FDA Requests Additional Trial of Novavax NVX-CoV2601 Vaccine Prior to Approval
Robert Walker, MD (Credit: Novavax) The FDA has requested that Novavax complete an additional clinical trial for its COVID-19 vaccine, NVX-CoV2601, which it is seeking full approval for after it was granted an emergency use authorization in 2022.1 This news comes just days after the company received communication from the FDA asking for a postmarketing […]
Targeting Apicoplast in All Stages of Malaria Parasite May Prevent Infection Across Hosts
A recent breakthrough from the Indiana University School of Medicine offers new hope for fast-acting antimalarial treatments that could target the malaria parasite across multiple life stages. Led by Sabrina Absalon, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology, the research uncovers a key structural feature in the Plasmodium parasite’s apicoplast, an organelle crucial for parasite […]
Persistent Barriers and Emerging Threats in Malaria Control
For World Malaria Day, we spoke with Andrew Lover, PhD, MPH, MS, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and deputy director of the CDC-sponsored New England Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease. Reflecting on his fieldwork in countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar, Lover described some of the most […]
Decoding Malaria Parasites to Aid in Potential Treatments and Vaccines
Malaria mostly spreads to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Blood transfusion and contaminated needles can also transmit malaria.1 There are 5 Plasmodium parasite species that cause malaria in humans and 2 of these species, P falciparum and P vivax, pose the greatest threat. P falciparum is the most prevalent on the African continent. P vivax is the dominant malaria parasite in […]
Targeting PfAnchor Halts Malaria Parasite Growth in One Cycle
Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have identified a protein that plays a critical role in the survival of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes the most lethal form of malaria. The protein, called PfAnchor, is required to divide and inherit the apicoplast, a unique organelle necessary for the parasite’s replication during the blood […]
CIDRAP Launches its Vaccine Integrity Project
Today, CIDRAP announced it is launching its Vaccine Integrity Project, which is an initiative that is designed to safeguard vaccine use in the US. It has a steering committee that will engage professionals across the country’s immunization landscape to gather feedback on how non-governmental entities may be able to help protect vaccine policy, information, and utilization. […]
New Transgenic Rhesus Macaque Model Paves Way for HBV Therapy Development
Ben Burwitz, PhD Image credits: LinkedIn Scientists have created the first transgenic nonhuman primate model susceptible to hepatitis B virus (HBV), potentially enabling preclinical testing of curative therapies. The study used PiggyBac transposon technology to insert a liver-specific human sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (hNTCP) expression cassette into rhesus macaque embryos. Two macaque offspring were born from […]
HCV Combination Therapy Meets Phase 2 Endpoints, Will Present Data at Conference
Image Credit: Atea Pharmaceuticals Atea Pharmaceuticals is going to provide its full phase 2 data, which will show it met its primary endpoints at the upcoming EASL Congress in May. It will present the data in a poster titled, Efficacy and Safety of Bemnifosbuvir and Ruzasvir after 8 Weeks of Treatment in Patients with Chronic […]
Mathematical Model Highlights Challenges in Combating Hepatitis B in Nigeria
Hepatitis B blood test. Image credits: Unplash A study published in Scientific Reports has developed a mathematical model of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission using integer and fractional calculus to assess the effects of vaccination with imperfect efficacy. The model, calibrated with real case data from Nigeria, reveals the basic reproduction number R₀ > 1, […]
Shionogi’s Antibiotic for Use in Adults with Certain Gram-negative Bacterial Infections
Sponsored by Shionogi Inc. Disclaimers Real-world evidence is intended to complement data from randomized clinical trials. Observational retrospective analyses are not intended for direct comparison with clinical trials. In vitro activity does not necessarily correlate with clinical efficacy. Introduction At the IDWeek 2024 annual meeting, several posters and an oral presentation highlighted studies that explored […]
