💊 Novo Nordisk and Dewpoint collaborate on biomolecular condensates; Roche and Lilly band up to validate Alzheimer's blood test; J&J MedTech setting up shop in KSA

#303 | China finally aboard the mRNA train; Covid affected NCD meds supply chain; A high-protein diet you should sustain

Hello there. Welcome to another edition of The Kable, where we're bringing news of some notable firsts worldwide – Bahrain’s first-ever locally produced pharmaceuticals and China’s first approval of an mRNA vaccine.

Novo Nordisk’s prospects in the UK may be looking down, what with lost trade body memberships and regulatory scrutiny. But its opportunities in the diabetes space are looking up. The Danish company inked a research deal with Dewpoint Therapeutics to develop new treatments for insulin resistance and diabetic complications using Dewpoint’s biomolecular condensates discovery platform.

Roche and Eli Lilly are also entering a new collaboration to develop a novel blood test for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson MedTech is making progress in its plans to set up direct operations in Saudi Arabia by 2024.

This piece in Nature traces the trajectory of the genomics revolution in Central and South Americaand outlines the risks to its sustainability. Spoiler: political will and continued government investment can be a game-changer.

China is finally getting an mRNA vaccine, with CSPC Pharma’s domestically developed Covid shot getting the green light.

Over in Bahrain, the National Health Regulatory Authority announced the commencement of the domestic production of cough syrup and Omega-3 capsules – the first pharmaceutical products to be made in the country.

And finally, in more olds than news, bird flu is still on its tour around the world. Its latest stop: an industrial facility in Chile.