With a candidate COVID-19 therapy in clinical development, the UK’s Synairgen has raised $101m on the UK’s AIM to support clinical studies and manufacturing plans.

As the global generics industry had predicted, the unexpected growth seen in the first quarter of 2020 due to forward buying caused by COVID-19 levelled off in the second quarter. However, a few companies managed to report a “mixed” second quarter or a positive first half for 2020, even after experiencing challenges, such as operational interruptions, posed by the pandemic.

COVID-19 has triggered a dramatic shift toward virtual consultations and telemedicine, encouraged by more relaxed regulations and payer support.

Upsher-Smith Laboratories, the US arm of Japan’s Sawai Pharmaceutical, has another challenging project in the pipeline with an agreement to develop and market a follow-on version of Mallinckrodt’s Acthar Gel (corticotropin). The Japanese firm revealed Upsher-Smith’s latest finances as it revealed first-quarter financial results.