WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Waning vaccine coverage led to a 20% rise in measles cases globally in 2023, affecting 10.3 million people. Over 22 million children missed the first dose of the measles vaccine, with global coverage at 83% for the first dose and 74% for the second. Health officials recommend 95% coverage to prevent outbreaks. Measles outbreaks occurred in 57 countries in 2023, a 60% increase from 2022, with nearly half in Africa. In the U.S., 277 cases were reported in 2024, with 16 outbreaks.

NanoViricides reported Q3 2024 financials with $3.87M cash and $7.36M net property assets. Lead drug NV-387, a broad-spectrum antiviral, is advancing to Phase II trials for MPOX, RSV, Influenza, and COVID. A Phase Ia/Ib trial was completed with no adverse events. The company raised $1.71M through an ATM offering and has a $3M credit line, but additional funding is needed for planned Phase II trials. NV-387 showed promising results in animal trials, potentially offering superior effectiveness over existing treatments.

Over 600,000 people, mainly young children, die from malaria yearly. New African data shows the malaria parasite gaining resistance to artemisinin, a frontline drug, threatening decades of progress against the disease.

Calls for a strong Independent Panel on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) with authority to challenge sponsors as global health ministers meet in Jeddah. The panel, endorsed at the UN High-Level AMR Meeting, must address both human and animal health factors driving drug-resistant pathogens. Experts emphasize the need for an inclusive process, including scientists, civil society, and industry, while ensuring the panel can challenge the Quadripartite (WHO, FAO, UNEP, WOAH). The Jeddah meeting aims to deliver on the UN's AMR Declaration, focusing on reducing animal antibiotic use, improving access to antibiotics, and developing 'pull incentives' for new antibiotic R&D.

Patients with cardiovascular conditions seek more sexual health guidance from healthcare teams, with significant discrepancies between desired and received information. Sexual health affects overall well-being and heart health, yet only 5% of surveyed patients received relevant information. Pharmacists are increasingly providing sexual health services, though barriers like integration and reimbursement exist. Health professionals should normalize discussing sexual health as a routine topic.

UC San Francisco and Stanford University teams, funded by NIH, will study cardiotoxicities caused by covalent kinase inhibitors in cancer treatments, aiming to identify genetic causes and develop drug discovery pipelines.

Novotech's report on cervical cancer clinical trials highlights global trends, including Asia-Pacific's leadership and Africa's limited access. It emphasizes innovative therapies like immunotherapy and AI-driven trials, and warns of a 40% case increase by 2050 without intervention.

Novotech's report on cervical cancer clinical trials highlights global trends, including Asia-Pacific's leadership, disparities in trial access, innovative therapies like immunotherapy, and the role of AI in research. The report emphasizes the urgent need for global collaboration to address the projected 40% rise in cases by 2050.

The OCT DACH 2024 conference in Zurich discussed EU regulations, digitalisation, AI, and ethics in clinical trials, emphasizing the DACH region's challenges and opportunities.

Valneva SE and LimmaTech Biologics AG initiated a Phase 2b controlled human infection model (CHIM) study for Shigella4V2 (S4V2), a tetravalent bioconjugate shigellosis vaccine candidate. The study aims to test S4V2's safety and efficacy in 120 healthy participants aged 18-50 in the U.S. The FDA granted Fast Track designation to S4V2, recognizing its potential to address a serious condition and fill an unmet medical need.