Valley Fever Spreads as Conditions Change
George Thompson, MD, professor of infectious disease at UC Davis Medical Center, has been tracking the increase in coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) and discussing the current trends and contributing factors. “We’ve seen a big increase in the number of cocci cases over the last two to three years. The central valley looks like there may even […]
Opting for Oral Over Intravenous Antibiotic for Acute Skin Infection
Image credit: Pexels, Gustavo Fring Oral dosing of omadacyline or linezolid was found equally efficacious to intravenous administration in treating acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) in a post hoc analysis of two trials that compared safety and efficacy of the 2 antibiotics.1 “Oral therapy can reduce the need for hospitalization or the […]
Invisible Until It’s Too Late
In 2015, fungal infections affected over 1 billion people globally each year, leading to an estimated 11.5 million life-threatening infections and more than 1.5 million deaths annually. Despite their significant impact, fungal diseases have historically been under-recognized and underfunded in global health efforts. In response, the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections (GAFFI) launched a […]
Patients Left to Cost-Sharing for Therapies Without Federal Government Intervention
Carl Schmid, executive director, HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute Image credit: HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute For patients who have chronic conditions and rely on medicines on a daily basis, the rise in prescription pricing continues, and people are being asked to share more of the costs. In the 2026 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters rule proposed last fall, the […]
Human Milk Sugar Blocks Norovirus in Lab Models
A recent study in the Journal of Virology suggests that 2′-fucosyllactose (2′FL), a sugar found in human breast milk, may offer a treatment for human norovirus (HuNoV), a leading cause of gastroenteritis. The study focused on the GII4 Sydney (P16) strain of HuNoV, found that 2′FL can block the virus from entering and replicating in […]
Is it Time to Rethink Biocontainment?
Gavin Harris, MD Image credit: Emory School of Medicine In early fall 2014, a patient walked into a Dallas, Texas emergency department with largely gastrointestinal complaints after having recently returned from Liberia and was sent home with supportive care measures. He returned, was found to have Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and succumbed to his illness […]
Timeline for mRNA Vaccine Development for Rift Valley Fever
Afrigen Biologics, a South African biotechnology company, has secured a $6.2 million grant from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to develop the first mRNA-based vaccine for Rift Valley fever (RVF). This funding will advance the vaccine candidate through preclinical development and into Phase I clinical trials, with testing planned in South Africa or […]
Considering Rezafungin For Candidemia and Invasive Candidiasis
The antifungal market is limited in terms of development, and when rezafungin (Rezzayo) was FDA approved back in 2023, it became the first new therapy approved to treat candidemia and invasive candidiasis in more than 10 years. Since its approval, additional studies have been done, and rezafungin was shown to be noninferior to caspofungin for […]
Afrigen Biologics Advancing Development of mRNA Vaccine for Rift Valley Fever
Afrigen Biologics, a South African biotechnology company, got $6.2 million in funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to develop the first mRNA-based vaccine for Rift Valley fever (RVF). This funding will advance the vaccine candidate through preclinical development and into Phase I clinical trials, with testing planned in South Africa or another […]
How Immunomics Technology is Leading the Way
Crystal GirodImage Credit: Beckman Coulter Life Sciences The COVID-19 pandemic raised urgent calls from health experts worldwide for governments to form a cohesive strategy to prepare for future pandemics—while also putting measures in place to prevent them. Towards that end, the World Health Organization is leading negotiations for a global pandemic preparedness treaty, and it’s set to […]
