Plasmodium

GeoVax Announces Issuance of Malaria Vaccine Patent

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 3, 2024

ATLANTA, GA, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire – GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued Patent No. 11,857,611 to GeoVax, pursuant to the Company’s patent application No. 17/726,254 titled “Compositions and Methods for Generating an Immune Response to Treat or Prevent Malaria.”

Key Points: 
  • ATLANTA, GA, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire – GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued Patent No.
  • 11,857,611 to GeoVax, pursuant to the Company’s patent application No.
  • The compositions and methods covered in the claims are useful both prophylactically and therapeutically and may be used to prevent and/or treat malaria.
  • Despite decades of vaccine research, vaccine candidates have failed to induce substantial protection.

Fosun Pharma's Global Multi-Center Phase III Clinical Trial Project for A New Antimalarial Drug Receives 500 Million Japanese Yen Investment from GHIT Fund to Jointly Improve the Global Accessibility of Antimalarial Drugs

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 14, 2023

This is the first time GHIT Fund has invested in a research project led by a Chinese pharmaceutical company.

Key Points: 
  • This is the first time GHIT Fund has invested in a research project led by a Chinese pharmaceutical company.
  • Importantly, the project includes the development of a co-formulated child-friendly version, given that most malaria cases are in children[3].
  • Wen Deyong, CEO of Fosun Pharma, said, "We are very pleased to work with GHIT Fund to promote the clinical research on this antimalarial innovator drug.
  • Fosun Pharma has actively carried out community-oriented "Child Malaria Prevention Knowledge Popularization Projects" in 14 malaria-endemic countries in Africa.

AI Diagnostic Platform Company Noul, unveils the result of Malaria study in Ethiopia and Ghana

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 23, 2023

In the study, the scientists compared the sensitivity and specificity of the qPCR with those of miLab™, field microscopy, and Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) respectively.

Key Points: 
  • In the study, the scientists compared the sensitivity and specificity of the qPCR with those of miLab™, field microscopy, and Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) respectively.
  • Diagnosis of P. falciparum infections included cases with hrp2/hrp3 gene deletion with renders parasites 'invisible' to common rapid diagnostic tests.
  • Also, the diagnostic results of miLab™ in P. falciparum infected patients with hrp2/hrp3 gene deletion have been released.
  • This new study in Ethiopia and Ghana confirmed the clinical performance of miLab™ as a reliable new tool in the diagnosis of P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria.

GeoVax Receives Notice of Allowance for Malaria Vaccine Patent

Retrieved on: 
Monday, August 28, 2023

ATLANTA, GA, Aug. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire – GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for Patent Application No. 17/726,254 titled “Compositions and Methods for Generating an Immune Response to Treat or Prevent Malaria”.

Key Points: 
  • ATLANTA, GA, Aug. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire – GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for Patent Application No.
  • 17/726,254 titled “Compositions and Methods for Generating an Immune Response to Treat or Prevent Malaria”.
  • David Dodd, GeoVax President and CEO, commented, “We remain strongly committed to advancing innovation towards improving public health worldwide and this patent allowance reflects a potentially significant advancement relative to malaria prevention.
  • This patent allowance adds to our growing portfolio of wholly owned, co-owned, and in-licensed intellectual property, now standing at over 115 granted or pending patent applications spread over 24 patent families.”

60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals Receives Additional U.S. Patent Covering Tafenoquine for Prevention of Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Tafenoquine is the active molecule in ARAKODA®, the Company’s FDA-approved drug for malaria prevention in individuals aged 18 years and older for up to six months of continuous dosing.

Key Points: 
  • Tafenoquine is the active molecule in ARAKODA®, the Company’s FDA-approved drug for malaria prevention in individuals aged 18 years and older for up to six months of continuous dosing.
  • Travelers from and residents of the United States are usually malaria naïve, that is, they have not previously contracted malaria and thus lack immunity to the disease.
  • 60P initially received a U.S. patent in 2019 for tafenoquine for the prevention of P. falciparum malaria in naïve individuals aged 18 years of age or older.
  • The current patent award is a continuation of the application for that original patent.

Hesperos Scientists Publish a New Study in Scientific Reports Titled: "Development of a Human Malaria-on-a-Chip Disease Model for Drug Efficacy and Off-Target Toxicity Evaluation"

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 5, 2023

In 2021 the World Health Organization reported 247 million cases of malaria - 619,000 of which resulted in loss of human life.

Key Points: 
  • In 2021 the World Health Organization reported 247 million cases of malaria - 619,000 of which resulted in loss of human life.
  • Through their efforts they developed a human-based model to study the disease pathology and therapeutic effects in a pre-clinical platform.
  • This microfluidic platform connects human liver, spleen, and endothelium with recirculating human erythrocytes in a controlled, self-contained platform.
  • This new approach to the evaluation of Plasmodium falciparum and anti-malarial therapeutics is executed in a realistic human model.

Locally transmitted malaria in the US could be a harbinger of rising disease risk in a warming climate – 5 questions answered

Retrieved on: 
Friday, June 30, 2023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on June 26, 2023, that five cases of locally transmitted malaria had been identified – four in Florida and one in Texas – since May 2023.

Key Points: 
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on June 26, 2023, that five cases of locally transmitted malaria had been identified – four in Florida and one in Texas – since May 2023.
  • These are the first cases of locally acquired mosquito-borne malaria in the U.S. since 2003.

1. What is malaria and how did these people become infected?

    • Malaria is a serious and sometimes life-threatening disease caused by the bite of a female mosquito from the genus Anopheles, the vector that transmits malaria.
    • The most common symptoms are fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches and fatigue.
    • These symptoms typically occur from 10 to 15 days after people are infected with the parasite.

2. Why might these cases be surfacing now?

    • For one, climate change is causing a shift in weather patterns, some of which can worsen malaria conditions.
    • A higher average surface temperature from global warming could lead to higher mosquito migration in areas that were previously uninhabitable by Anopheles mosquitoes.
    • Given these changes in local conditions, more cases could occur in populations that were previously “immunologically naïve” to malaria.
    • This drives up the number of drug-resistant cases, the severity of the illness and the possibility of larger outbreaks.

3. How can people help prevent malaria transmission?

    • Precautions also include what’s known as “drain and cover” – in other words, draining standing water to prevent mosquitoes from multiplying and using screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering through doors and windows.
    • Health departments also note that it’s important to drain or discard containers that can collect rainwater, such as flower pots, old tires and buckets.

4. What are the available malaria treatments?

    • There are several medicines used to prevent and treat malaria.
    • The choice of medication typically depends on the type of malaria, whether a malaria parasite is resistant to a medicine, the weight or age of the person infected with malaria and whether the person is pregnant.
    • These kill malaria parasites by damaging their proteins and are usually the most effective treatment against malaria.

5. Are vaccines against malaria available?

    • Therefore, in October 2021, the World Health Organization began recommending the widespread use of a malaria vaccine known as RTS,S/ASOI for children who live in moderate- to high-risk areas.
    • Trials show that the vaccine can significantly reduce malaria, including severe malaria, among young children.
    • While new malaria vaccines will be a major boost for curbing malaria worldwide, it will be critical for health departments to continue emphasizing other preventive strategies, especially in newly affected areas like Florida and Texas.

Researchers discover new weapon against antibiotic resistance --it also fights malaria

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 29, 2023

MIAMI, June 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FIU scientists discovered the first and only known natural arsenic-containing antibiotic to fight antibiotic resistance.

Key Points: 
  • MIAMI, June 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FIU scientists discovered the first and only known natural arsenic-containing antibiotic to fight antibiotic resistance.
  • Now, research reveals it can stop transmission of a deadly disease spreading in the U.S. for the first time in 20 years: malaria.
  • Collaborating with malaria researchers in the College of Arts, Sciences & Education , they've recently also found AST prevents Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria, from infecting mosquitoes — unlike other current antimalarial drugs.
  • When FIU researchers tested AST on liver, kidney and intestinal cells, AST targeted the malaria parasite lurking in human cells, but didn't damage the cells themselves.

UM SCHOOL OF MEDICINE RESEARCHERS CHART PATH FORWARD ON DEVELOPING MRNA VACCINES FOR INFECTIONS BEYOND COVID-19

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 7, 2023

BALTIMORE, April 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- After helping to develop and test new mRNA technologies for COVID-19 vaccines, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers and scientists are turning their attention to utilizing this innovative technology to ward off other infectious diseases like malaria and influenza. Last month, UMSOM faculty in the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) launched a new clinical trial to investigate the use of mRNA technologies to create a vaccine against malaria. CVD Director Kathleen M. Neuzil, MD, MPH, FIDSA also provided commentary in the nation's leading medical journal on the feasibility of using mRNA to develop a universal influenza vaccine that could eliminate the need for seasonal shots.

Key Points: 
  • The huge success of mRNA vaccines to combat COVID-19 has opened up a new era in vaccine development, offering the potential for faster, more efficient, and more effective vaccine production.
  • Dr. Neuzil pointed to more than 20 studies underway or in the planning stages to test novel influenza vaccines utilizing this technology.
  • She commented on a recent animal study published in Science, which tested an mRNA vaccine against all 20 known influenza virus subtypes.
  • CVD researchers also recently launched a new clinical trial investigating an mRNA-based vaccine for malaria.

How Humanized Mice Studies Can Accelerate Preclinical Research in Infectious Diseases, Upcoming Webinar Hosted by Xtalks

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 4, 2023

TORONTO, April 4, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that: 2.3 million people living with HIV in the WHO European Region have been infected with the virus over the past 40 years; In 2021, nearly 80 percent of all deaths were due to malaria in the WHO African Region.

Key Points: 
  • In this free webinar, learn how humanized mice models can accelerate preclinical studies in infectious diseases such as malaria and HIV.
  • Attendees will learn the benefits of incorporating this model into preclinical trials for potential HIV drug or vaccine targets.
  • In this webinar, attendees will learn about the strategic potential of humanized mice in the search for treatments for these infections.
  • Register today to find out how humanized mice models can accelerate preclinical studies in infectious diseases such as malaria and HIV.