Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) has launched a call for new chemical compounds to screen against malaria through its MMV open innovation (MMVoi) initiative. Submissions from both industry and academia allow for compounds that have already been synthesized but not yet tested against malaria to be identified.

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.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the University of Oxford have entered into a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of safe, effective and globally accessible vaccines against ‘disease X,’ the threat of unknown pathogens with the potential to cause pandemics.

Cryptosporidiosis is a parasitic infection caused by Cryptosporidium where infected individuals develop profuse watery diarrhea and enteric symptoms such as abdominal pain. In immunocompromised or malnourished children, the infection may become chronic and lead to significant morbidity and mortality rates.

Viral proteases are well-established therapeutic targets in HIV and hepatitis C virus infections. Following the recent COVID-19 pandemic, one of the strategies in place is SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) inhibition, given the crucial role of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in the replication of the virus.

Imunon Inc. has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for the evaluation of the immunogenicity and efficacy of two Imunon DNA-based Lassa virus vaccine candidates. Under the 3-year agreement, the NIAID will assess the efficacy of Placcine DNA constructs against Lassa virus in guinea pig and non-human primate disease models, including both prime and prime-boost vaccine strategies.

Research led by investigators at Ghent University in Belgium showed dysregulation of the complement part of the immune system, regulated by the pro-inflammatory protein interleukin (IL)-6, is a key driver of severe COVID-19 and a good target for drugs to treat the effects of the disease. Writing in the Aug. 23, 2023, issue of Science Translational Medicine, the researchers also described a cellular map of the alterations seen in the complement system during COVID-19 related respiratory deterioration for use in future research.

Exavir Therapeutics Inc. has received a US$3 million award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a division of the National Institutes of Health, to support the development of XVIR-110.