A tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate that has shown modest efficacy rates received a $550 million boost from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and Wellcome Trust, which announced on Tuesday that they will cover its Phase 3 clinical trials. The candidate vaccine, M72, showed modest 54% efficacy in preventing the development of symptomatic TB […] Continue reading ->
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) announced sublicensing agreements with seven manufacturers to produce and distribute generic versions of Japanese pharmaceutical company Shinogi’s COVID-19 antiviral treatment in 117 low- and middle-income countries.  Ensitrelvir is an oral antiviral currently only approved in Japan under the country’s emergency regulatory approval system. The drug is being evaluated under a […] Continue reading ->
Peru is experiencing its worst-ever outbreak of dengue fever, with over 172,000 cases by Monday, according to the country’s health department. Of these, over 92,000 are confirmed while almost 80,000 are suspected cases, with countrywide floods and increasing temperatures driving the outbreak. The country has declared a health emergency in 222 districts. The north-western provinces […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published its first global research agenda to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that outlines 40 research priorities. An estimated 4.95 million deaths were associated with bacterial AMR in 2019. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines making infections harder […] Continue reading ->
After almost 20 years of negotiations, the United Nations has adopted a legally binding treaty to protect the marine biodiversity of sea outside national borders known as the high seas, which cover two-thirds of the world’s oceans. The High Seas Treaty was adopted by consensus at the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond […] Continue reading ->
Eight social media influencers were selected earlier this week as winners of the UniteHealth Social Media Awards, showcasing individuals and organisations who used social media to strengthen collective understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and evidence-based responses. The winners represent eight countries – nominees were recommended from more than 60 countries – and cover six categories […] Continue reading ->