Tagged with B

China The collaboration between BioNTech and Pfizer on a COVID-19 vaccine candidate based on mRNA technology continues apace, with hopes for an emergency approval in late-2019. In China, home to 1.4 billion people, BioNTech is leveraging the expertise of domestic firm Fosun Pharma for trials and commercialisation of another vaccine candidate,…

Germany German biotech BioNTech has been thrust into the global spotlight thanks to its collaboration with global giant Pfizer on a COVID-19 vaccine. The company, founded by Professor Ugur Sahin in 2008 with the goal of creating a wide portfolio of individualised treatments for cancer patients, is one of the leading…

Norway BMS Norway’s Hilde Bech outlines her hopes of bringing “the medicines of the future” to Norwegian patients, why tiny Norway still has global significance for the company, and offers some pearls of wisdom for the next generation of female leaders.   BMS Norway is absolutely going to be one of…

Global UNICEF’s Eva Kadilli outlines the work that the organisation’s supply division is undertaking in the global push for a COVID-19 vaccine, the impact of the pandemic on immunisation programs for other diseases globally, and makes a call for further solidarity between stakeholders across the public sector, private industry, and civil…

Switzerland Biogen Switzerland’s Dr Katharina Gasser outlines how the company’s 100 percent commitment to neuroscience helps it to stand apart, why Switzerland will continue to play a vital role in Biogen’s global clinical research footprint, and some of the country’s market access and pricing challenges. Dr Gasser also highlights Biogen’s burgeoning…

Belgium The new Belgian government has moved to streamline its response to the COVID-19 crisis with the appointment of Pedro Facon, director general for health at Belgium’s Federal Public Service Health (FPSH) as ‘Corona Commissioner.’   In his novel new role, Facon will attempt to coordinate Belgium’s complex web of political…

Asia-Pacific Robert Hall of Hong Kong-based executive recruitment specialist Ardent Search highlights the key traits and experiences that Asian biotech and medtech firms considering an initial public offering (IPO) should look for in a chief financial officer (CFO).   Hiring an experienced healthtech CFO can be challenging, with demand exceeding supply.…

Opinion Michael Levy, head of pharmacovigilance at Bayer Pharma and Bayer Consumer Health, makes a compelling case for the critical role of pharmacovigilance in ensuring ensuring patient safety and future-proofing the global pharma industry amidst the rush to develop and repurpose treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.     The COVID-19 virus…

Vaccines While outbreaks of the devastating Ebola virus have – thankfully – generally been highly localized to West Africa, the highly infectious and lethal disease has generated global trepidation due to its characteristic haemorrhagic fever, a 50 percent chance of death on average, and the absence of any approved treatment. The…

China The latest from Chinese pharma, with dealmaking continuing apace. Featured this week are Zai Lab’s latest IPO listing in Hong Kong, InventisBio Series D financing round for small-molecule drugs, as well as Bioduro and Sundio’s merger to create one of the largest CRDMOs with operations in China and the US.…

UK The signing of an agreement on the terms of a future trade relationship between Japan and the UK has been welcomed by the UK pharma industry, which counts Japan as its third largest export destination. However, with the Japanese government having previously expressed concern about uncertainties arising from the Brexit…

Switzerland Switzerland, rightly regarded as one of the world’s most innovative nations, risks damaging its reputation if innovative new medicines continue to face significant delays and roadblocks in their introduction to the domestic Swiss market. Key stakeholders from pharma industry associations Interpharma and scienceindustries and local affiliate heads for multinationals Bayer…