Human adenovirus may cause severe infections in both immunosuppressed and immunocompetent individuals and there is no specific approved therapy for it to date. The incidence may be about 50%-60% in immunocompromised subjects, with mortality rates around 80% in patients with disseminated infections.
Moderna Inc. once again emerged the winner in a court skirmish over claims that its COVID-19 vaccine infringed two Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. patents. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a precedential opinion May 4, agreeing with a federal district court in Delaware that Moderna didn’t infringe the patents. For both courts, the decision was based on a single issue of claim construction.
Scientists at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences have synthesized nonstructural protein 14 (NSP14) (coronavirus) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of coronavirus acute respiratory syndrome.
A peptide with a dual mechanism of action – it dissolves the bacterial membrane and activates the immune system – could be an effective weapon against microorganisms that have evolved ways to evade antibiotics, as superbugs do. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) have designed stable synthetic peptides that activate mast cell receptors, which are cells involved in the innate and adaptive immune response. This dual approach eliminates bacteria and recruits neutrophils to finish the job.
The funding boost Moderna Inc. had expected via a roughly $590 million Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority award now looks to be off the table. The company disclosed May 28 that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it will terminate the award for late-stage development and right to purchase pre-pandemic influenza vaccines.
The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research and Kyoto University have synthesized isoindoline compounds reported to be useful for the treatment of viral infections.
GSK plc knew a good thing when it swooped in nearly three years ago to rescue Spero Therapeutics Inc.’s oral antibiotic from a complete response letter (CRL). New pivotal phase III study data showed tebipenem pivoxil hydrobromide (HBr) for complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including pyelonephritis, hit its primary endpoint.
Rhinovirus (RV) infection is among the most common respiratory infections causing exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. The high antigenic diversity of RV is a barrier to the development of effective cross-protective vaccines for RV infection.
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a fatal demyelinating disease of the central nervous system caused by lytic infection of oligodendrocytes by pathogenic strains of the JC polyomavirus (JCV). This opportunistic virus has long persisted as a serious threat during periods of immunosuppression, and currently, there is no effective antiviral treatment available.
Infectious disease stocks stumbled in the early months of 2025, with the BioWorld Infectious Disease Index (BIDI) plunging 17.83% by the end of April, well behind the broader markets. By comparison, the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index slipped just 1.16%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 4.41%. In 2024, the BIDI ended the year down 6.28%, after hitting a low of -25.12% in late April.
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