GigaGen announced that it is developing a recombinant polyclonal antibody therapy for the treatment of COVID-19, the pandemic coronavirus that has been sweeping the world and for which humans have no innate immunity. Based in South San Francisco, GigaGen spent the first seven years of its existence developing its single cell technology drug discovery and development platform, often raising money just on ideas during that period. It eventually came up with a powerful way to make recombinant polyclonal antibodies and now has a pipeline targeting infectious disease, transplant rejection, and checkpoint resistant cancers.

Motus GI is assessing potential strategic partnership opportunities for the Pure-Vu System with established medical device companies and distributors with commercial operations across the EU. The CE Mark signifies that the Pure-Vu System meets the essential requirements of all relevant European Medical Device Directives. The directives outline the safety and performance requirements for medical devices in the European Union (EU). Receiving this regulatory clearance allows Motus GI to commercialize the Pure-Vu System and disposable sleeves across the EU and other CE Mark geographies.

The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t likely to end soon. Instead, the crisis stage may continue for weeks or even months before business regains some semblance of normality. The good news is that while biotech companies have slowed their hiring initiatives, layoffs remain unlikely at this point. Instead, biotech companies are enhancing flexibility on nearly every front.

We also connected with North Carolina-based Aerami Therapuetics (formerly Dance Pharmaceuticals), which is working on a next-generation inhalable insulin product. Theirs is a fine mist aerosol formulation instead of a powder, delivered by their new inhaler device called AFINA. It will have built-in Bluetooth capability to track data and integrate with apps and platforms. The company has completed seven early stage trials to date, and is now looking for a partner for their phase 3 study design with the Food and Drug Administration.

Scynexis Inc., of Jersey City, N.J., is directing patients in a trial for its experimental fungal treatment to have blood drawn at home or alternative sites, and to receive the drug at home, after some patients missed appointments in Italy and other European countries, said Chief Executive Marco Taglietti.

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc., which is based in Pasadena, Calif., last week suspended enrollment in a liver-disease trial for at least four weeks because the study needs patients who are at risk for coronavirus infections and who must get a liver biopsy, which requires visiting a clinic, said Chief Executive Christopher Anzalone.

Everyone agrees that a vaccine will be essential to stop the global spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. But Ofer Levy, a physician-scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital, worries that vaccines being designed today are not going to be effective enough for the people who need them most: older adults.