WHO

Parrot fever cases amid a ‘mysterious’ pneumonia outbreak in Argentina – what you need to know about psittacosis

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 23, 2024

This is how the yet-to-be-named disease COVID-19 was first described when a cluster of cases was identified in Wuhan, China.

Key Points: 
  • This is how the yet-to-be-named disease COVID-19 was first described when a cluster of cases was identified in Wuhan, China.
  • This term is being used again to describe a cluster of “atypical” pneumonia cases in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • Some cases of psittacosis, also known as “parrot fever”, have been confirmed within this cluster.
  • Psittacosis, or parrot fever, is caused by bacteria called Chlamydia psittaci, and is a common infection in birds.
  • A 2017 systematic review concluded that around 1% of pneumonia cases not acquired in a hospital may be the result of psittacosis.
  • There are often local respiratory infectious disease outbreaks, potentially causing severe pneumonia, and these do not spread more widely or internationally.
  • At the time of writing this article, there is very little information available about the Argentina outbreak.
  • There has been no statement from the public health authorities in Argentina, nor the WHO Pan America Health Organisation.
  • Among the key pieces of information we really would need to know is the likelihood of human-to-human transmission.


Michael Head has previously received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Department for International Development, and currently receives funding from the UK Medical Research Foundation.

Two new malaria vaccines are being rolled out across Africa: how they work and what they promise

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Malaria incidents are on the rise. There were 249 million cases of this parasitic disease in 2022, five million more than in 2021. Africa suffers more than any other region from malaria, with 94% of cases and 95% of deaths worldwide. This year two revolutionary malaria vaccines are being rolled out across the continent. Nadine Dreyer asks Jaishree Raman if 2024 will be the year the continent takes a significant leap towards beating the disease.The RTS,S malaria vaccineThe long-awaited vaccine was described as a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control.

Key Points: 


Malaria incidents are on the rise. There were 249 million cases of this parasitic disease in 2022, five million more than in 2021. Africa suffers more than any other region from malaria, with 94% of cases and 95% of deaths worldwide. This year two revolutionary malaria vaccines are being rolled out across the continent. Nadine Dreyer asks Jaishree Raman if 2024 will be the year the continent takes a significant leap towards beating the disease.

The RTS,S malaria vaccine

  • The long-awaited vaccine was described as a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control.
  • It is being aimed at children under the age of 5, who make up about 80% of all malaria deaths in Africa.
  • Among children aged 5 and 17 months who received 4 doses of RTS,S, the vaccine prevented about 30% of them from developing severe malaria.
  • Since 2019 more than 2 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have been vaccinated with the RTS,S malaria vaccine.

R21/Matrix M

  • The R21 vaccine is a significant improvement on the RTS,S vaccine, with 75% efficacy over a year.
  • The R21/Matrix M vaccine is very cost-effective, projected to retail at $2-$4 a dose, comparable in price to other childhood vaccines used in Africa.
  • These very encouraging findings prompted several malaria-endemic African countries, including Ghana and Nigeria, to approve use of the R21/Matrix M vaccine well before the World Health Organization.
  • The WHO finally approved and prequalified R21/Matrix M for use in the last quarter of 2023.

No silver bullet

  • While the fight against malaria has been significantly bolstered by the availability of these vaccines, they are not the silver bullets that are going to get us to an Africa free of malaria.
  • This will be the year that many vulnerable young African children will have access to not one, but two malaria vaccines.


Jaishree Raman receives funding from the Global Fund, the Gates Foundation, the South Africa Research Trust, the South African Medical Research Council, the National Research Foundation, and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. She is affiliated with the Wits Research Institute for Malaria, University of Witwatersrand, and the Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, the University of Pretoria.

Press release - Discharge: MEPs sign off EU budget for 2022

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024

The European Parliament on Thursday granted discharge to the Commission, all decentralised agencies and the development funds.Committee on Budgetary Control Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Key Points: 


The European Parliament on Thursday granted discharge to the Commission, all decentralised agencies and the development funds.Committee on Budgetary Control Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

EMA/FVE info session on restrictions for the use of certain antimicrobials in animals, Online, European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 23 May 2024, 15:00 (CEST) to 23 May 2024, 16:00 (CEST)

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024

During this session, participants will have the opportunity to engage with experts who contributed to the development of the available guidance.

Key Points: 
  • During this session, participants will have the opportunity to engage with experts who contributed to the development of the available guidance.
  • Registration
    Please register for the webinar using the below online form:
    EMA/FVE info session on restrictions for the use of certain antimicrobials in animals
    Please note this event will be recorded and published on the EMA website.
  • By registering for this event, you are consenting to EMA to process your personal data in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.
  • EMA's data protection notice below explains how personal data is processed by the Agency and via the tool Webex:

Draft template for assessment report for the development of European herbal monographs and European Union list entries - Revision 6

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024

The completed comments form should be sent to

Key Points: 
    • The completed comments form should be sent to
      [email protected]
      10
      11
      Keywords

      Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products; HMPC; European Union herbal
      monographs; European Union list of herbal substances, preparations and
      combinations thereof for use in traditional herbal medicinal products; herbal
      medicinal products; traditional herbal medicinal products; traditional use;
      well-established medicinal use; benefit-risk assessment; assessment report

      12

      1
      2

      Changes introduced in section 6 Overall conclusions.

    • Peer-reviewer

      If not the same peer-reviewer
      since last version, all peerreviewers should be listed, and
      the version specified in
      brackets.

    • 22

      23


      on
      .

    • It is a working

      24

      document, not yet edited, and shall be further developed after the release for consultation of the

      25


      .

    • The principle of the template is to make clear
      distinctions between presentation of data (methodology and results)
      and the assessment of the data (?assessor?s comment?).
    • likely from an article but it seems it is concluded by
      the rapporteur; ?According to the author? to be added.
    • Chapters with
      a heading including the word ?conclusion? should include a summary
      of all critical assessment of the assessor for that particular
      chapter.
    • If an assessor?s comment is not needed, the Rapporteur
      should delete the box inserted in the template.
    • ?
      The report should be sufficiently detailed to allow for secondary
      assessment of the available data by other HMPC experts.
    • Overview of available pharmacokinetic data regarding the herbal substance(s), herbal
      preparation(s) and relevant constituents thereof ........................................................... 16

      97
      98

      3.3.

    • Overall conclusions on clinical pharmacology and efficacy ........................................ 27

      Assessment report on
      EMA/HMPC/418902/2005

      Page 4/41

      119

      5.

    • This sections is related to
      available quality standards and there is no need to repeat information
      on all preparations included in the monograph.
    • Search and assessment methodology

      161

      The Rapporteur shall undertake a comprehensive search of relevant
      scientific literature and articles, Acts of law and regulations and
      other relevant sources.

    • Cross-reference to the list of
      references in Annex, which should list separately the references
      supporting the assessment report.
    • 143
      144
      145

      150
      151
      152
      153
      154

      162
      163
      164
      165
      166
      167
      168
      169
      170
      171
      172
      173
      174
      175

      Herbal substance(s)

      Herbal preparation(s)

      Relevant constituents for this assessment report

      Examples of scientific databases to be searched are Medline, PubMed,
      Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE etc.

    • Assessment report on
      EMA/HMPC/418902/2005

      Page 6/41

      176
      177
      178
      179
      180
      181
      182
      183
      184
      185
      186
      187
      188
      189
      190
      191
      192

      Additional relevant references could also be retrieved from the checked
      references.

    • Examples of books are Hagers Handbuch, The Complete German
      Commission E Monographs, PDR for herbal medicines etc.
    • In addition, information from non-EU regulatory
      authorities for examples Health Canada monographs or WHO monographs
      could be searched, if relevant to herbal substances and preparations in
      EU.
    • 221

      225
      226
      227

      232

      When the assessment report is revised, the rapporteur should briefly
      summarise the main changes under this section.

    • Data are collected using the template entitled ?Document
      for information exchange for the preparation of the assessment report
      for the development of European Union monographs and for inclusion of
      herbal substance(s), preparation(s) or combinations thereof in the
      list? (EMEA/HMPC/137093/2006).
    • Assessment report on
      EMA/HMPC/418902/2005

      Page 8/41

      Herbal substance/

      Indication

      Posology and
      method of

      preparation

      administration

      Posology, age
      groups,
      pharmaceutical
      form, method of
      administration,
      duration of use
      As reported in
      the market
      overview

      As reported in
      the market
      overview

      As reported in
      the market
      overview.

    • Assessment report on
      EMA/HMPC/418902/2005

      Page 10/41

      Herbal substance/

      Indication/Medicinal

      Posology and

      preparation

      use

      method of
      administration

      Posology, age
      groups,
      pharmaceutical
      form, method of
      administration,
      duration of use

      Regulatory Status

      Type of
      regulatory
      status where
      possible, date,
      Country

      287

      This overview is not exhaustive.

    • Clinical Safety/Pharmacovigilance

      836
      837
      838
      839
      840
      841

      See ?Assessment of clinical safety and efficacy in the preparation of
      EU herbal monographs for well-established and traditional herbal
      medicinal products?(EMA/HMPC/104613/2005) for further details.

    • Overall conclusions on clinical safety

      1067

      1068

      In terms of structure, the conclusion should follow the presentation of
      the results above.

    • Overall conclusions

      1092

      1093

      1101

      Describe key aspects only briefly, these will already have been
      described in detail in the respective sections.

    • This section should
      cover all recommended ?well-established use? and ?traditional use?
      indications and conclusions shall be provided for each therapeutic
      indication and each herbal preparation.
    • 1102

      Well established use monograph

      1103
      1104

      The clinical studies supporting well-established use should be
      specified for each therapeutic indication and each herbal preparation.

    • The choice for the wording of traditional use indications vis-?vis existing wordings in monographs in the same therapeutic area should
      be briefly discussed/justified.
    • 1153

      List entry

      1154

      The conclusions should include a statement pointing to the
      possibility/non-possibility to support a European Union list entry.

LSU Researchers' Nootkatone Studies Could Lead to Prevention of Lyme Disease

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 9, 2024

The LSU researchers propose decreasing the cost of the nootkatone synthesis, making any products made with the compound affordable to the general public.

Key Points: 
  • The LSU researchers propose decreasing the cost of the nootkatone synthesis, making any products made with the compound affordable to the general public.
  • “The family of compounds that make up nootkatone is already proven to be both safer and more effective than existing commercial repellents,” principal investigator Dooley said.
  • Years ago, Laine discovered the efficacy of nootkatone as an insect repellent while collaborating with retired LSU AgCenter Entomologist Gregg Henderson in Laine’s lab.
  • Mosquito nets could be covered with it, or they could have cloth ankle bands with nootkatone so ticks can’t crawl up your leg.

Psyence Biomed Partners with Fluence and iNGENū CRO to Train Research Therapists for Phase IIb Psilocybin Trial

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 8, 2024

NEW YORK, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Psyence Biomedical Ltd (Nasdaq:PBM) (“Psyence Biomed” or the “Company”) today announced that its Australian subsidiary, Psyence Australia Pty Ltd. (“Psyence Australia”), has entered into a partnership with Fluence , a global leader in professional education and training for psychedelic therapy research, and iNGENū CRO Pty Ltd (“iNGENū”), an Australian clinical research organization (CRO), to support an upcoming Phase llb clinical trial.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Psyence Biomedical Ltd (Nasdaq:PBM) (“Psyence Biomed” or the “Company”) today announced that its Australian subsidiary, Psyence Australia Pty Ltd. (“Psyence Australia”), has entered into a partnership with Fluence , a global leader in professional education and training for psychedelic therapy research, and iNGENū CRO Pty Ltd (“iNGENū”), an Australian clinical research organization (CRO), to support an upcoming Phase llb clinical trial.
  • According to Lancet Oncology, Adjustment Disorder affects as many as 19% of patients following a life-limiting cancer diagnosis.
  • “The success of the clinical trial relies on rigorous, standardized therapist training designed to achieve the highest standard of patient care,” said Elizabeth Nielson, PhD, Fluence co-founder.
  • Psyence Biomed anticipates enrolling the first subject in the second quarter of 2024 and expects the primary endpoint results to be available in 2025.

Inhibikase Therapeutics Announces Pre-IND Meeting with the FDA for IkT-001Pro in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2024

The meeting will be held on April 5, 2024, with meeting results to be reported following receipt of the formal meeting minutes.

Key Points: 
  • The meeting will be held on April 5, 2024, with meeting results to be reported following receipt of the formal meeting minutes.
  • “Following our pre-NDA discussion with the FDA related to the path to approval for IkT-001Pro in up to 11 blood and stomach cancers in January, we requested an additional FDA meeting with the Division of Cardiology and Nephrology to discuss Pro as a treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension,” said Dr. Milton Werner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Inhibikase.
  • “PAH is a rare condition that primarily afflicts women between the ages of 30 and 60 and can lead to premature heart failure and death.
  • We believe that Pro may be a be a safer and better tolerated therapeutic option for imatinib treatment in PAH.

Healis Therapeutics announces collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and affiliates of Harvard Medical School to advance clinical-stage neuroscience research

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Healis Therapeutics is pleased to announce that it has entered a clinical collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health system, and affiliates of Harvard Medical School (HMS).

Key Points: 
  • Healis Therapeutics is pleased to announce that it has entered a clinical collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health system, and affiliates of Harvard Medical School (HMS).
  • “We continue to observe very significant need in the neuropsychiatric patient population,” said Dr. Eric Finzi, Co-Founder of Healis Therapeutics.
  • “MDD remains a public health challenge around the world,” said Erik Van Widenfelt, Head of Clinical Trials at Healis Therapeutics.
  • General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School,” said Sebastian De Beurs, Co-Founder of Healis Therapeutics.

Unitaid Awards Medincell up to $6 million Extension Grant to Fight Malaria

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 8, 2024

Global health agency Unitaid has awarded Medincell (Paris:MEDCL) an extension grant of up to US$ 6 million over three years to fund the clinical phase 1 activities of long-acting injectable mdc-STM.

Key Points: 
  • Global health agency Unitaid has awarded Medincell (Paris:MEDCL) an extension grant of up to US$ 6 million over three years to fund the clinical phase 1 activities of long-acting injectable mdc-STM.
  • If proven safe, effective, and acceptable, mdc-STM could have a significant impact on transmission of malaria among vulnerable populations in high-transmission areas.
  • mdc-STM is an investigational three-month active injectable formulation of ivermectin using Medincell’s BEPO® technology to fight malaria transmission.
  • Medincell is committed to the fight against the major global health threats, such as malaria that remains endemic in 85 countries representing 50% of the world's population.