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Wanted: People Willing to Get Sick to Find Coronavirus Vaccine
British lab is recruiting volunteers for study it says could speed development of Covid-19 vaccine
By Denise Roland March 19, 2020 7:00 am ET
hVIVO, a clinical research group in London, has attracted more than 20,000 volunteers willing to be infected with tamer relatives of the virus that causes Covid-19 in exchange for a fee of £3,500 ($4,480). It says such experiments could play an important role in the development of a vaccine against the new coronavirus, for which there are no proven treatments or vaccines.
Unlike drugs, which are tested on people who already have a particular illness, vaccines have to be given to healthy people who are later exposed to a disease. Typically, this is done by giving an experimental vaccine to thousands of people in an area where an infection is circulating, and then tracking them for months or even years. The vaccine is considered successful if those who got the shot avoid infection.
One way of getting a quicker read on a vaccine’s effectiveness is by giving it to people who are then deliberately infected with the bug in question. Such challenge studies are routinely used in the development of vaccines for the flu, common cold and other respiratory illnesses.
Usually, a few dozen participants are tracked closely for a few weeks for signs of illness after infection. These trials don’t replace the larger field studies, but they help give direction on whether a vaccine is worth pursuing.
The CDC is updating its website each day with information about where people can be tested for the new coronavirus. However, the availability of tests varies widely, as does the time it takes to get results. Have you tried to get tested? Where did you go and what
For Covid-19, too little is known about who is most susceptible to serious illness or death to run a challenge study using the new coronavirus that causes the disease. Still, hVIVO hopes that using its relatives can nonetheless offer clues for vaccine development. Coronaviruses are a large family that cause a range of illnesses from the common cold to more serious diseases like SARS and MERS.
“It gives you a sieve and gives you some confidence that things are going to be all right,” said John Oxford, emeritus professor of virology at Queen Mary University of London, and chair of hVIVO’s advisory board. “There have been no human coronavirus vaccines, we don’t know what they’ll be like.”
hVIVO—a subsidiary of pharmaceutical-services company Open Orphan ORPH PLC—is one of just a handful of companies that develop and run challenge studies for drug and vaccine makers.
Such studies are much faster and cheaper than full field studies and can help researchers select the most promising candidate vaccines to be taken forward into broader trials.
hVIVO is currently in early discussions with drugmakers racing to develop a coronavirus vaccine and says it will be ready to offer its challenge tests to clients in the next two to three months.
After advertising and media coverage, the company was inundated with volunteers. More than 20,000 signed up in the space of a few days, compared with a normal rate of a few people a day.
The Uncertainties of Self-Quarantine Amid Coronavirus
Amid an increase in confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in the U.S., more companies, religious institutions and schools are asking people to stay at home if they may have come into contact with the virus. WSJ follows the case of one man under voluntary self-quarantine.
Those chosen for tests will be kept in isolation at the company’s facilities until they are no longer infectious, usually around two weeks, to mitigate the risk of them spreading the disease to friends and family.
Jamie Spicer-Lewis, a 32-year-old graphic designer and animator who lives in Birmingham, England, signed up this week after seeing an ad online while searching for information about coronavirus.
“It’s not much time out of my life and if it goes toward helping in any possible way—because there are people who are a lot more at risk than I am—then why not?” he said. The financial incentive was a “nice little cherry on top.” He said he had previously donated stem cells for blood cancer patients, a procedure that involved a three-day hospital stay, without any payment.
If chosen, he will undergo a battery of extra medical screening before joining any tests.
Still, studies using other coronaviruses may not give a good read on vaccines that specifically target the strain that causes Covid-19, said Matthew Memoli, director of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Md.
The most advanced vaccines under development are specific to the new coronavirus, he said. Several groups, including Moderna Inc., MRNA 6.71% Sanofi SA SNY -4.37% and Johnson & Johnson JNJ -5.68% are working on new vaccines.
J&J said it isn’t planning to use human viral challenge tests, while Sanofi said it hasn’t yet finalized its plans but wouldn’t use a test not specific to Covid-19. The National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, which is running the trials for Moderna’s vaccine, said it didn’t have plans to conduct infection challenge tests.
But challenge tests could be valuable in eventually developing a universal vaccine that works across the coronavirus family, Dr. Memoli said. He is developing his own challenge test for coronavirus using a related strain and hopes it will help scientists better understand how the viruses behave and inform longer-term development of treatments or vaccines.
In general, deliberate infection treads a fine ethical line and is only considered acceptable when the benefits to the wider population far outweigh the risks to participants.
For instance, ethicists say it would be difficult to justify a challenge study for a disease like Ebola because of its high death rate—about 50% on average compared with 2% to 3% so far for Covid-19.
When challenge studies have previously been used for more serious illnesses such as dengue fever and malaria, only participants deemed to be at low risk from serious illness or death were selected, and in some cases a weakened version of the pathogen was used.
“There’s a positive ethical rationale for doing challenge study experiments,” said Julian Savulescu, who leads research on collective responsibility in infectious disease at the University of Oxford. “This kind of research is one of the arrows in the quiver of tackling this kind of catastrophe.”
Link here to read the original WSJ article
Alan Green talks Coronavirus and markets, plus Open Orphan #ORPH & Metro Bank #MTRO on the UK Investor Magazine podcast
Alan Green discusses Coronavirus and markets, plus Open Orphan #ORPH & Metro Bank #MTRO with Jonathan Roy on the UK Investor Magazine podcast. Link on the image to listen.
Open Orphan #ORPH – Appointment of new Director
Open Orphan , the rapidly growing specialist CRO pharmaceutical services company which has a focus on orphan drugs and is a world leader in the provision of virology and vaccine challenge study services , is pleased to announce, further to its announcement of 13 February 2020, the appointment to the board of Leo Toole as Chief Financial Officer.
Leo Toole brings over 20 years’ experience in senior finance roles in Pharmaceuticals, Medical Technology and FMCG sectors. He has held senior finance positions at Procter and Gamble, ResMed and Sublimity Therapeutics. Through positions in multinational companies across Europe and in the venture capital space in the UK and Ireland, he has extensive experience in building finance teams, corporate development, equity and debt financing, public markets, and mergers and acquisitions. Leo is a Business graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and HEC Liège, Belgium. He also holds an MBA with Distinction from INSEAD in France and Singapore.
Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman of Open Orphan commented: “We are delighted to welcome Leo Toole to the board following the successful completion of his regulatory due diligence checks. Leo brings with him a wealth of experience which will be invaluable to us at what is an exciting time for Open Orphan as we steer the company to profitability in the coming months and increasing deal flow and revenue in the year ahead, he is a great addition to the board. These are exciting times for Open Orphan because following the acquisition of hVIVO we are now the world leader in the provision of viral challenge study models and, as such, we are ideally positioned to provide assistance and help to vaccine manufacturers and governments around the world to successfully deal with and in the search for solutions to the Coronavirus outbreak.”
The following additional information is provided in accordance with paragraph (g) of Schedule Two to the AIM Rules for Companies and paragraph (g) of Schedule Two of the Euronext Growth Rules for Companies:
Full Name: Leo Patrick Toole
Age: 46
|
Current directorships / partnerships |
Directorships / partnerships within the last five years |
|
Meadow Landscape Design Limited |
Sublimity Therapeutics Holdco Limited |
|
Venn Life Sciences (NI) Ltd |
Arvonage Limited |
Leo Toole does not hold any shares or options in the Company.
There is no further information to be disclosed in relation to Leo Toole’s appointment pursuant to AIM Rule 17, paragraph (g) of Schedule Two of the AIM Rules for Companies or paragraph (g) of Schedule Two of the Euronext Growth Rules for Companies.
For further information please contact
|
Open Orphan plc Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman Trevor Phillips, Chief Executive Officer |
+353 (0)1 644 0007 +44 (0)20 7347 5350 |
|
Arden Partners plc (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) John Llewellyn-Lloyd / Benjamin Cryer |
+44 (0)20 7614 5900 |
|
Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint Broker) Anthony Farrell |
+353 (0)1 679 6363 |
|
Camarco (Financial PR) |
|
|
Tom Huddart / Daniel Sherwen |
+44 (0)20 3757 4980 |
Notes to Editors:
Open Orphan is a rapidly growing specialist CRO pharmaceutical services company which has a focus on orphan drugs and is a world leader in the provision of virology and vaccine challenge study services and viral laboratory services. It has Europe’s only 24-bedroom quarantine clinic with onsite virology lab in Queen Mary’s Hospital London. hVIVO supports product development for customers developing antivirals, vaccines and respiratory therapeutics, all particularly relevant and topical in the environment of heightened awareness of the Coronavirus in 2020. The company also has a leading portfolio of 8 viral challenge study models which are: 2 FLU, 2 RSV, 1 HRV, 1 Asthma, 1 cough and 1 COPD viral challenge models. No other company in the world has such a portfolio, with only two competitors globally having 1 challenge study model each.
Open Orphan comprises of two commercial specialist CRO services businesses (Venn and hVIVO) and is developing an early stage orphan drug genomics data platform business. This platform captures valuable genetic data from patient populations with specific diseases with designated orphan drug status and incorporating AI tools. In June 2019, Open Orphan acquired AIM-listed Venn Life Sciences Holdings plc in a reverse take-over and in January 2020 it completed the merger with hVIVO plc. Venn, as an integrated drug development consultancy, offers CMC (c hemistry, manufacturing and controls) , preclinical, phase I & II clinical trials design and execution. The merger with hVIVO created a European full pharma services company broadening the Company’s customer base and with complementary specialist CRO services, widened the range of the Company’s service offerings.
Open Orphan #ORPH presents at ShareSoc Growth Company Seminar, Manchester
Open Orphan, the rapidly growing specialist CRO pharmaceutical services company which has a focus on orphan drugs and is a world leader in the provision of virology and vaccine challenge study services, and has Europe’s only 24 bedroom quarantine clinic with onsite virology lab in Queen Mary’s Hospital London, is pleased to announce that the Company will be attending and presenting at the ShareSoc Growth Company Seminar on February 25, 2020 at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, One Piccadilly Place, 1 Auburn Street, Manchester M1 3DG.
Cathal Friel, Open Orphan’s Executive Chairman will be presenting from 18:40 onwards to update existing and potential investors on the Company’s business plans for 2020.
The event will provide an opportunity for investors to hear about the progress being made by the Company following the acquisition of hVIVO and the potential for Open Orphan as it moves rapidly forward rapidly. hVIVO, is a world leader in the provision of viral challenge studies, vaccine and viral laboratory services ,and supports product development for customers developing antivirals, vaccines and respiratory therapeutics, all of which are particularly relevant and topical in the environment of heightened awareness in light of the current outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).It also has Europe’s only commercial 24 bed quarantine clinic and on site virology laboratory at Queen Mary’s Hospital in London.
A link to our investor presentation is already available on our website at https://www.openorphan.com/sites/openorphan/files/Open_Orphan_Investor_Deck_0120_1.pdf
Additionally, a link to the video of Open Orphan’s presentation will be made available on the Company website following the event.
For further information on the Shares Investor Evening and registration, please visit the event website https://www.sharesoc.org/events/sharesoc-growth-company-seminar-in-manchester-25-february-2020/
No new material information will be disclosed at this event.
Enquiries:
Open Orphan Plc Tel: +353 1 5499 341
Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman +353 (0)1 644 0007
Trevor Phillips, Chief Executive Officer +44 (0)20 7347 5350
Arden Partners (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) Tel: +44 (0)20 7614 5900
John Llewellyn-Lloyd / Ruari McGirr / Benjamin Cryer
Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint Broker) Tel: +353 (0)1 679 6363
Anthony Farrell (Corporate Finance)
Camarco (Financial PR) Tel: +44 (0)20 3757 4980
Tom Huddart / Billy Clegg / Daniel Sherwen
About RNS Reach announcements
This is an RNS Reach announcement. RNS Reach is an investor communication service aimed at assisting listed and unlisted (including AIM quoted) companies to distribute non-regulatory news releases into the public domain. Information required to be notified under the AIM Rules for Companies, Market Abuse Regulation or other regulation would be disseminated as an RNS regulatory announcement and not on RNS Reach.
Notes to Editors:
Open Orphan is a rapidly growing specialist CRO pharmaceutical services company which has a focus on orphan drugs and is a world leader in the provision of virology and vaccine challenge study services and viral laboratory services. It has Europe’s only 24-bedroom quarantine clinic with onsite virology lab in Queen Mary’s Hospital London. hVIVO supports product development for customers developing antivirals, vaccines and respiratory therapeutics, all particularly relevant and topical in the environment of heightened awareness of the Coronavirus in 2020. The company also has a leading portfolio of 8 viral challenge study models which are: 2 FLU, 2 RSV, 1 HRV, 1 Asthma, 1 cough and 1 COPD viral challenge models. No other company in the world has such a portfolio, with only two competitors globally having 1 challenge study model each.
Open Orphan #ORPH – Appointment of Group Chief Financial Officer
Open Orphan, the rapidly growing specialist CRO pharmaceutical services company which has a focus on orphan drugs and is a world leader in the provision of virology and vaccine challenge study services, and has Europe’s only 24 bedroom quarantine clinic with onsite virology lab in Queen Mary’s Hospital London, is pleased to announce the appointment of Leo Toole to the role of Group Chief Financial Officer with immediate effect. Leo was previously Interim Chief Financial Officer of Open Orphan plc and Finance Director of the Open Orphan division following the merger with hVIVO.
It is Open Orphan’s intention that Leo be appointed to the Board of Open Orphan as soon as possible, subject to the satisfactory completion of regulatory due diligence checks.
Leo Toole brings over 20 years’ experience in senior finance roles in Pharmaceuticals, Medical Technology and FMCG sectors. He has held senior finance positions at Procter and Gamble, ResMed and Sublimity Therapeutics. Through positions in multinational companies across Europe and in the venture capital space in the UK and Ireland, he has extensive experience in building finance teams, corporate development, equity and debt financing, public markets, and mergers and acquisitions. Leo is a Business graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and HEC Liège, Belgium. He also holds an MBA with Distinction from INSEAD in France and Singapore.
Commenting on the appointment, Trevor Phillips, CEO of Open Orphan said:
“We are pleased to confirm Leo as the permanent CFO of Open Orphan. Leo brings relevant industry experience and public market experience to the Company and we look forward to him joining the PLC board upon the completion of his regulatory due diligence checks.”
Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman of Open Orphan said:
“I am delighted that we have appointed Leo as CFO. He has worked with Open Orphan for the past year and is therefore well placed to assist with the rapid integration of hVIVO, deliver on our synergies programme and target profitability in the near term. We feel he is an important addition the executive team as we target the rapidly growing CRO pharmaceutical services sector.”
For further information please contact:
Open Orphan plc
Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman
Trevor Phillips, Chief Executive Officer
+353 (0)1 644 0007
+44 (0)20 7347 5350
Arden Partners plc (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker)
John Llewellyn-Lloyd / Benjamin Cryer
+44 (0)20 7614 5900
Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint Broker)
Anthony Farrell
+353 (0)1 679 6363
Camarco (Financial PR)
Tom Huddart / Daniel Sherwen
+44 (0)20 3757 4980
Notes to Editors:
Open Orphan is a rapidly growing specialist CRO pharmaceutical services company which has a focus on orphan drugs and is a world leader in the provision of virology and vaccine challenge study services and viral laboratory services. It has Europe’s only 24-bedroom quarantine clinic with onsite virology lab in Queen Mary’s Hospital London. hVivo supports product development for customers developing antivirals, vaccines and respiratory therapeutics, all particularly relevant and topical in the environment of heightened awareness of the Corona virus in 2020. The company also has a leading portfolio of 8 viral challenge study models which are: 2 FLU, 2 RSV, 1 HRV, 1 Asthma, 1 cough and 1 Chronic Constructive Pulmonary Disease viral challenge models. No other company in the world has such a portfolio, with a Belgian company having 1 and one with the west coast of America also having 1 challenge study model. Open Orphan comprises of two commercial specialist CRO services businesses (Venn and hVIVO) and is developing an early stage orphan drug genomics data platform business capturing valuable genetic data from patient populations with specific diseases with designated orphan drug status and incorporating AI tools. In June 2019, Open Orphan acquired AIM-listed Venn Life Sciences Holdings plc in a reverse take-over and in January 2020 it completed the Merger with hVIVO plc. Venn, as an integrated drug development consultancy, offers CMC (chemistry, manufacturing and controls) , preclinical, phase I & II clinical trials design and execution., The Merger with hVIVO created a European full pharma services company broadening the Company’s customer base and with complementary specialist CRO services, widened the range of the Company’s service offerings.
Open Orphan #ORPH presents at Shares Growth and Invention Forum, London
Open Orphan, the rapidly growing specialist CRO pharmaceutical services company which has a focus on orphan drugs and is a world leader in the provision of virology and vaccine challenge study services, is pleased to announce that the Company will be attending and presenting at the Shares Growth and Invention Forum on February 11, 2020 at Business Design Centre, London N1, London, N1 0QH. Cathal will be presenting at 15:30 in the Babbage Room. Investors are able to register to attend at https://ajbell.eventsair.com/gif-2020/private/Site/Register.
Cathal Friel, Open Orphan’s Executive Chairman will be presenting from 15:30 onwards to update existing and potential investors on the Company’s business plans for 2020.
The event will provide an opportunity for investors to hear about the progress being made by the Company following the acquisition of hVIVO and the potential for Open Orphan as it moves rapidly forward. hVIVO, is a world leader in the provision of viral challenge studies, vaccine and viral laboratory services, supporting product development for customers developing antivirals, vaccines and respiratory therapeutics, all particularly relevant and topical in the environment of heightened awareness of the Coronavirus in 2020. It also has Europe’s only commercial 24 bed quarantine clinic and on-site virology laboratory at Queen Mary’s Hospital in London.
Additionally, a link to the video of Open Orphan’s presentation will be made available on the Company website following the event.
For further information on the Shares Investor Evening, please visit the event website https://www.sharesmagazine.co.uk/events/event/growth-innovation-forum-2020-1
Investor Presentation
A link to our investor presentation is available on our website at https://www.openorphan.com/sites/openorphan/files/Open%20Orphan%20Investor%20Deck_0.pdf.
For further information please contact
|
Open Orphan plc Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman Trevor Phillips, Chief Executive Officer |
+353 (0)1 644 0007 +44 (0)20 7347 5350 |
|
Arden Partners plc (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) John Llewellyn-Lloyd / Benjamin Cryer |
+44 (0)20 7614 5900 |
|
Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint Broker) Anthony Farrell |
+353 (0)1 679 6363 |
|
Camarco (Financial PR) |
|
|
Tom Huddart / Daniel Sherwen |
+44 (0)20 3757 4980 |
About RNS Reach announcements
This is an RNS Reach announcement. RNS Reach is an investor communication service aimed at assisting listed and unlisted (including AIM quoted) companies to distribute non-regulatory news releases into the public domain. Information required to be notified under the AIM Rules for Companies, Market Abuse Regulation or other regulation would be disseminated as an RNS regulatory announcement and not on RNS Reach.
Notes to Editors:
Open Orphan is a rapidly growing European full pharmaceutical services company with a focus on orphan drug and specialist services, comprising two commercial specialist CRO services businesses (Venn and hVIVO) and a developing early stage orphan drug genomics data platform business capturing valuable genetic data from patient populations with specific diseases with designated orphan drug status and incorporating AI tools. In June 2019, Open Orphan acquired AIM-listed Venn Life Sciences Holdings plc in a reverse take-over and in January 2020 it completed the Merger with hVIVO plc. Venn, as an integrated drug development consultancy, offers CMC (chemistry, manufacturing and controls) , preclinical, phase I & II clinical trials design and execution. hVIVO, is a world leader in the provision of viral challenge studies, vaccine and viral laboratory services, supporting product development for customers developing antivirals, vaccines and respiratory therapeutics, all particularly relevant and topical in the environment of heightened awareness of the Coronavirus in 2020. The Merger with hVIVO created a European full pharma services company broadening the Company’s customer base and with complementary specialist CRO services, widened the range of the Company’s service offerings.
Open Orphan #ORPH – Upcoming Investor Events
Open Orphan (ORPH), the rapidly growing specialist CRO pharmaceutical services company which has a focus on orphan drugs and is a world leader in the provision of virology and vaccine challenge study services, is pleased to announce that the Company will be attending and presenting at a series of investor events from the 11th February to 26th March 2020.
Cathal Friel, Open Orphan’s Executive Chairman, or Trevor Phillips, CEO, will be in attendance for all the events and will be presenting an update to existing and potential investors on the Company’s acquisition of hVIVO and business plans for 2020. hVIVO, is a world leader in the provision of viral challenge studies, vaccine and viral laboratory services, supporting product development for customers developing antivirals, vaccines and respiratory therapeutics, all particularly relevant and topical in the environment of heightened awareness of the Coronavirus in 2020. It also has Europe’s only commercial 24 bed quarantine clinic and on-site virology laboratory at Queen Mary’s Hospital in London.
A link to our investor presentation is available on our website at https://www.openorphan.com/sites/openorphan/files/Open%20Orphan%20Investor%20Deck_0.pdf
No new material information will be disclosed at any event.
A full schedule of the upcoming events is as follows:
|
Event |
Date/Time |
Location |
|
Shares Magazine/Cenkos Growth and Innovation Forum |
February 11, 2020 08:45 – 17:30 |
London – Business Design Centre, London N1 52 Upper Street, Islington
|
|
ShareSoc Growth Company Seminar |
February 25, 2020 18:00 – 20:40
|
Manchester – DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, One Piccadilly Place, 1 Auburn Street, Manchester M1 3DG |
|
Shares Magazine Investor Event |
February 25, 2020 17:30 – 21:30 |
London – Novotel, Pepys Street, London |
|
ShareSoc Growth Company Seminar |
March 11, 2020 17:30 – 21:30 |
London – Company Matters/Link Asset Services, 65 GRESHAM STREET, London EC2V 7NQ |
|
ShareSoc Growth Company Seminar |
March 17, 2020 18:00 – 20:40 |
Birmingham – Clayton Hotel Birmingham, Albert Street, Birmingham B5 5JE |
|
Proactive Investors One2One Forum |
March 26, 2020 18:00 – 21:30 |
London – Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel, 35 Charles Street, London, W1J 5EB |
Enquiries:
Open Orphan plc
Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman +353 (0)1 644 0007
Trevor Phillips, Chief Executive Officer +44 (0)20 7347 5350
Arden Partners plc (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) +44 (0)20 7614 5900
John Llewellyn-Lloyd / Benjamin Cryer
Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint Broker) +353 (0)1 679 6363
Anthony Farrell
Camarco (Financial PR) +44 (0)20 3757 4980
Tom Huddart / Daniel Sherwen
About RNS Reach announcements
This is an RNS Reach announcement. RNS Reach is an investor communication service aimed at assisting listed and unlisted (including AIM quoted) companies to distribute non-regulatory news releases into the public domain. Information required to be notified under the AIM Rules for Companies, Market Abuse Regulation or other regulation would be disseminated as an RNS regulatory announcement and not on RNS Reach.
Notes to Editors:
Open Orphan is a rapidly growing European full pharmaceutical services company with a focus on orphan drug and specialist services, comprising two commercial specialist CRO services businesses (Venn and hVIVO) and a developing early stage orphan drug genomics data platform business capturing valuable genetic data from patient populations with specific diseases with designated orphan drug status and incorporating AI tools. In June 2019, Open Orphan acquired AIM-listed Venn Life Sciences Holdings plc in a reverse take-over and in January 2020 it completed the Merger with hVIVO plc. Venn, as an integrated drug development consultancy, offers CMC (chemistry, manufacturing and controls), preclinical, phase I & II clinical trials design and execution. hVIVO, as an industry leading services provider in viral challenge studies and vaccine and viral laboratory services, supports product development for customers developing antivirals, vaccines and respiratory therapeutics , all particularly relevant and topical in the environment of heightened awareness of the Coronavirus in 2020. The Merger with hVIVO created a European full pharma services company broadening the Company’s customer base and with complementary specialist CRO services, widening the range of the Company’s service offerings.