Open Philanthropy Awards $1.5 Million to Cures Within Reach for Repurposing Research in LMICs
• Cures Within Reach (CWR) receives $1.5 million from Open Philanthropy to support clinical trials in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• The funding will support CWR's ReGRoW initiative, which focuses on repurposing readily available generic medicines and indigenous treatments.
• CWR's approach allows researchers in LMICs to set their own priorities, addressing specific health challenges in their communities.
• Previous CWR-funded trials, like the unithiol study for snakebites in Kenya, have demonstrated the value of repurposing existing drugs.
Cures Within Reach Expands Clinical Trials in LMICs to Address High Disease Burden
• Cures Within Reach (CWR) and Open Philanthropy are funding 16 new clinical trials in low and lower-middle income countries (LMICs) to explore affordable treatments using existing medicines.
• A Phase 2B clinical trial in Brazil and Ghana will test unithiol and marimastat as inexpensive oral treatments for snakebites, following promising Phase 1 results in Kenya.
• Two clinical trials will be conducted in Nigeria, investigating a skin cancer drug for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and metformin for weight loss in non-diabetic obese individuals.
• The trials prioritize community engagement, partnering with local organizations to deliver research outcomes and strengthen healthcare infrastructure in underserved populations.
Largest-Ever Study Launched to Track Chikungunya Burden in East Africa
• A large-scale study, ACHIEVE, has been launched in East Africa to investigate the burden of chikungunya in Kenya and Tanzania.
• The study will screen patients with fever or neurological symptoms for chikungunya at healthcare facilities across both countries starting in 2025.
• Supported by USD 10.3 million from CEPI, the study aims to improve understanding of chikungunya and inform disease control strategies.
• The research will also provide important data to advance the development and deployment of chikungunya vaccines in affected regions.
CEPI Backs Phase II Trial of Rift Valley Fever Vaccine in Kenya
• CEPI is funding Phase II clinical trials in Kenya for the ChAdOx1 RVF vaccine against Rift Valley fever, following promising Phase I results.
• The trial will involve 240 healthy adults, assessing the vaccine's safety and ability to stimulate an immune response against the disease.
• ChAdOx1 RVF uses the same platform as the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and has shown potential for both human and animal health.
• Rift Valley fever is a mosquito-borne disease that disproportionately affects vulnerable communities, with no currently licensed human vaccines.
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