Pfizer and German biotech firm BioNTech’s Monday announcement that their COVID-19 vaccine candidate has shown to be more than 90% effective in preliminary results from an ongoing trial is a much needed win in the fight against the pandemic. It carries significant economic implications regarding the potential unlocking of close to $4 trillion in impaired ... READ MORE >
Life Sciences
The life sciences sector comprises some of the middle market’s fastest-growing companies. Whether developing life-saving new drugs or robotic components for surgery, this vibrant sector is a hotbed of innovation.
The search for a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine
Regardless of race, religion or socioeconomic status, one thing most, if not all, Americans can agree on is that we are tired of the pandemic and the economic, health and political fallout we have collectively experienced from it. And while there may be disagreement about the best way to approach the pandemic, it is generally held that a safe, effective ... READ MORE >
More promise, more problems: Cyberattacks threaten life sciences companies researching COVID-19 vaccine
Picture this scenario: Researchers at a biotech company are working tirelessly on a potential coronavirus vaccine and planning to start a phase three clinical trial soon. This work results in more visibility for the company, and an influx of capital investment. But with that greater visibility and investment comes added risk, especially in the form of ... READ MORE >
No vaccine, no recovery: The long road back
It is becoming quite clear that absent an accessible and widely distributed vaccine, there will be no complete economic recovery. What originally was thought to be a 15 week problem has quickly evolved into something that looks more like a 15-month challenge. The premature reopening of the U.S. economy has resulted in an intensification of the pandemic, ... READ MORE >
Trump administration identifies 5 companies for government support in vaccine effort
Drug developers, academic institutions and government agencies across the globe are investigating more than 100 potential vaccines for the coronavirus. The Trump administration on Wednesday identified a handful of organizations that it believes are the most likely to produce a viable vaccine candidate, The New York Times reported. This is the latest step in ... READ MORE >
Wearables and the fight against COVID-19
As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, research organizations are trying to leverage wearable technology and crowd-source data to aid in the fight against the global pandemic. But many are wondering if giving up on user privacy for the greater good comes with a price. Tracking COVID-19 Current data indicates that the use of wearables has tripled ... READ MORE >
Coronavirus pandemic highlights importance of life sciences industry
While the coronavirus pandemic has slowed growth in the life sciences sector this year, it has also highlighted the importance of the biotech and pharmaceutical industries as the whole world battles the COVID-19 disease and its impacts. This industry focus could have a lasting impact in shifting consumer and policymaker perspectives about these sectors in a ... READ MORE >
Life sciences industry growth was on a strong trajectory. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit.
Strong consumer spending, historically low unemployment and an easing of trade tensions with China initially fueled optimism early in the year for a 2020 bull market. But as the coronavirus pandemic has upended the global economy, uncertainty and disruption have replaced that once sunny outlook, and the life sciences ecosystem is not immune to the ... READ MORE >
Coronavirus disrupts the pipeline for new drugs and medical devices
On March 10, a day before the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it was postponing foreign inspections through April. This increases the risk that some drug and device companies will run into issues obtaining approval for their products. F.D.A. Commissioner Stephen Hahn ... READ MORE >
Coronavirus and the rise of virtual health visits
The human toll of the coronavirus only continues to mount: Confirmed cases have topped 118,000, deaths have surpassed 4,000 and Italy has quarantined 16 million people. It has led employers around the globe to encourage employees to work from home or take unpaid leaves of absence. In Seattle, the epicenter of Covid-19 cases and fatalities in the ... READ MORE >