In 2020, COVID-19 changed the landscape of cardiovascular medicine, potentially affecting the field for decades to come. In the first week of December, COVID-19 officially overcame heart disease as the number one killer in the United States.
Fremont, CA: Without a doubt, 2020 will be remembered as the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the biopharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, the focus was firmly on the rapid development of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines that could be produced on a scale. But there were other life science fields under the radar – among them the cardiac field.
Without a doubt, 2020 will be remembered as the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the biopharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, the focus was firmly on the rapid development of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines that could be produced on a scale. But there were other life science fields under the radar – among them the cardiac field.In 2019, for example, oncology startups attracted 10 times more risk capital than their cardiovascular counterparts ($5.6 billion vs. $543 million). While there are many reasons for this investment differential, the adoption of precision oncology is a dominant one.Science has amassed a deeper understanding of cancer biology through years of basic research, enabling biopharmaceutical companies to develop and deliver therapy to patients most likely to respond. Such associations have reduced the risk of failure in efficacy trials.Analog translational biology platforms have begun to emerge in the field of cardiac disease. These technologies are designed to help the discovery of cardiac drugs follow the path of precision oncology.
In 2020, COVID-19 changed the landscape of cardiovascular medicine, potentially affecting the field for decades to come. In the first week of December, COVID-19 officially overcame heart disease as the number one killer in the United States. It dominated news and hospitals, causing individuals to delay or skip routine preventive care and assessment.
More stealthily, the disease itself may cause long-lasting cardiovascular effects. A paper published in July in JAMA Cardiology reported a study of 100 people who had recently recovered from COVID-19. Only 33 percent needed hospitalisation, but 60 percent showed signs of myocarditis.Other studies have shown that COVID-19 may cause litany of cardiovascular disorders, such as arrhythmias, acute coronary syndrome, and venous thromboembolism.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IMHE) projected that 15 percent of Americans had been infected by COVID-19 by November 30. Scientists around the world are still investigating how this virus damages the heart, who is susceptible, and what long-lasting effects it will have.Given the extraordinary number of cases in the United States and worldwide, the burden of health care and personal impact is likely to be enormous.
Cardiovascular drug development has been notoriously long, costly and challenging. In other words, a tough sale for startups looking for funding. But the industry has entered a promising new era.In addition to the increased attention of pharmacists, venture capital investment has also increased. Emerging companies are gaining traction and recognition for their ability to address key issues in the field, such as lack of personalised treatment. In 2020, these companies were rewarded with significant rounds of financing.
