Medtech industry group AdvaMed has developed a registry to share data on how many COVID-19 diagnostic tests are available and where they are, with a goal of foreseeing and nipping in the bud potential test shortages. Thirteen diagnostic manufacturers – including Abbott, Roche, Siemens and Thermo Fisher Scientific – have partnered with AdvaMed on the initiative.

UK patients diagnosed with primary hyperoxaluria Type 1 can now be prescribed lumasiran, which is still being reviewed for EU-wide approval. Patients in the US, Germany and other EU countries can also get the drug under early access schemes.

Poseida, Nkarta and Inventiva raised $224m, $252m and $107.7m, respectively. Also, Forbion raised €185m ($208m) of a new €250m fund and Blackstone closed the last $1.2bn of its $4.6bn fund for public and private company deals, and Ascendis led recent follow-ons with a $569.2m offering.

With goal dates for almost 40 novel drugs and biologics coming up in the second half of 2020 after a record number of first half approvals, even the pandemic looks unlikely to prevent another solid year for innovative drugs at US FDA.