Research Roundup: New TB drug trial, No-needle vaccine funding, Common antibiotic effective for TB
Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC)
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TOP NEWS IN R&D
TB Alliance launches five-country phase 2 clinical trial evaluating next-generation TB drug TB Alliance press release (11/16)
TB Alliance has launched a new pan-phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of replacing bedaquiline with a new experimental compound, TBAJ-876, in the organization’s three-drug BPaL regimen. The new regimen, composed of novel compounds with minimal pre-existing resistance, could provide a method to treat all patients with active tuberculosis (TB), including drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB, with a universal treatment that is shorter, simpler, and more people-friendly than current regimens. Results from the preclinical and phase 2 studies showed that TBAJ-876, compared to bedaquiline, eliminated TB bacteria faster and was potentially safer. The study aims to enroll 300 participants with drug-sensitive TB at 21 trial sites in Georgia, the Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.
No more needles? Gates Foundation funds patch-style vaccine technology Reuters (11/16), features the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Last week, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $23.6 million grant to US-based life science company Micron Biomedical to fund the first-ever mass production of needle-free vaccine technology. The technology, which uses dissolvable microneedles attached to the skin via a patch-like device, has the potential to boost the uptake of a variety of injectables, particularly in low-income countries, because it is simpler to transport and easier to administer. Specifically, the funding will support the development of a manufacturing facility that can make around 10 million doses annually for large clinical trials and hopefully wider use, subject to approval from regulatory authorities.
A phase 3 clinical trial in South Africa found that a widely available oral antibiotic, levofloxacin, was safe and substantially reduced the risk of children and adults developing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The trial is the first high-quality study to look at a preventive treatment for MDR-TB in children—there are currently no preventive MDR-TB treatments for adults or children. The researchers hope the new results will lead to updated guidelines from the World Health Organization that will lead to the rapid scale-up of levofloxacin because the drug is already widely available and relatively affordable, with child-friendly formulations already available through procurement agencies.
NEWS FROM GHTC
High cure rate with drug-resistant TB regimen: Results of operational research in Central and Southeast Asia TB Alliance press release (11/15)
Collaboration to improve the quality of in vivo antibiotics testing Bioengineer.org?(11/14), features the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator
GARDP innovating global antimicrobial research FEBS Network?(11/14), features the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative and the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP)
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK
How ingredients in everyday soap could help fight malaria Popular Science?(11/17)
AI a ‘potent remedy’ for Africa’s health challenges SciDevNet?(11/16)
Opinion: Africa’s contribution to global health security Global Health NOW?(11/15)
Georgetown Global Health Center launches first open-access wildlife disease database Georgetown University School of Medicine news release (11/15)
House approves ban on gain-of-function pathogen research Science?(11/15)
In-depth: How do long-acting HIV treatments work? Spotlight?(11/14)
领英推荐
Research shows maternal dengue immunity worsens birth defects caused by Zika virus MedicalXpress?(11/13)
COVID-19 R&D ROUNDUP
Daiichi Sankyo signs pact to supply 1.4M mRNA COVID vaccine doses in Japan Fierce Pharma?(11/17)
Capturing COVID: Biopharma through the lens during the pandemic Fierce Pharma?(11/13)
UPCOMING EVENTS
November 21-24 Africa Health R&D Week 2023 Virtual
November 22 CPHIA side event on event-based surveillance Virtual
November 27 CPHIA side event on malaria Lusaka, Zambia
November 27 African mRNA technology transfer hub event Virtual
November 28 Diagnostics dinner Lusaka, Zambia
November 28 Spotlight on New PrEP Tools and Data: From R&D to access Virtual
November 29 CPHIA side event on neglected diseases Lusaka, Zambia
December 5-7 13th International Conference on Typhoid & Other Invasive Salmonelloses Kigali, Rwanda
December 7 GARDP's new strategy to counter AMR Virtual
February 6-7 Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Conference Virtual
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