Companies supporting healthcare efforts around the world
Numerous companies are actively combating COVID-19 and supporting healthcare efforts around the world.
-Biotech for vaccine discovery: German biotech unicorns Curevac (Tübingen) and BioNTech (Mainz) are among the front runners in producing a coronavirus vaccine. Others include Moderna (Cambridge, Mass.) and Novavax (Gaithersburg, Maryland), both backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. All are entering clinical trials (human testing).
- Pharma: big pharma are teaming up with biotech for vaccination co-development and distribution. Another big part of the solution may be Chloroquine, a drug that has been used to treat malaria since 1944. It is manufactured are all over the world by both big pharma and small independent firms like Ace Pharmaceutical (Netherlands).
-Detection systems and tests: Infervision launched a coronavirus AI medical imaging platform that helps to look for signs of pneumonia by lung scans and diagnose coronavirus in minutes. Hilab has developed a rapid blood test to identify pneumonia faster.
-Antibacterial protection: advanced fabrics for protection, ultraviolet light to wipe out coronavirus. Sonovia provide face masks made from their anti-bacterial fabric based on metal-oxide nanoparticles.
-Access to research data/tracking population health: data platforms are providing free access to data. Castor EDC data capture platform is supporting non-profit COVID19 research projects.
-Robotics and drones: companies are deploying robots and automation technology to assist hospitals, elderly care homes and to disinfect public places. UVD Robots provide self-driving disinfection robots that use ultraviolet light to disinfect and kill viruses and bacteria autonomously.
-3D printing: companies use its 3D printers to print a range of medical devices including facial shields, test kits, and surgical masks.
