The latest from Italian pharma, including the foreign minister’s plea for delivering on COVID-19 vaccine contracts, glass vial manufacturer Stevenato’s USD five billion valuation, AIFA’s approval of Novartis’s Zolgensma, and how Italy has become the first EU country to manufacture Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccine vial maker Stevanato preps IPO valuing it at up to $5 billion: sources
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2AP1LP
Italy’s Stevanato Group, manufacturer of glass vials for COVID-19 vaccines and other healthcare products, is making plans for an initial public offering this year that could value the company at between $4 billion-$5 billion, three sources with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.
Italian foreign minister says pharma firms must respect vaccine contracts
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSR1N2JW00L
Coronavirus vaccination campaigns need to speed up across the European Union and it is unacceptable for pharmaceutical companies not to deliver promised supplies, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Friday.
Italy blocked a shipment of 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine last week destined for Australia after the drug manufacturer failed to meet contract commitments, Italian officials said.
AIFA approves first gene therapy against Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)
The Board of AIFA approved the reimbursement of the Zolgensma gene therapy for all children with SMA under 13.5 kg in weight. The final go-ahead came at the conclusion of a long process that began in May 2020 with the negotiation request presented by the Novartis company.
Russia to make Sputnik V vaccine in Italy, a first in EU
https://apnews.com/article/europe-italy-coronavirus-pandemic-russia-1c9bac0105f04e297e51f04859f304a9
Russia has signed a deal to produce its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in Italy, the first contract in the European Union, the Italian Russian Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday. The deal was signed with Adienne Srl, the Italian subsidiary of a Swiss-based pharmaceutical company, and Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. Production of a planned 10 million doses this year is set to launch in July.
Seven Italian hospitals among the best in the world
Seven of the best hospitals in the world are Italian, according to the World’s Best Hospital 2021 survey published by the US magazine Newsweek, in collaboration with Statista Inc.
Italian life expectancy fell by almost a year in 2020 due to pandemic: ISTAT
https://www.todayonline.com/world/italian-life-expectancy-fell-almost-year-2020-due-pandemic-istat
Life expectancy in Italy fell by almost a year in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, national statistics agency ISTAT said on Wednesday. Nationwide, life expectancy at birth was 82.3 years in 2020, down from 83.2 in 2019, with the figure falling more than 1-1/2 years in the north of the country which bore the brunt of the disease.
