WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

The FDA granted orphan-drug designation to crofelemer for cholera treatment. Cholera, a global health emergency, causes 1.3 to 4 million cases and 21,000 to 143,000 deaths yearly. Crofelemer, a plant-based drug, aims to treat cholera-induced diarrhea, offering development incentives and market exclusivity upon approval.

Jaguar Health's Napo Pharmaceuticals announced FDA granted orphan-drug designation to crofelemer for cholera diarrhea treatment. Crofelemer, a plant-based drug, previously received ODD for short bowel syndrome and microvillus inclusion disease. The designation offers development incentives and seven-year marketing exclusivity upon approval. Jaguar plans to pursue ODD for crofelemer from the EMA and orphan-drug designation for NP-300, a second-generation anti-secretory agent, for cholera diarrhea treatment.

myTomorrows adds ISRCTN to its clinical trial search, now including WHO-endorsed registries. Updates include AI eligibility checking, usability improvements, and an AI assistant reducing pre-screening time by 90%. The platform connects patients and physicians to trials globally.

Ondine Biomedical Inc. announces the start of its LANTERN Phase 3 clinical trial for Steriwave® nasal photodisinfection technology, approved by the FDA. The trial, in collaboration with HCA Healthcare, will enroll 5,000 surgical patients to compare standard infection prevention practices with and without the technology. Early results are expected in Autumn 2025.

A £2.7m partnership between Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Infection Innovation Consortium, and LifeArc will develop rapid diagnostic tests for Rift Valley Fever, a solution for cold storage limitations in low- and middle-income countries, and short-course treatments for neglected tropical diseases like Onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis.

2025 will see new obesity treatments, including Eli Lilly's orforglipron and retatrutide, and Amgen's maritide. Researchers will explore GLP-1 agonists for other illnesses. US regulators may approve a non-opioid painkiller, suzetrigine. Trump's potential return as US president could impact science policies, including AI and climate agreements. The WHO aims to finalize a global pandemic treaty by May 2025.

Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly HIV prevention injection, could reach 2 million people in 3 years through Global Fund and PEPFAR, pending FDA, national regulators, and WHO approval. Supported by CIFF and BMGF, lenacapavir showed 99%+ efficacy in trials for HIV prevention, with Gilead signing voluntary licensing agreements for generic versions in 120 low-income countries.

The FDA granted orphan-drug designation to crofelemer for cholera diarrhea treatment. Cholera, a WHO grade 3 emergency, causes 1.3-4M cases and 21k-143k deaths annually. Crofelemer, from the Croton lechleri tree, aims to treat severe dehydration in cholera patients, offering development incentives and 7-year marketing exclusivity upon approval.