain the Covid-19 (or SARS-2 Coronavirus) at this time.

*These figures have been vetted by the Canadian Gaming Association

Go to: VictorySquare.com and sign up for VSTs official newsletter at http://www.VictorySquare.com/newsletter

On behalf of the board,

Shafin Diamond TejaniChief Executive OfficerVictory Square Technologies

For further information about the Company, please contact:

Investor Relations Contact Alex TziliosEmail: alexandros@victorysquare.comTelephone: 778-867-0482

Media Relations Contact Howard Blank, DirectorEmail: howard@victorysquare.comTelephone: 604-928-6066

ABOUT VICTORY SQUARE TECHNOLOGIES INC.

Victory Square (VST) builds, acquires and invests in promising startups, then provides the senior leadership and resources needed to fast-track growth.

VST's sweet spot is the cutting-edge tech that's shaping the 4th Industrial Revolution. Our portfolio consists of 23 global companies using AI, VR/AR and blockchain to disrupt sectors as diverse as fintech, insurance, health and gaming.

What we do differently for startups

VST isn't just another investor. With real skin in the game, we're committed to ensuring each company in our portfolio succeeds. Our secret sauce starts with selecting startups that have real solutions, not just ideas. We pair you with senior talent in product, engineering, customer acquisition and more. Then we let you do what you do best build, innovate and disrupt. In 24-36 months, you'll scale and be ready to monetize.

What we do differently for investors

VST is a publicly traded company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, and listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (VST), Frankfurt Exchange (6F6) and the OTCQX (VSQTF).

For investors, we offer early-stage access to the next unicorns before they're unicorns.

Our portfolio represents a uniquely liquid and secure way for investors to get access to the latest cutting-edge technologies while also tapping into emerging global trends with big upsides. For more information, please visit http://www.victorysquare.com.

ABOUT CGA:

The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) is a national trade association that works to advance the evolution of Canadas gaming industry. The associations mandate is to promote the economic value of gaming in Canada; use research, innovation, and best practices to help the industry advance; and create productive dialogue among stakeholders.

Forward Looking Statement

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the outlook of the business of Victory Square, including, without limitation, statements relating to future performance, execution of business strategy, future growth, business prospects and opportunities of Victory Square and its related subsidiaries, including Victory Square Health Inc., and other factors beyond our control. Such forward-looking statements may, without limitation, be preceded by, followed by, or include words such as believes, expects, anticipates, estimates, intends, plans, continues, project, potential, possible, contemplate, seek, goal, or similar expressions, or may employ such future or conditional verbs as may, might, will, could, should or would, or may otherwise be indicated as forward-looking statements by grammatical construction, phrasing or context. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this news release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of Victory Square. Although Victory Square believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because Victory Square can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Victory Square disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof.

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Victory Square Technologies Portfolio Company enters into Sales & Distribution agreement with the Canadian Gaming Association - GlobeNewswire

Healthcare technology and data are taking on more diverse roles than ever before

Technology changes healthcare treatments and solutions every day. With rapidly developing life-saving tech and informatics systems, healthcare providers are better able to accumulate and apply data for beneficial results.

Modern tech makes this evolving system of informatics possible. A single medical study can gather 100 terabytes of data thats as much as 21,300 DVDs worth of information. This data can then be analyzed and applied using smart tech to improve the state of healthcare for everyone.

In the course of the healthcare evolution, technology and data are taking on more diverse roles than ever before. Now, nursing informatics is being developed to protect patient health, safety, and privacy. 3D-printing techniques are making it possible to reproduce organs. And telematics is allowing for more comfortable, accessible care, especially during the pandemic.

Here, we explore how the evolving roles of technology and informatics are shaping the healthcare industry.

Nursing informatics, safety, and privacy

Nursing is one of the most vital careers to maintain a healthy society. As the frontline of healthcare treatment, nurses manage the difficult task of juggling patient care with data systems. In the course of this work, they discover, treat, and record patient health.

By integrating evolving informatics technology into the traditional role of nursing, these caretakers of public health are better able to find effective solutions while protecting sensitive patient data. Healthcare data is a primary target of cybercriminals due to its valuable nature. Because of this, nurses shoulder the evolving burden of managing data protections alongside care provisions.

In the scope of this protection, the specialist role of nursing informatics has emerged to help bridge the gap between the technical aspects of nursing and the clinical side. A nursing informatics specialist combines technology with the care and communicative aspects of nursing to customize software and hardware for care solutions.

Through pairing data and smart tech with the human aspect of care, care solutions are evolving. Informatics in nursing makes this possible.

Take, for instance, the pathology and personalized medicine solutions being created by healthcare company Paige. The smart tools this company is producing can assist in nursing and pathology to present genomic information at a glance for better immediate communication and treatment. Through computer analysis of tissue, Paiges tech can give care providers diagnostic information almost instantly without destroying a genomic sample.

Solutions like these are made possible by big data. A database is analyzed, then an AI system guides nurses or pathologists to a correct condition or treatment plan with better accuracy.

This assists in communication with other healthcare providers while allowing nurses to provide more specialized immediate care. On the whole, the evolution of nursing informatics tech is making care more efficient.

3D-printing and the future of healthcare

Like something out of science fiction, 3D-printing is arriving on the healthcare scene to create previously unfathomable care solutions. The role of 3D-printing tech is evolving into a life-saving component of regenerative and personalized medicine. With the ability to print organs for transplant using simple tissue and blood draws, this technology is the future of healthcare.

Dr. Anthony Atala and his team were able to grow human organs and tissues using additive manufacturing processes and collagen substrates. Combining human cells with 3D-printing allowed them to form replacement organs like heart valves, trachea, livers, and even genitalia.

The lifesaving implications of this tech are astounding. With a relatively simple design and usability process, medical professionals can more safely conduct transplants. Building personalized organs removes the painful threat of bodily rejection. Additionally, waitlists for transplants could become a thing of the past. New organs grown directly with a persons bodily tissue mean miraculous recovery for millions of patients.

Telematics and accessibility

In a world facing a pandemic, finding innovative healthcare solutions like these is more important than ever. Evolving technology makes healthcare accessibility possible. Regardless of geographic location, vulnerable patients can receive treatment in the form of telemedicine and telematics.

Telematics gathered and applied through virtual conferencing have proven especially vital due to COVID-19, where each healthcare visit presents a risk in itself. As a result, the field of telemedicine is growing all the time.

Care providers using smart tools can meet virtually with patients, analyze issues, diagnose problems, and assign treatment. In the pandemic environment, this means no risky face-to-face meetings where they can be avoided. This keeps some of the most vulnerable individuals safe.

Telemedicine is a viable solution for a wide number of healthcare visits. Vein restoration through telemedicine is even possible, with physicians able to virtually assess varicose veins through a video call, connecting with patients in real-time to provide treatment.

Providers like TeraPractice make virtual care a focus of their practice. This allows them to provide convenient access to patients while managing costs for everyone. With such a beneficial combination of results, telematics and telemedicine is evolving as a key element of healthcares future.

Final thoughts

Issues abound in the healthcare system that have yet to see bipartisan agreement. This makes progress on the regulatory side of healthcare slow. However, new technology that addresses issues like accessibility means improvements in care for millions.

The role of technology while always vital has evolved to prove that the future of healthcare is already here. Through smart tools, nurses can better integrate data and communicative solutions. Meanwhile, 3D-printing has real life-saving potential. In the wake of a global pandemic, these tools alongside telematics make healthcare safer, more accessible, and more affordable for everyone.

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The evolving role of technology and informatics in healthcare - VatorNews

Latest Report Available at Advance Market Analytics, Space Tourism Market provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics and a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining industry growth.

Major Players in This Report Include

Quest Diagnostic (United States), Laboratory Corporation (United States), Becton, Dickinson, and Company (United States), Abbott Laboratories (United States), Pfizer Inc. (United States), Siemens Healthineers AG (Germany), CardioDx, Inc., (United States), Atrium Innovations Inc. (Canada), QIAGEN (Germany), Proteostasis Therapeutics, Inc. (United States), Asuragen (United States), Illumina, Inc. (United States) and Amgen Inc. (United States)

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Brief Overview on Global Personalized Medicine

Personalized medicine diagnosing, monitoring, and giving the treatment to the individual according to the segmentation of disease risks and characteristics of each patient. This approach relies on the scientific research results and how the persons molecular nature along with genetic profile makes them susceptible to the particular disease. The research on personalized medicine id increasing the ability to predict the medical treatment which can be safe and effective to people and which can not.

The Global Personalized Medicine Market segments and Market Data Break Down are illuminated below:Type (Diagnostic, Therapeutics, Medical Care, Nutrition, Wellness), Application (Hospitals, Molecular Diagnostic Laboratories and Testing Centers, Academic Institutes), Distribution Channel (Hospitals Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Dietary Care Centers, Others), End User (Patients and Consumers, Health Care Providers, Health Care Providers, Biopharmaceutical Companies, Others)

Market Trend

Market Drivers

Region Included are: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Oceania, South America, Middle East & Africa

Country Level Break-Up: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Russia, France, Poland, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Australia and New Zealand etc.

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Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary the basic information of the Global Personalized Medicine Market.

Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges & Opportunities of the Global Personalized Medicine

Chapter 4: Presenting the Global Personalized Medicine Market Factor Analysis, Post COVID Impact Analysis, Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis.

Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region/Country 2014-2019

Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Global Personalized Medicine market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile

Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by Manufacturers/Company with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions (2020-2025)

Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source

Finally, Global Personalized Medicine Market is a valuable source of guidance for individuals and companies in their decision framework.

Data Sources & Methodology

The primary sources involves the industry experts from the Global Personalized Medicine Market including the management organizations, processing organizations, analytics service providers of the industrys value chain. All primary sources were interviewed to gather and authenticate qualitative & quantitative information and determine the future prospects.

In the extensive primary research process undertaken for this study, the primary sources Postal Surveys, telephone, Online & Face-to-Face Survey were considered to obtain and verify both qualitative and quantitative aspects of this research study. When it comes to secondary sources Companys Annual reports, press Releases, Websites, Investor Presentation, Conference Call transcripts, Webinar, Journals, Regulators, National Customs and Industry Associations were given primary weight-age.Get More Information: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/29170-global-personalized-medicine-marketWhat benefits does AMA research studies provides?

Definitively, this report will give you an unmistakable perspective on every single reality of the market without a need to allude to some other research report or an information source. Our report will give all of you the realities about the past, present, and eventual fate of the concerned Market.

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Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enable clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As.

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Personalized Medicine Market to Eyewitness Massive Growth by 2025 - re:Jerusalem

Four UC San Francisco faculty members are among the 100 new national and international members elected this year to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), one of the highest honors in the fields of health of medicine.

Membership in the NAM recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievements and commitment to service in the medical sciences, health care and public health.

This distinguished and diverse class of new members is a truly exceptional group of scholars and leaders whose expertise in science, medicine, health, and policy will be integral to helping the NAM address todays most pressing health challenges and inform the future of health and health care for the benefit of everyone around the globe,National Academy of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau said in a press release. It is my privilege to welcome these esteemed individuals to the National Academy of Medicine.

This year, this distinguished group welcomes four UCSF faculty:

Mark Anderson, MD, PhD

Anderson is a physician-scientist who cares for patients with autoimmune endocrine diseases such as type 1 diabetes. This focus extends into the lab, where his research examines the genetic control of autoimmune diseases to better understand the mechanisms by which immune tolerance is broken.

In particular, his lab is interested in how the thymus trains the immune system to distinguish proteins made by the body itself from proteins made by invasive pathogens. For example, they have shown that some thymus cells produce self proteins and others even differentiate into skin or gut cells to test newborn T cells for autoimmune tendencies. Understanding these mechanisms could one day lead to medical interventions that suppress or enhance immune activity.

Anderson is a member of the UCSF Diabetes Center and the UCSF Bakar ImmunoX Initiative, director of the UCSF Medical Scientist Training Program, and current president of the Federation of Clinical Immunology.

Edward Chang, MD

Chang is a neurosurgeon-scientist and chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery. He specializes in advanced brain mapping methods to preserve crucial areas for language and cognitive functions in the brain. Chang is a member of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences and co-director of the Center for Neural Engineering and Prostheses, a collaboration between UCSF and UC Berkeley.

Changs research focuses on the brain mechanisms for human behaviors such as speech and mood. For example, by studying the brain activity associated with the physical movements of speaking, his team was able to teach a computer to decode and transform these brain signals into synthetic speech. This technology has the potential to eventually lead to speech prosthetics for paralyzed people who have lost the ability to speak.

Chang completed his medical degree and residency in neurosurgery at UCSF and joined the faculty in 2010. He is the inaugural Bowes Biomedical Investigator at UCSF, an HHMI Faculty Scholar, and a recipient of the NIH Directors New Innovator Award and the Blavatnik National Award for Life Sciences.

Aleksandar Rajkovicpic, MD, PhD

Rajkovic is a medical geneticist who specializes in basic and translational research in reproductive genomics. His lab investigates the genetic underpinnings of the formation and differentiation of gametes and reproductive tracts and the role of these genes in human disease. For example, they have discovered numerous genes that regulate ovarian follicle formation and the growth of healthy eggs, and may be involved in infertility. Another focus is the genetics of fibroid tumors, which are found in nearly a quarter of women by age 45, and therapies to eliminate such tumors. He has been at the forefront of innovative technologies to diagnose and reveal the mechanisms of reproductive pathologies.

Rajkovic joined UCSF in 2018 as the first-ever Chief Genomics Officer of UCSF Health. In this role, he directs the activities of clinical genomics laboratories across UCSF and leads efforts to apply genetics and genomics clinical care throughout the health system.

Robert Wachter, MD

Wachter is a hospitalist and health care thought leader who has chaired the Department of Medicine since 2016. The department leads the nation in National Institutes of Health grants and consistently ranks among the nations best. He has authored more than 300 articles and six books and is a frequent contributor to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Recently, he has become known for organizing the widely viewed Department of Medicine COVID Grand Rounds and his informative tweets about the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 1996, Wachter coined the term hospitalist a physician who specializes in inpatient care and is often considered the founder of the hospitalist field, the fastest growing specialty in modern medical history. He is also a leading expert on patient safety, health care quality and digital health. He has served as president of the Society of Hospital Medicine and chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

New members to the NAM are elected by current active members. This years elections bring the number ofpeople from UCSF named as members in the NAM to 108.

The National Academy of Medicine, established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields including health and medicine; the natural, social, and behavioral sciences; and beyond. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as an adviser to the national and the international community.

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4 UCSF Faculty Elected to the National Academy of Medicine for 2020 - UCSF News Services

The Office of Research and the School of Medicine had planned to introduce their Oct. 30 speaking guest as a professor and the founder and director of the Innovative Genomics Institute at UC Berkeley, and a CRISPR pioneer.

Since being booked for the Distinguished Speaker Series in Research and Innovation, however, Jennifer Doudna has added a new title: Nobel laureate.

She and Emmanuelle Charpentier, director of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Oct. 7 for their co-development of CRISPR-Cas9, a genome editing tool that has revolutionized biomedicine and agriculture.

Whats CRISPR? Jennifer Doudna explains in a Radiolab podcast.

Doudna became the first woman on the UC Berkeley faculty to win a Nobel, and she and Charpentier are the first women to share a Nobel in the sciences.

Doudnas topic for her UC Davis talk is CRISPR and Coronavirus.

UC Davis Healths Ralph Green, distinguished professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and medical director of UC Davis Diagnostics, recently collaborated with Doudna and others on a project to set up COVID-19 testing for UC Berkeley and the surrounding community and Green is helping with a similar project at UC Davis.

I had the good fortune to get to know Jennifer Doudna through my interaction with her group when they turned their skills and knowledge to setting up, at remarkable speed, a pop-up, PCR-based test for SARS-CoV-2 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when the country was scrambling to meet the need for more testing, Green said.

I have to say that it has been a singular pleasure and privilege for me to interact with Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues.

CRISPR-Cas9 genetic engineering technology enables scientists to change or remove genes quickly and with great precision. Labs worldwide have redirected their research programs to incorporate this new tool, creating a CRISPR revolution with huge implications across biology and medicine.

Doudna is a leader in public discussion of the ethical implications of genome editing for human biology and societies. She advocates for thoughtful approaches to the development of policies around the use of CRISPR-Cas9.

Follow Dateline UC Davis on Twitter.

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'CRISPR and Coronavirus': Hear From Nobel Winner Jennifer Doudna - UC Davis

RALEIGH The western flower thrips an invasive insect thats not much bigger than a pinhead takes a huge bite out of agriculture around the world, racking up billions of dollars worth of damage on a wide range of food, fiber and ornamental crops each year. Scientists now have a complete genetic blueprint to help them better understand the pest and to find ways to control it.

The research fills a significant gap in agricultural science and insect science: It highlights the first genome sequence and analysis for a member of Thysanoptera, an order that contains over 7,000 species of small insects with fringed wings.A journal article on the researchwas published open-access inBMC BiologyOct. 19.

Dorith Rotenberg, associate professor in NCStates Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, is lead author of the paper. Fifty-six other researchers from universities and research institutions on five continents contributed.

Rotenberg said that the size of the team reflects the importance of the western flower thrips, orFrankliniella occidentalis,which is known to feed on hundreds of types of field and greenhouse-grown crops.

Theyre on everything flowers, fruit trees, solanaceous crops you name it, Rotenberg said. Theyre a major pest of the Southeast U.S. and California as well as anywhere around the world you have a lot of fruits and vegetables growing.

The project to sequence the thrips genome is affiliated withi5k, an ambitious international effort to sequence and analyze the genomes for 5,000 arthropod species insects, crustaceans, spiders and other creatures with exoskeletons, segmented bodies and pairs of jointed legs.

The i5k initiative focuses on species important to agriculture, food safety, medicine and energy production and contributes to our understanding of evolutionary biology, ecology and more.

Rotenberg and her colleagues got started on the western flower thrips genome project by developing an inbred line of thrips. The Human Genome Sequencing Center of the Baylor College of Medicine then sequenced the genome and assembled it, and Rotenberg recruited scientists from around the world to manually check the automated DNA annotation, verifying the location of genes and determining what those genes do.

Western flower thrips are native to the western North America, but since the 1970s, they have spread quickly throughout the world. The insect damages plants not only by feeding and laying their eggs on them but also by infecting plants with viruses, including the devastatingly difficult-to-control tomato spotted wilt virus.

Tomato spotted wilt virus, or TSWV, has been known to infect more than 1,000 plant species, ranging from tobacco and peanuts to pansies and chrysanthemums. In fact, TSWVs host range is among the largest for plant viruses, and so is its geographical range.

While theres been lots of research in recent decades aimed at curbing the toll that the virus and western flower thrips take on agriculture, Rotenberg said the genome could speed the development of solutions by helping researchers pinpoint molecular-level targets among the insects nearly 17,000 genes.

During the genome assembly project, scientists identified sets of genes related to the insects ability to thrive. Specifically, they found genes associated with the insects ability to develop and reproduce, to find plant hosts through taste and smell, to protect itself from pathogens and to detoxify chemicals that plants produce to repel insects and that humans use to kill them.

As Rotenberg noted, controlling the western flower thrips is difficult because the insect reproduces rapidly and becomes resistant to insecticides. In cotton, for example, theres evidence that thrips have evolved resistance to 19 insecticides within six groups with different modes of action.

Entomologists and growers know this very well: Thrips are notorious for building up resistance very quickly, Rotenberg said. And so you have to consider developing and using different types of chemicals and integrating alternative control strategies to manage this pest.

Already, the availability of the western flower thrips genome is having an impact, Rotenberg says. In her NCState lab, shes using the genome to advance her efforts to better understand the molecular-level interactions that take place between the western flower thrips and TSWV research that could be vitally important to disease prevention.

We want to find the molecules in the insect that interact directly with the virus that it transmits because if we know those molecules, then we can perhaps disrupt them in some way by interfering with the binding of the virus to the molecule of interest, she said.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Hopefully, (the genome) will be a resource that people can use for a long time, even as others start to develop new technologies or new resources that are even better.

(C) NCSU

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'A major pest:' NCSU researcher helps unravel genetic blueprint of a bug 'that's on everything' - WRAL Tech Wire

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- As part of its ongoing efforts to manage and control COVID-19 on its campuses, Indiana University has started operating its own labs for COVID-19 testing. Since the university first started mitigation testing -- sometimes referred to as surveillance testing -- with its students, faculty and staff in August, tests were completed on campus and then sent to a third-party lab for analysis and results.

The new labs, in Bloomington and at the IU School of Medicine on the IUPUI campus, will be able to run the tests and provide this analysis. IU has been doing about 15,000 tests per week since the fall semester started. With the new labs online, the university will be able to complete 35,000 tests per week with the ultimate goal of doing 15,000 tests per day.

"We know the mitigation testing we've been doing on all IU campuses is a key piece of keeping cases low in our campus communities and maintaining the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff," said Dr. Aaron Carroll, director of mitigation testing, and professor of pediatrics and health outcomes research leader at the IU School of Medicine. "With these new labs, I'm excited to be able to further enhance our mitigation testing with more frequency and including a larger number of people in each week's sample group."

The labs are overseen by IU School of Medicine faculty members Aaron Ermel and Gail Vance and IU Bloomington faculty member Craig Pikaard. Trained lab staff will work with a variety of technology in the labs to analyze the thousands of mitigation tests completed each week at IU campuses. Liquid handling robots handle and process the saliva samples collected as part of the tests used during mitigation testing. From these samples, the lab determines if genetic material from the virus is in the sample. If genetic material is detected, the test is positive. If not, the test is negative for COVID-19.

"As we begin processing these tests at the university, our students, faculty and staff will notice much faster turnaround times for test results -- likely 24 hours or less," Carroll said.

Otherwise, he said, the mitigation testing process will remain the same. Emails will still be sent to people selected in each week's testing group, appointments will be need to be scheduled (although now through IU instead of Vault, the previous lab being used), and results will still be sent via email.

As the IU labs expand the number of tests they do each day, IU campuses will shift from Vault to using the IU labs exclusively. Tests from IU Bloomington are starting to be analyzed in the labs now, with tests from IUPUI and the regional campuses starting to use the labs in the near future.

"In addition to the cost efficiencies with operating our own labs, having the ability to run these tests here allows us to spot any trends or potential outbreaks and take appropriate public health actions in a much more timely manner," Carroll said. "Especially with COVID-19 cases increasing across the state and country, this continued testing is one of the best ways we have to manage the virus and hopefully avoid any outbreaks."

The labs will focus on mitigation testing for now but may also move into close contact testing, confirmatory testing for antigen ("rapid") tests and possibly even symptomatic testing in the months to come.

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IU has started operating its own labs for COVID-19 mitigation testing - IU Newsroom

And in September, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and three other members of Congress called on the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate their use, warning that they risk embedding racism into medical practice.

Some medical institutions have stopped using race corrections in some tests. MGH and Brigham and Womens Hospital, for example, no longer adjust the results of a popular test for kidney functions, called eGFR. Critics worried the adjustment had tended to make kidney functions of Black patients look better, possibly concealing genuine problems and causing dangerous delays in needed medical care. Last week, a new study from Brigham and Womens Hospital concluded that eliminating race correction in kidney disease tests would qualify up to one in every three Black patients for more advanced care and that might result in more effective treatment of the disease.

There have been several reports of computer algorithms that produce racially biased results, such as facial recognition programs that can accurately identify white people, but not Black people. Earlier this year, a Black man in Michigan was arrested after facial recognition software falsely identified him as a criminal suspect. Such problems are usually a byproduct of the software development in this case, using too few photos of Black people to train the software to recognize dark-skinned faces.

Racial corrections for medical diagnostic tests were created on purpose. Consider the spirometer, used to measure lung capacity. The devices often require doctors to enter the race of the patient prior to the test, based on research dating back as far as the 19th century that indicates Black people have lower lung capacity than white people.

Other examples include an algorithm used to estimate the risk to the health of a pregnant woman planning to give birth vaginally, if she has previously undergone a caesarean birth. The race-adjusted algorithm predicts that vaginal birth is more dangerous for Black and Hispanic women than for white women. But for most women, vaginal deliveries result in fewer complications and faster recovery times. Vyas speculates that the algorithm may discourage doctors from offering vaginal deliveries to women of color, who already face a higher rate of maternal mortality.

The problem, according to Vyas, is that doctors and scientists are treating race as a clear-cut biological reality when it isnt. Research in population genetics has shown that apart from features such as skin color and hair texture, theres not that much difference genetically among people of different races. And the differences are bound to diminish even further, as interracial marriage becomes routine in the United States.

We know that race is not a biologic category, said Vyas. Its not genetic. Its a social construct.

Still, a variety of tests appear to show real differences between Black and white patients. The race correction for eGFR kidney tests was developed after large-scale research studies found that the test tended to underestimate kidney function in Black people.

Another example of the biology vs. environment tension involves the coronavirus. In a new paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine reported that a gene associated with higher risk of contracting COVID-19 is more commonly found in the nasal tissues of Black people than white people. This genetic difference could help explain why such a high percentage of Black people in the US get infected.

But that doesnt prove that race is the reason. Vyas argues scientists should look for other explanations, such as the effects of systemic racism. For example, Black people are more likely to live in poverty, which exposes them to greater health risks. Vyas also said the psychological stress of coping with constant racism could affect the health outcomes of Black patients.

"Its not okay to just mention race without talking about racism, Vyas said.

The lead authors of the Mount Sinai study take note of this too, arguing that environmental and social factors play a role in the activation of genes. This could explain why Black people are more vulnerable to COVID-19.

Even a physician who helped develop the race-corrected algorithm for kidney tests agreed the practice has its limitations. But Lesley Inker, director of the Kidney and Blood Pressure Center at Tufts Medical Center, cautioned that failing to take race into account could also lead to faulty diagnoses in some cases.

For example, diabetes is the number-one cause of kidney failure among Black people. But because of potential side affects, current medical practice advises not administering two of the most effective drugs for diabetes to patients with low eGFR scores. Removing race correction from the kidney test would lower the scores of Black patients and make some of them ineligible for diabetes drugs that could help save their kidneys.

This is complex, and theres lots of pros and cons and balancing acts which should be considered prior to acting, Inker said.

Inker warns that giving up on these corrections too quickly might be dangerous. For instance, cardiologists have recently adopted a new way of assessing heart disease risk that takes race into account. For years, doctors have relied on data from a massive study of heart disease in Framingham, which began in 1948 and continues to this day. But the population of that study is overwhelmingly white. Now doctors supplement that data with an algorithm based on data from thousands of Black patients, and have found that the new approach is better at providing early warning of heart disease in Black people.

Melissa Simon, who heads the Center for Health Equity Transformation at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, said doctors need more data to understand the different health outcomes between Black and white people. In 2015, the National Institutes of Health launched a Precision Medicine Initiative that hopes to use genetic data and detailed information about a patients lifestyle and habits to determine the ideal course of treatment for each individual. Simon hopes that kind of highly personalized medicine could eliminate the need for race-based diagnostics altogether.

Updated with a new study on race correction in kidney disease tests.

Hiawatha Bray can be reached at hiawatha.bray@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeTechLab.

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A new push to remove race-based assessments in medicine - BetaBoston

Chongtao Du,1,* Yuyang Feng,1,* Guizhen Wang,2 Zhiyuan Zhang,1 Huimin Hu,1 Yu Yu,1 Jiayang Liu,1 Lihao Qiu,1 Hongtao Liu,1 Zhimin Guo,3 Jing Huang,3 Jiazhang Qiu1

1Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Peoples Republic of China; 2College of Food Engineering, Jilin Engineering Normal University, Changchun 130052, Peoples Republic of China; 3Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Peoples Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Jiazhang QiuCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, No. 5333 Xian Road, Changchun 130062, Peoples Republic of ChinaEmail qiujz@jlu.edu.cnJing HuangDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Peoples Republic of ChinaEmail huangj@jlu.edu.cn

Objective: A colistin-resistant Escherichia coli strain isolated from dog feces was characterized in this study.Methods and Results: A multiplex PCR assay was used to detect the presence of colistin-resistant mcr genes; it was found that E. coli QDFD216 co-harbored the mcr-1 and mcr-3 genes. Whole-genome sequencing and further bioinformatics analysis revealed that E. coli QDFD216 belonged to serotype O176:H11, fimH1311 type and ST132. The resistance genes blaCTX-M-14, mdfA, dfrA3, acrA, acrB, tolc, and sul3 were present in the chromosome. The mcr-1.1 and mcr-3.7 genes were located in two plasmids of different incompatibility groups. mcr-1.1 was carried by a IncX4-type plasmid within an typical IS 26-parA-mcr-1.1-pap2 cassette, while mcr-3.7 was encoded by an IncP1-type plasmid with a genetic structure of TnAs2-mcr-3.7-dgkA-IS 26. No additional antibiotic resistance genes were carried by either plasmid.Conclusion: This is the first report of an E. coli isolate co-harboring a mcr-1.1-carrying IncX4 plasmid and a mcr-3.7-carrying IncP1 plasmid. The evolution and mechanism of mcr gene co-existence need further study to assess its impact on public health.

Keywords: colistin resistance, whole-genome sequencing, mcr genes, mcr-1, mcr-3

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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Co-Occurrence of the mcr-1.1 and mcr-3.7 Genes in a Multidrug-Resistan | IDR - Dove Medical Press

New York, Oct. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Cell Therapy Instruments Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Product ; Cell Type ; Process ; End User, and Geography" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05978058/?utm_source=GNW On the other hand, high cost of cell therapy production and cell therapy are expected to hinder market growth.The growing advancements in biotechnology have led to the introduction of personalized treatments for people suffering from various health conditions.For instance, stem cell and immune cell therapies are preferred to treat chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders, and genetic disorders.

Further, the cell therapy advantages, such as targeted treatment, faster and efficient recovery, and reduced side effectspromote the launch of various products in the market, thereby increasing the production volume.

In North America and Europe, cell therapies are widely adopted owing to the availability of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved products in the market.For instance, in April 2020, FDA awarded regenerative medicine advanced therapy (RMAT) designation to Novartis Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) to treat refractory (r/r) follicular lymphoma (FL) in adults.

The company claims that the therapy has the potential to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and r/r adult diffuses large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in children and young adults.Similarly, in October 2017, Kite, a Gilead, received an approval from FDA for its Yescarta, the first chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy that treats refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more steps of systemic therapy in adults. In June 2020, the company announced the opening of a manufacturing hub in Amsterdam after it received an approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).There are several ongoing clinical trials for cell therapies; thus, to commercialize cell therapy products to the masses, manufacturers need to increase their production capacity.Various market players such as ThermoFisher Scientific Inc, Cytiva, Danaher Corporation, and Lonza are offering laboratory instruments.

Also, the rising demand for cell therapies have attracted biotechnology startups to enter the cell therapy domain. Thus, various biopharmaceutical companies and startups have increased their production, which has eventually increased the demand for cell therapy instruments.

Based on product, the cell therapy instrumentmarket is segmented into the consumables, equipment, systems, and software.In 2019, the consumables segment accounted for the highest share of the market.

The growth of the segment is attributed to the rising research activities that demand reagents, kits, and lab wares in higher quantity.Also, the increased production for commercialization has influenced the market for the consumables segments.

Additionally, the rising adoption of cell therapy has increased the demand for storage consumables to supply and distribute it to the desired places.

Based on cell type, the cell therapy instrumentsmarket is segmented into human cells and animal cells.The human cells segment held a larger share of the market in 2019, and is estimated to register a higher CAGR in the market during the forecast period.

The growth of segment is determined to growing research based on human cells to derived personalized medicines as the genetic makeup of a patient, and growing product developments for the human cells.

Based on process, the cell therapy instrumentsmarket is segmented into cell processing, process monitoring and quality control, and cell preservation, distribution, and handling. The cell processing segment held the largest share of the market in 2019, and is estimated to register the highest CAGR in the market during the forecast period.

Based on end user, the cell therapy instruments market is segmented into research institutes, life science research companies, and other end users. The life science research companies segment held the largest share of the market in 2019, and same segment is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 14.0% in the market during the forecast period.

The Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency, Italian Medicines Agency, The Global Burden of Disease Study, American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy, and Ministry of Health and Preventionare among the major secondary sources referred for preparing this report.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05978058/?utm_source=GNW

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Cell Therapy Instruments Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Product ; Cell Type ; Process ; End User, and Geography -...