Ebola virus and Marburg virus are single-stranded, enveloped and negative sense-RNA viruses belonging to the Filoviridae family, and they both cause deadly hemorrhagic fevers in humans and mammals.
Over-colonization and subsequent inflammation triggered by Cutibacterium acnes is the primary factor in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris, a prevalent skin condition among adolescents. Gyeongsang National University has discovered and characterized new antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as candidates for the treatment of acne vulgaris.
Ocugen Inc. has received IND clearance from the FDA for OCU-500, an inhaled mucosal vaccine for COVID-19. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) will sponsor and conduct a phase I trial of OCU-500 administered via inhalation into the lungs and intranasally as a spray.
Vaxxas Pty. Ltd. and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations are progressing heat-stable, dried-formulation mRNA vaccines using Vaxxas’ needle-free high-density microarray patch.
Roche AG secured U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance for its cobas liat sexually transmitted infection (STI) multiplex assay panels. The tests, which also received a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments waiver, will enable clinicians to detect several STIs including chlamydia, gonorrhea and Mycoplasma genitalium, in as little as 20 minutes.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is included in the World Health Organization’s Bacterial Priority Pathogen List 2024 because of its concerning ability to acquire and develop high levels of antimicrobial resistance. New-in-class antimicrobial options specifically targeting multidrug-resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa are lacking.
Shionogi & Co. Ltd. won a $375 million project agreement from the Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle to develop its 3CL protease inhibitor, S-892216, as a long-acting injectable for COVID-19 pre-exposure prophylaxis. The project was awarded to New Jersey-based Shionogi Inc., a subsidiary of the Osaka, Japan-based pharmaceutical company. S-892216 is an investigational second-generation 3CL protease inhibitor in development as a long-acting injectable for prophylaxis treatment of SARS-CoV-2.
While Moderna Inc. plans to cut its expenses by $1 billion in 2025, the company has received a little breathing room by a hefty U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grant. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority awarded Moderna roughly $590 million to support late-stage development of its mRNA-based avian-variant vaccines and to increase the number of clinical trials for another five additional subtypes of pre-pandemic influenza.
Just a few weeks later than expected, Inflammatix Inc. secured U.S. FDA clearance of the Triverity test system for use in emergency triage of patients with suspected acute infection or sepsis. The molecular blood test is the first to identify bacterial and viral infections and provide an all-cause risk evaluation of the likelihood of developing severe illness.