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It's now been over two years since the start of the coronavirus pandemic which has disrupted lives across all countries and communities. Over 400 million covid cases have been reported worldwide and well over 100 countries worldwide have instituted either full or partial lockdowns, affecting billions of people and businesses.
But in the midst of this unprecedented global crisis, there has been a saviour that has reduced fatalities and helped us to reopen our economies - vaccinations. From the start of the pandemic, the global innovation community mobilised quickly to initiate the develop a vaccine for COVID-19. Hundreds of individuals and institutions—in academia, biotechnology, government, and pharmaceuticals—embarked on one of the most consequential scientific endeavours in living memory. FPC was in the thick of the race from the very beginning investing in Vaccitech, the company behind the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
Now, 10.4 billion doses of covid vaccinations have been administered worldwide with over 50% of the global population fully vaccinated against the disease. Funding has poured in from governments, multilateral agencies, not-for-profit institutions, and the private sector. Although it certainly hasn't been plain sailing, regulators have shown unprecedented speed in working with innovators.
The vaccine race has shown the importance of healthcare innovation and how it can be vital to keeping our economies moving forward.
There are also significant lessons to be learnt. As we look towards a post-covid era - with our healthcare systems facing ever-growing demands and burgeoning waiting lists - it is important that we build on recent developments and innovations. And perhaps help protect ourselves from the pandemics of the future.
This newsletter highlights a number of interesting sources in this area and sets out the trends to watch out for in healthcare innovation for 2022.
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