Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. We can tell because countless birds are chirping outside our window, the pace of motor vehicles passing by is picking up, and the official mascots are busy foraging for snacks on the official grounds. As for us, we are engaged in the usual ritual of brewing cups of stimulation. Our choice today is orange cream. As always, you are invited to join us. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits for you to digest as you embark on your journey, which we hope is satisfying and rewarding. On that note, time to get cracking. Best of luck, and do keep in touch. …
The numbers are in, and biotech startups recently closed out their best fundraising quarter in two years, signaling that the industry downturn may soon be a thing of the past, STAT explains. Venture-backed biopharma companies raised $6.8 billion in the first three months of the year, according to early data compiled by HSBC. This is the largest amount raised since the first half of 2022 — and big news for an industry that has been icy for the last three years, once the attention the Covid pandemic brought to drug companies began to fade. Layoffs became commonplace. Landlords in places like greater Boston suddenly found they had vacant labs for the first time in a decade.
A Pfizer vaccine showed the potential to protect adults ages 18 to 59 who are at increased risk of getting severely sick from respiratory syncytial virus in a late stage clinical trial, CNBC tells us. The initial data suggest the shot, known as Abrysvo, could help protect a far wider population from RSV. The company plans to submit the data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies and file for an expanded approval of the vaccine, which is currently approved in the U.S., Europe, and Japan for adults ages 60 and above and expectant mothers. There are no RSV shots approved worldwide for younger, high-risk adults.