Infection

New murine models confirm reduced virulence of mpox clade IIb vs. clade IIa

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Monkeypox virus (MPXV), which causes mpox disease in humans, comprises two clades: the Central African clade I (with a case fatality rate of about 11%) and the West African clade II (with a case fatality rate of about 4%). The differences in virulence among MPXV clades in humans warrant further investigation; however, a critical gap is the lack of small-animal models for comparing IIa vs. IIb clades.

Schwartz picks up critical support on path to CDC confirmation

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0400

The nomination of Erica Schwartz as the next director of the U.S. CDC moved incrementally forward, gaining the support of a key Republican senator. Meanwhile, a delay in the scheduled committee vote July 23 to send her nomination to the Senate floor suggested she will need all the support she can get.

Abera seeks clinical trial clearance for AB-01.12

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Abera Bioscience AB has announced, together with clinical partner Radboud University Medical Center, the submission of a clinical trial application in the Netherlands to initiate a phase I trial of its serotype-independent pneumococcal vaccine candidate AB-01.12.

Intranasal vaccine platform induces immunity against influenza

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), naturally released by gram-negative bacteria, are promising platforms for mucosal vaccines due to their immunostimulatory properties and ability to display antigens. Abera Bioscience AB previously developed an OMV platform using genetically engineered bacteria with covalent antigen decoration via Spycatcher/Tag technology.

Developing an HIV vaccine, one small step at a time

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

The HIV vaccine field is increasingly focusing on inducing broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) that can recognize the virus’s genetic diversity. Recent experimental approaches include germline-targeting vaccines, sequential immunization strategies, mRNA-based immunogens, and nanoparticle platforms displaying engineered HIV envelope (Env) trimers. Several studies published in 2025 and 2026 how these designs guide antibody maturation in humans and generate broad neutralizing responses in nonhuman primates, although no HIV vaccine has yet demonstrated protective efficacy in large clinical trials.

HCMV inhibitor with distinct mechanism targeting the helicase-primase complex

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine completed the largest reported high-throughput screen of about 400,000 compounds searching for novel human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) inhibitors, and identified five structurally unique hits showing activity at sub-low micromolar concentrations.

New indole-based hybrids emerge as resistance-resilient antimalarial leads

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Indole-based compounds have been explored as antimalarial agents because they can disrupt the Plasmodium cell cycle. In a recent study, researchers from the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of São Carlos reported the evaluation of scaffolds selected from three classes of indole hybrids against Plasmodium falciparum.

New biomarker may improve RSV drug screening

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is responsible for 3.2 million hospital admissions and about 118,000 deaths in children under 5 years of age. The increased risk of RSV infection (and other infectious diseases) in young children is broadly attributed to their immature immune system. But researchers from University College London have published work suggesting that this is not the only reason.

New research identifies EBV antigen targets for MS therapies

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

New research has teased out specific aspects of how Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) sparks the immune response that leads on to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), opening the way to the rational design of vaccines and antivirals that address the root cause of the disease.

New research identifies EBV antigen targets for MS therapies

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:00:00 -0400

CDC nominee’s qualifications shadowed by Kennedy agenda

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0400

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy was the 800-pound gorilla that couldn’t be ignored as the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a joint confirmation hearing July 15 for President Donald Trump’s nominees for CDC director and the head of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.

Island Pharma targets Ebola species lacking approved treatments

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Island Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has secured government and ethics approvals to deploy its investigational antiviral galidesivir in patients infected during the escalating Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Africa, giving the small Australian biotech a rare opportunity to collect prospective human data in an active filovirus emergency.

First purpose-designed Ebola Bundibugyo vaccine ready for phase I

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0400

The Oxford Vaccine Group has delivered on its promise, and after starting work in mid-May has completed preclinical testing and is ready to begin a phase I trial of a vaccine against the Bundibugyo Ebola virus that is causing the current serious disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

CNRS and collaborators discover new Mycobacterium ATPase inhibitors

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Researchers from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Nanyang Technological University and the University of Montpellier have patented new Mycobacterium sp. ATP synthase (F0F1 ATPase) inhibitors potentially useful for the treatment of nontuberculous mycobacterial infections.

Preclinical data support Evaxion’s platform behind CMV vaccine candidate

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a clinical challenge in infants and immunocompromised individuals, since no licensed vaccine exists. Vaccine development is complex due to several factors, including viral latency, genomic complexity and immune evasion, among others. Evaxion A/S recently presented data on its proprietary AI-immunology platform used to create the EVX-V1 vaccine for CMV infection.

GHIT Fund buoys malaria, TB, neglected tropical disease research

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund is investing approximately ¥2.86 billion ($18 million) in six R&D projects for the development of drugs for malaria, tuberculosis (TB) and neglected tropical diseases.

Microbial ecology reshapes cancer care, diagnostics and therapies

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Cancer researchers are increasingly turning to the microbiome to understand why some patients respond well to treatment while others face severe complications. Gut microbial communities shift during intensive therapies such as bone marrow transplantation, and those changes influence infection risk, immune recovery and long‑term survival. New advances in microbial sequencing and engineering redefine this community as a measurable clinical parameter that can be monitored, modeled, and even therapeutically reshaped to improve outcomes in oncology and other conditions.

KM-10411 shows anti-HBV effects dependent on DUSP5

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Researchers from Chongqing Medical University have presented data regarding an antiviral compound, KM-10411, derived from a FUBP1 inhibitor (FUBP1-IN-1), as a potential approach to treat hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections.

COVID-19 injuries, posting of CRLs on HHS’ 2027 rulemaking agenda

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0400

What appears to be a routine item on a routine list of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) proposed rulemakings for the next fiscal year is being seen as anything but routine, given HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy’s stance on vaccines and several commonly used drugs.

Island Pharma targets Ebola species lacking approved treatments

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Recombinant vaccine inhibits HBV-associated HCC growth

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) are serious health problems in highly endemic areas. Investigators from the National Health Research Institutes have developed a protein-based recombinant vaccine, rHBx-rHBc149, for this unmet medical need.

Microbial ecology reshapes cancer care, diagnostics and therapies

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Oral antiviral IRBM-Z-2 targets Zika infection

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Researchers from IRBM SpA described the discovery and preclinical profile of IRBM-Z-2, a Zika virus NS2B-NS3 protease inhibitor.

In 2nd deal of week, Ipsen buys Memo’s kidney transplant antibody

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Ipsen SA announced its second acquisition of the week, saying it will pay €700 million (US$797 million) for Memo Therapeutics AG and its phase III-ready drug potravitug, a treatment for BK virus-associated infections and nephropathy in immune-compromised kidney transplant patients.

Telum Therapeutics advances antimicrobials with series A funding

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Telum Therapeutics SL has completed an €18 million (US$24 million) series A financing to advance its lead program targeting hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia caused by the multidrug-resistant gram-negative pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii.

Smartbax raises additional funds to advance antibiotic pipeline

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Smartbax GmbH has announced the successful second closing of its pre-series A financing round for a total of €6.3 million (US$7.2 million) as it advances development of next-generation antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Antibiotics spur protein transfer that boosts bacterial survival

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:00:00 -0400

It is known that bacterial cells exchange biological matter, but it is not clear whether bacteria can exchange functional proteins. In a recent paper published in Science on June 25, 2026, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and their collaborators investigated horizontal protein transfer between bacteria, specifically between protein-donor Escherichia coli and protein-receiving E. coli that could turn into persister cells and tolerate lethal antibiotic doses or a stressful environment.

Anti-HIV compounds reported in Boyuan Pharmaceutical patent

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Boyuan Pharmaceutical (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. has divulged new pyridone derivatives potentially useful for the treatment of HIV infection.

Jiangxi Kerui Pharmaceutical patents new fungal GWT1 inhibitors

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Jiangxi Kerui Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has disclosed new prodrugs of fungal GPI-anchored wall transfer protein 1 (GWT1) inhibitors potentially useful for the treatment of fungal infections.

Uncertainty reigns as ACIP remains on court hold

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:00:00 -0400

For the second time this year, the U.S. CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) canceled a scheduled meeting due to a federal judge’s stay that keeps the panel from meeting with its current membership. Typically, ACIP meets three times a year – in February, June and October. The 2026 June meeting was slated for June 23-25. Whether the adcom meets in October will be up to the courts and how far Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy digs in his heels to maintain a hand-picked committee tilted toward his view of vaccines.