Linksbridge Pharma: this week's highlights
Ebola Sudan vaccine trial a ‘critical achievement’
The first clinical efficacy trial for an Ebola Sudan vaccine has launched in Uganda just four days after an outbreak was declared, according to a Monday WHO press release touting the randomized trial’s “unprecedented speed.”
The ring vaccination study will evaluate a single dose of IAVI’s recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)-vectored jab at Makerere University. Candidate treatments—including Gilead’s remdesivir and an unspecified monoclonal antibody—will also be evaluated as part of the outbreak response efforts, per a separate WHO statement.
‘The clock is ticking’: IPPS 100 Days Mission report
Despite early pipeline progress and national “bright spots”—including Rwanda’s rapid containment of a Marburg virus outbreak last year—the world remains “insufficiently prepared” for another global pandemic. That’s according to the International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat (IPPS), which last week announced the release of its fourth report on the 100 Days Mission for pandemic readiness.
Bavarian Nordic chikungunya vaccine wins CHMP nod
Moving one step closer to approval in Europe, Bavarian Nordic’s chikungunya vaccine has won a positive opinion from the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use.
The Danish company announced last week that the virus-like-particle-based candidate—to be marketed as Vimkunya—was recommended for approval for people ages 12 and older. The recommendation was based primarily on results from Phase 3 trials showing that the jab induced neutralizing antibodies in up to 98% of participants, per the press release.
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G-FINDER: Neglected disease R&D funding holds steady
Australian think tank Impact Global Health—formerly Policy Cures Research—released its seventeenth annual G-FINDER report on Tuesday, which revealed that global funding for neglected disease R&D “remained stable” at $4.2 billion in 2023, following a $350 million inflation-driven drop in 2022.
Shionogi RSV antiviral succeeds in Phase 2
Shionogi’s oral RSV antiviral drug reduced viral load by 89% in a Phase 2 human challenge study in adults, the Osaka-based drugmaker announced last week.
The candidate (S-337395) also generated a significant improvement in clinical symptom scores, the press release said. Late last year, the treatment received U.S. FDA Fast Track designation.
Additional stories from our February 5 issue:
Each week, our team covers industry and R&D developments important to global health. From early-stage vaccines to multistakeholder initiatives supporting market health, we tell you what’s happening and why it matters. To access full coverage, sign up today.