Seven international translational research bodies recommend five actions to help better prepare for future outbreaks. Plus an overview of recent COVID-19-focused collaborations.

Private Company Edition: Nine new venture capital mega-rounds include Insilico’s series C, $250m from Blackstone for a CAR-T therapy spinout from Intellia and a $210m series B round for Umoja.

A look back at Medtech Insight’s 10 most-read Start-Up Spotlight stories in 2020 pointed to diverse interest among our readers focusing on orthopedics, innovations in cardiac surgery, portable ultrasound tech and digital tools for tracking vital signs and monitoring patients at home.

Two-year data from a European trial showed BioVentrix’s Revivent TC system significantly reduces left-ventricular volume and improves left-ventricular function in patients with heart failure following a myocardial infarction. The company expects to complete a US pivotal trial of the device in 2021 and launch the device in the US with funding from a planned initial public offering.