YALE UNIVERSITY

A series of atmospheric rivers will bring wet and stormy conditions to Northern California, with several storms expected through the holiday week. California's snowpack is 131% of normal, benefiting from recent storms. Reservoir levels and water supply are critical following drought years. The Senate passed legislation to bolster California's water infrastructure and economic development. Bird flu emergency declared in California. Commentary discusses the emerging challenge of AI's water demand. Regional updates include water projects, snowpack status, and community responses to water issues.

Subcutaneous BHV-1300 achieved >60% IgG reduction in a Phase 1 study, showing safety and efficacy. Biohaven's MoDE platform, licensed from Yale, targets autoimmune diseases with precision, preserving IgG3 for immune response. BHV-1400 and BHV-1600, new MoDE molecules, aim to treat IgA nephropathy and peripartum cardiomyopathy respectively. Biohaven also advanced its glutamate and ion channel platforms, submitting an NDA for troriluzole in spinocerebellar ataxia and completing enrollment in a bipolar disorder trial with BHV-7000.

A consortium, funded by a $30 million NINDS grant, plans human trials of PET radiotracers to detect toxic proteins like alpha-synuclein and 4-repeat tau, aiding in diagnosing and monitoring Parkinson’s and similar diseases. The project involves multiple universities and uses a computational tool to identify effective tracers.

Erwin Neher, Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine, is deeply interested in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its potential. He leads a lab at Macau University of Science and Technology, combining his research on ion channels with TCM to explore its effects. Neher believes TCM, with its 2,000-year history, contains substances influencing human body's signal mechanisms. He also lauds Macau's rapid scientific infrastructure growth and China's readiness to adopt innovative approaches, seeing potential for the Greater Bay Area to become a world innovation center.

CMS created CPT codes for patient navigation services, allowing providers to bill for them. The American Cancer Society developed a training program for navigators. Karen Knudsen, ACS CEO, celebrated this as a major step forward in improving cancer outcomes before resigning due to board conflicts. Other top stories included election implications for oncology, oncologist struggles with terminal cancer, and GRAIL's multi-cancer detection test.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has withstood an ousting attempt by activist investor Starboard Value, despite Pfizer's declining share price. Starboard, with a $1 billion stake, blamed Bourla for the decline and claimed support from former executives. However, Bourla remains in control, attributed to Starboard's flawed analysis and Pfizer's potential hidden value in recent deals. Pfizer's Q3 2024 revenues rose 30%, further supporting Bourla's position.

60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is conducting a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital to evaluate tafenoquine combined with standard treatment for hospitalized babesiosis patients. The trial aims to assess safety and efficacy, with endpoints including time to symptom resolution and molecular cure. Recruitment of 24-33 patients is planned for summer 2025, with an interim analysis expected in early 2026.

60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals expands tafenoquine clinical trial for babesiosis to Brigham and Women's Hospital. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluates tafenoquine with standard treatment for hospitalized babesiosis patients. The trial aims to recruit 24-33 patients in summer 2025, with interim analysis expected in early 2026. Main endpoints are time to sustained clinical resolution and molecular cure. Recent case studies indicate high cure rates in immunosuppressed patients with relapsing babesiosis. The company estimates the accessible market through 2035 could exceed 400,000 patients.

Tiziana Life Sciences expands Phase 2 trial of foralumab nasal spray for nonactive SPMS, adding six sites in the U.S. Northeast. The trial aims to reduce microglial activity and inflammation, with preliminary data showing 80% reduction in microglial activity and 70% reduction in fatigue among patients. The FDA has granted fast track designation to foralumab for nonactive SPMS treatment.