Brii Biosciences Ltd.’s therapeutic vaccine for hepatitis B (HBV), BRII-179 (VBI-2601), induced functional immune responses – inducing broad antibody and T-cell responses – in patients with chronic HBV in a phase II trial that evaluated the vaccine in combination with pegylated interferon-alfa, according to interim results.
Conjugated oligoelectrolytes (COEs) have recently emerged as potential broad-spectrum antibiotics with promising selectivity that is irrespective of metabolic state, including dormant and biofilm-associated bacteria. Researchers from National University of Singapore, University of California Santa Barbara, and Walter Reed Army Institute of Research have sought to identify novel cationic antimicrobial COE candidates.
Wall Street’s hoped-for phase III derisking event from Insmed Inc. materialized, and shares of the firm (NASDAQ:INSM) closed Sept. 5 at $26.37, up $3.73, or 16.5%, on positive top-line results from the study called Arise with inhaled Arikayce (amikacin) in patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infection by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) who had not started antibiotics. “We crushed it” on culture conversion with Arikayce, CEO William Lewis said. “We could not be happier about the results of this study. It exceeded all of our expectations on every front.”
Blood cancer drug venetoclax could potentially be used to deplete HIV latently infected cells and delay viral rebound, leading to a potential cure for HIV, according to a study from researchers in Australia who tested the drug in humanized mice models.
Messenger RNA, or mRNA, represents a relatively new class of therapeutics with the potential to prevent and treat a wide range of diseases. A well-known success story is of the mRNA vaccines that controlled the COVID-19 pandemic, which has fueled enthusiasm for the field. But biotechs are also developing mRNA candidates for several other infectious diseases, including malaria, tuberculosis and HIV, as well for cancer, autoimmune and allergic diseases. However, delivering nucleic acid therapeutics can be challenging, since mRNA cannot get into cells on its own.
Intron Biotechnology Inc. has entered into an official contract with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) to develop bacteriophages for combating uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) infections. DEVCOM, a subcommand of the U.S. Army Futures Command, has been working on a project to develop products that address the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among soldiers exposed to austere environments, such as when deployed or undergoing training.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) have announced a renewed collaboration to accelerate the development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.
Gilead Sciences Inc. and Novartis AG have jointly reported pyrazolopyridinone compounds potentially useful for the treatment of herpes virus infections.
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