Healthcare - Today Stories

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency supply in the UK, with the first doses being released today so that vaccinations may begin early in the New Year. The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has provided authorisation for emergency supply of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca, formerly AZD1222, for the active immunisation of individuals 18 years or older. The authorisation recommends  two doses administered with an interval of between four and 12 weeks. This regimen was shown in clinical trials to be safe and effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19, with no severe cases and no hospitalisations more than 14 days after the second dose. AstraZeneca is working with Public Health England and National Health Service England to support the deploy…

Edinburgh, Scotland UK, Monday 21st December 2020; Arrayjet, the Scottish-based bio-printing and microarray technology company, has announced the appointment of its new non-executive Chairman. Dr Joe Keegan, a San Francisco-based biotechnology entrepreneur and one of the most respected leaders in the global life sciences industry, will replace Edinburgh-based serial entrepreneur and business strategist Alan Faichney, who is stepping down as Chairman after seven years in the role. Dr. Keegan’s appointed as Chairman is a huge boost for Arrayjet and the wider Scottish life sciences community. Joe joined Arrayjet as a non-exec Director three years ago and has been pivotal in helping the company accelerate a bold global expansion strategy.  He has helped identify and open up new international c…

COMIRNATY® (also known as BNT162b2) receives conditional marketing authorization from the European Commission; this milestone represents a global joint effort to advance the first authorized mRNA vaccine Pfizer and BioNTech are ready to immediately ship initial doses to the 27 EU member states Pfizer and BioNTech previously announced an agreement with the European Commission to supply 200 million vaccine doses to EU member states; the EU also has an option to purchase an additional 100 million doses in 2021 The vaccine has now been granted a conditional marketing authorization, emergency use authorization, or temporary authorization in more than 40 countries worldwide, including all 27 EU member states NEW YORK & MAINZ, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech…

Oxford, U.K. 15 December 2020: Sensyne Health plc (LSE: SENS) (“Sensyne” or the “Company” or the “Group”), the British Clinical AI technology company, today announces that it has launched GDm-Health, its remote monitoring solution for diabetes in pregnancy, in the U.S. with immediate effect. Sensyne’s sales and marketing partner for the U.S., Cognizant, is now offering the solution to U.S. health systems and health plans via its sales force. Virtual care services powered by GDm-Health will qualify for reimbursement under remote patient monitoring codes introduced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2020. Diabetes in pregnancy is a common condition that can increase the risk of hypertension and caesarean section in mothers as well as preterm birth, birth trauma and ad…

A new five-year US$ 25 million (US$ 5 million/year) financial support to prevent and treat Neglected Tropical Diseases Strong Company commitment to meet the goals of the new WHO NTDs Roadmap and sustainably eliminate sleeping sickness before 2030 20-year partnership outstanding legacy with a decrease of 97% in sleeping sickness cases worldwide PARIS - December 15, 2020 - Sanofi has signed on December 10th a renewed partnership agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO), consolidating a 20-year collaboration to fight some of the most Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and supporting the WHO in its commitment to sustainably eliminate sleeping sickness before 2030.   With this new 5-year commitment, Sanofi will provide a consistent financial support with US$ 25 million (US$ 5 milli…

Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, has secured CE Mark certification for the Thermo Scientific OmniPATH Combi SARS-CoV-2 IgG ELISA test. The test is intended for the quantitative measurement of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies raised against the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to aid clinicians in identifying patients with an immune response pre- and post-vaccination. The ability to quantify IgG is a critical component to understanding an individual’s immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, especially as we start to vaccinate the population. Having quantitative data on neutralizing antibodies will enable better understanding of a person’s immune response following exposure to the COVID-19 virus and support monitoring of the effectiveness of vaccines as t…

A 90-year-old woman has become the first person to be given a Covid jab as part of the mass vaccination programme being rolled out across the UK. Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, said it was the "best early birthday present". She was given the injection at 06:31 GMT - the first of 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that will be given in the coming weeks. Up to four million more are expected by the end of the month. Hubs in the UK will vaccinate over-80s and some health and care staff - the programme aims to protect the most vulnerable and return life to normal. Matron May Parsons administered Ms Keenan's vaccine at University Hospital in Coventry. Ms Keenan, who is originally from Enniskillen, said: "I feel so privileged to be the first person va…

U.K. regulator, MHRA, authorizes supply of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for emergency supply under Regulation 174; Companies are ready to deliver the first doses to the U.K. immediately First authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine represents a breakthrough scientific achievement to help combat this devastating pandemic The companies previously signed an agreement to supply a total of 40 million doses to the U.K. with delivery in 2020 and 2021 U.S. FDA and EU EMA decisions on authorization are expected in December NEW YORK & MAINZ, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) announced today that the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the U.K. has granted a temporary authorization for emergency use for their COVID-19 mRNA vaccin…

Tech-enabled care firm cements its position as one of Europe’s fastest-growing businesses, reaching $120m in revenues and EBITDA positive in less than four years Firm aims to double its headcount by announcing 5,000 new roles in the UK Cera recently expanded into Scotland, and now employs more than 5,000 staff across 50+ UK offices Monday 30th November, London: Cera, the UK healthtech start-up launched in 2016, today confirms it has reached $120 million revenues (run-rate) in less than four years, and the creation of 5,000 new jobs nationwide as it seeks to double its headcount. The firm, which leverages cutting edge digital and data technology to provide in-home care, is already EBITDA positive. Marking its fourth anniversary since launch this month, Cera has already grown to become one…

[Marlow, UK] – November 17th 2020 – OPEN Health Group today announced that Rob Barker has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Barker succeeds outgoing CEO and Co-Founder, David Rowley, who is stepping down after 10 years as CEO. A portfolio company of Amulet Capital Partners, LP, OPEN Health is a leading multi-disciplinary health communications and market access group. Mr. Barker has approximately 30 years of executive leadership experience in the biopharmaceuticals industry, including multiple roles at leading medical communications and strategy consulting firms. Most recently, he served as CEO of OPEN Health’s Medical Communications practice, having joined the business six years ago. Mr. Barker expressed his enthusiasm for the continued growth and success of OPEN Health: “I am ex…

NHS equity ownership in Sensyne now 11.7% ~ Sensyne model shows benefit to NHS and UK patients ~ Oxford, U.K. 16 November 2020: Sensyne Health plc (LSE: SENS) (“Sensyne” or the “Company” or the “Group”), the UK Clinical AI company, today announces that, following its new non-exclusive Strategic Research Agreement (“SRA”) with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust announced this morning, the Company has achieved a major objective set at its IPO in August 2018 of growing its anonymised patient database to five million patients. The new SRA now brings the combined total of anonymised patient data available for analysis by Sensyne to 5.6 million patients.  The data enables the ethical application of clinical artificial intelligence research on anonymised patient data to improve patient care and acc…

World Antibiotic Awareness Week aims to increase awareness of global antibiotic resistance and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.A global action plan to tackle the growing problem of resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines was endorsed at the Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly in May 2015. One of the key objectives of the plan is to improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance through effective communication, education and training.

Forxiga is the first SGLT2 inhibitor approved in the EU for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in adult patients with and without type-2 diabetes AstraZeneca’s Forxiga (dapagliflozin) has been approved in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of symptomatic chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in adults with and without type-2 diabetes (T2D). Heart failure (HF) is a life-threatening chronic disease that prevents the heart from pumping sufficient levels of blood around the body. It affects 15 million people in the EU, at least half of whom have a reduced ejection fraction,1-3 which occurs when the left ventricle muscle is not able to contract adequately and therefore expels less oxygen-rich blood into the body.4-6 The approval by the European Commissio…

Ambulance crews in London have responded to almost 40 suicides or suicide attempts a day this year.The shocking figures come as tonight’s episode of the hit BBC TV show ‘Ambulance’ features a mum who calls 999 after finding her 36-year-old son hanging.Call handler Carly tells Ursula how to give her son chest compressions as ambulance crews are sent to their home. When advanced paramedic Kevin arrives he realises they cannot save Daniel. Instead he comforts Ursula as she says goodbye to her son.Kevin said: “I have certainly seen an increase in suicide over the past 20 years. The majority of them tend to be male.“You feel an empathy for the family members for what they are going through and the heartache they are going to suffer.“We haven’t found all the answers in dealing with mental health…

Alphega Pharmacy has launched a new app, developed in conjunction with Healthera for its network of over 1,000 pharmacy members. The patient-facing app, which is available to download to any mobile device, is designed with the patient in mind, as more and more people turn to digital solutions to fulfil their prescriptions and other healthcare service requirements. The Alphega Pharmacy app uses the UK‟s market leading technology platform for patients and pharmacies. The app offers a seamless digital patient experience, enabling Alphega Pharmacy members to compete with the ever growing list of competitors who offer a digital service for prescription ordering. The impact of COVID-19 has changed shopper habits with more and more people now using digital channels to shop online or engage with t…

The multi award-winning medical technology innovator ‘TestCard’, which allows people to diagnose common conditions and diseases using the camera on their mobile phone, has secured £4.5m in its latest funding round.  Secured via corporate finance and venture capital firm ‘West Hill’, TestCard will use the new wave of funding for new product development, advancing regulatory applications, international expansion and further product launches. It will also help bridge the business through to its Series ‘A’ round, currently anticipated for the second quarter of 2021. With the aim of giving people control over their health and taking further strain off the NHS, Testcard’s ground-breaking at-home UTI testing kit, which launches in November, turns a smartphone camera into a clinical grade scanner,…

London, 20 October 2020: GPDQ, the UK’s leading on-demand GP service, today announces the launch of London’s first private drive thru Covid-19 testing facility operating with immediate effect.  Following the wide spread demand for Covid-19 PCR tests, with people all over the country unable to receive tests in a timely manner, GPDQ has launched the service in London to meet this increased demand. If people are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, patients can book a 10 minute slot at the site in Hadley Wood using GPDQ’s online system, and the test will then be conducted using swabs on-site at the centre. Should the 24 hour result come back positive, as part of the service you will be called by a GP who will provide a consultation on how best to manage your symptoms and address and concerns the p…

Survey of NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in England Key highlights: Almost 4 out of 10 (36.36 percent) of CAMHS have not adopted any new digital mental health tools to support children in need of mental health support since the onset of COVID-19. The majority (63.64 percent) of NHS CAMHS are signposting children and young people (CYP) to an online resource - rather than a proven digital intervention. 45.4 percent of NHS CAMHS believe digital therapeutics have a role to play in early intervention support. LONDON, Oct. 15, 2020, A survey of 135 NHS CCGs in England carried out by BfB Labs, a pioneer in the development of evidence-based digital therapeutics for CYP shows that almost 4 out of 10 NHS CCGs have not implemented any new digital therapeutics to support chi…

Online therapy provider Healingclouds has taken home the award for Best Mental Healthcare Platform 2020 in the SME UK Enterprise Awards. The awards celebrate a multitude of exciting and vibrant businesses and industries in small and medium enterprises. This year the team at web-based therapy platform Healingclouds have been recognised for their work in the mental health space.  Breaking down barriers people face when seeking help and support is top priority for the service, which connects users to a pool of therapists via video call, with 60 to 90 minute sessions from as little as £35. A range of therapies are available from approved and accredited practitioners, including cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), psychological counselling and psychotherapy. Users can address a number of concerns…