Investigational cUTI Antibiotic Meets Endpoint, Phase 3 Study Stopped Early
Today, Spero Therapeutics and GSK announced their PIVOT-PO phase 3 study was stopped early for efficacy following review by an independent data monitoring committee (IDMC) that completed a pre-specified interim analysis of participants enrolled in the trial. The trial met the primary endpoint of non-inferiority of oral tebipenem HBr compared to intravenous imipenem-cilastatin in hospitalized […]
Some Regions of World Seeing Large Increases of COVID-19 Incidence Rates
The WHO reports global COVID-19 activity has been increasing, with the test positivity rate reaching 11%. These levels are being seen primarily in the Western Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Mediterranean regions. These levels have not been observed since July 2024—when it was 12%—and marks a rise from 2% reported by 110 countries back in […]
Bridging Psychiatry and Infectious Disease
A growing body of evidence is highlighting the role of microbial infections in the development and progression of various mental illnesses, according to a comprehensive review published in Healthcare by Bransfield and colleagues. The review identifies a range of pathogens, including Borrelia burgdorferi, Toxoplasma gondii, Bartonella species, Group A Streptococcus, Epstein–Barr virus, and SARS-CoV-2, as […]
Zika virus uses cells’ ‘self-care’ system to turn against host
A new study reveals the biological secret to the Zika virus’s infectious success: Zika uses host cells’ own “self-care” system of clearing away useless molecules to suppress the host proteins that the virus has employed to get into those cells in the first place. While these cell surface proteins are valuable for viral entry, they […]
Vaxart Launches Dosing in Expanded 10,000-Participant Phase 2b Trial for Oral COVID-19 Vaccine
Vaxart, Inc has initiated dosing in the 10,000-participant segment of its ongoing Phase 2b trial evaluating an oral COVID-19 vaccine candidate. This randomized, double-blind, multi-center study compares the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of Vaxart’s oral vaccine to an approved mRNA vaccine in adults previously vaccinated against COVID-19. The expansion follows a positive 30-day safety review […]
CDC Pulls COVID-19 Vaccine From Immunization Schedule for Pregnant Women, Healthy Children
Today, in a social media post, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed the previous recommendations that both healthy children and pregnant women get vaccinated for COVID-19 has been rescinded. “I couldn’t be more pleased to announce that, as of today, the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant […]
The Overlooked Impact of Infection
For half a century, psychiatrist Robert C Bransfield, MD, has practiced psychiatry in New Jersey, dedicating his career to one of the field’s most challenging areas: treatment-resistant psychiatric illness. Over time, his curiosity and clinical observation led him to a striking and often underrecognized contributor to mental illness, infectious disease. “In doing that,” says Bransfield, […]
FDA Approves an Expanded Indication for Meningococcal Vaccine For Youngest Pediatric Population
In a move that links the quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine (MenQuadfi, Sanofi) throughout people’s lifetimes, the FDA has approved the expanded indication for the immunization for children aged 6 weeks to 23 months. The vaccine had previously been approved for people aged 2 years and older. MenQuadfi becomes the only MenACWY vaccine that can help protect […]
Company Receives NIH Grant For Novel Investigational Antibiotic to Combat ‘Super Gonorrhea’
Image credit: Yassine Khalfalli, Unsplash This morning, TAXIS Pharmaceuticals announced it has received a $2.9 million grant, to be awarded over 3 years, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), one of the institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This grant will allow the company to further advance research and development […]
Gene Duplication is Mechanism for Antifungal Resistance in Madurella fahalii-Caused Mycetoma
Models of the proteins produced by Madurella fahalii: CYP51A (A and C) and CYP51A2 (B and D). In each panel, itraconazole and heme are illustrated in a stick representation in the upper and lower parts, respectively. (A) and (B) represent the overall structure of CYP51 proteins. In (C) and (D), the active centers of (A) […]
