Universitetet i Oslo

Genmab, a Danish biotech leader in antibody-based therapeutics, partners with Oslo University Hospital researchers Victor Greiff and Fridtjof Lund-Johansen to develop such drugs using AI. The 4-year collaboration includes funding and access to industry-scale data for AI model training, benefiting both parties.

Scientists found a link between two E.coli strains and specific cancers, suggesting a vaccine could reduce cancer risk. These strains, common in industrialized countries, produce colibactin, a substance causing DNA breaks linked to colorectal cancer. Targeting these strains through vaccination or probiotics could reduce cancer risks and infections.

Gaps in ethical governance of European pharmaceutical clinical trials under Regulation 536/2014 include partial adherence to international ethical guidelines, limited REC oversight, narrow GCP inspector scope, insufficient REC-regulator collaboration, and minimal ethical integration in marketing decisions. Proposed solution: shift to comprehensive end-to-end ethical governance.

Clinical trials for iQ-007, a first-in-class small molecule modulator of EAAT2, are set to begin next year. This molecule, developed for drug-resistant epilepsy, could also treat various neurological, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric conditions. The development involved global collaboration, including institutions like Harvard Medical School, and was commercialized by iQure Pharma.

A study of over 3 million pregnancies found no significant association between paternal metformin use and congenital malformations in offspring, reassuring men with type 2 diabetes.

18 randomized trials proposed at CEIR during COVID-19 pandemic resulted in 5 completed, 1 ongoing, 1 halted, and 11 not implemented. Key barriers included the Norwegian Health Research Act's strict informed consent requirements and political reluctance. Trials faced challenges from shifting disease incidence and changing regulations. Future steps involve WHO initiatives and potential revisions to Norway's Health Research Act to facilitate more trials.

Reading to 1- and 2-year-olds boosts vocabulary, while screen time negatively affects 2-year-olds' vocabularies, according to a University of Oslo study published in the Journal of Child Language. The study supports the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation for shared reading and suggests that interactive activities are crucial for language development.

John-Arne Røttingen, a physician scientist with experience in global health and leading research initiatives, has taken over as CEO of the Wellcome Trust, succeeding Jeremy Farrar. Røttingen, who led the Ebola vaccine trial and the Covid-19 WHO Solidarity trial, emphasizes the need for long-term commitment to innovation and access to medicines.

RER-CTO, led by the University of Oslo and Karolinska Institutet's Eleni Aklillu, aims to enhance the capacity of Ethiopia and Tanzania's regulatory and ethics committees over three years, focusing on legal frameworks, oversight, and collaboration to align with global best practices in clinical trial oversight.