Research Roundup: Malaria discovery, Wastewater sampling studies, Child-friendly schistosomiasis treatment rollout
Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC)
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TOP NEWS IN R&D
NewsMedical (3/6)?
A research team at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has discovered a key process that could provide new insight into designing more effective antimalarial drugs, as rising antimicrobial resistance complicates the ongoing global fight against malaria by rendering current drugs less effective. One promising strategy to combat poor absorption or retention of drugs in the body is the use of prodrugs that can offer a more targeted attack. However, these prodrugs need to be activated, typically by an enzyme. By identifying the primary enzyme that activates multiple antimalarial drugs, these new findings could enable the development of prodrugs for malaria, which, by design, would also be less likely to lead to the emergence of drug resistance.?
The Guardian (3/5)?
New research shows that wastewater sampling, including in sewer systems and on airplanes, could predict new viral and bacterial outbreaks and the emergence of new variants of pathogens weeks or even months before they become widespread, in addition to being less invasive, more efficient, and faster than current methods. A new study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrates how it was able to use wastewater sampling to detect the presence of avian flu in 2022 weeks before the virus was detected in poultry and then wild bird populations. Widespread and regular wastewater sampling would enable public health authorities to better surveil population and community health and, on a more micro level, help health care providers provide more accurate diagnoses and care for patients.??
First preschool-aged child treated with our new pediatric treatment for schistosomiasis? Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium article (3/4)?
Last week, the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium announced the first administration of its new pediatric schistosomiasis treatment to a preschool-aged child in Uganda, marking a critical step toward closing the long-standing treatment gap for young children for this parasitic disease, which affects millions of children in sub-Saharan Africa. The innovative therapy, designed specifically for children between three months and six years, is also child-friendly, palatable, and heat-stable, making it especially well-suited for this population and region. The rollout is part of a program aimed at integrating the treatment into health care systems and preparing for its broader rollout across the region, starting with C?te d’Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania, and Senegal.?
NEWS FROM GHTC
CIDRAP (3/6), features IAVI
GHTC's?Breakthroughs Blog (3/5)
American Society for Microbiology article (3/4)
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK
CBS News?(3/10)
USA Today?(3/6)
MedicalXpress?(3/6)
NewsMedical?(3/6)
NewsMedical?(3/4)
Fierce Biotech?(3/4)
NewsMedical?(3/4)
CIDRAP?(3/3)
360Dx?(3/3)
360Dx?(3/3)
AVIAN FLU R&D ROUNDUP
Fierce Biotech?(3/7)
STAT?(3/4)
MPOX R&D ROUNDUP
CIDRAP?(3/6)
The Telegraph?(3/3)
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