WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

WHO releases guidance to improve clinical trial design, conduct, and oversight globally, aiming to support country-led R&D ecosystems and address inequities in trial participation, particularly in LMICs. The guidance emphasizes diverse participant inclusion, including pregnant women and children, and recommends patient and community engagement for research planning and dissemination.

Dr. Jay Varma, NYC's ex-COVID czar, admits using media to 'spin stories' about a monkeypox drug by former employer SIGA Technologies, aiming for FDA approval.

WHO released guidance to improve clinical trials globally, aiming to strengthen country-led R&D ecosystems for faster, equitable access to safe health interventions. The guidance addresses challenges like poor trial design and insufficient infrastructure, and recommends including diverse populations, especially at-risk groups like pregnant women and children. It emphasizes patient and community engagement and sustainable financing to build robust national and global health research environments.

Vaccine manufacturing is critical for future pandemic preparedness, requiring global collaboration and optimized processes. Inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines highlights the need for manufacturing in low- and middle-income countries. Challenges include diverse vaccine platforms and regional infrastructure differences, necessitating significant process optimization. Collaborative efforts like BioNTech/CEPI in Rwanda aim to address these issues.

A randomized clinical trial found no significant differences in outcomes at 2-year follow-up between infants treated with the intubate-recruit-surfactant-extubate (IN-REC-SUR-E) technique and those treated with the standard intubate-surfactant-extubate (IN-SUR-E) technique, suggesting IN-REC-SUR-E is a safe method for measured outcomes.

The Health Impact Investment Platform, a partnership between Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), WHO, and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), has initiated country health investment plans to strengthen primary healthcare (PHC) in vulnerable communities. New funding of €10 million was signed by the EIB and WHO, with additional contributions from the African Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank pending. The platform aims to unlock €1.5 billion for PHC improvements in 15 countries, focusing on national health strategies and prioritizing investment opportunities that meet national health needs.

WHO launched an online course for pharmacists to enhance contraception access, especially in low-resource settings. The course, available on World Pharmacists' Day, covers best-practice counselling, contraceptive methods, and follow-up care, based on WHO/USAID's 'Family Planning – A Global handbook for providers'. Successful completion awards a WHO Academy Award of Completion. The course is free, self-paced, and initially available in English, with other languages coming in early 2025.

WHO releases guidance to improve clinical trial design, diversity, and oversight globally, aiming to advance health science and make interventions more accessible and affordable. The guidance addresses inequities between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, underrepresentation of vulnerable groups, and emphasizes patient engagement and sustainable financing for national R&D ecosystems.

Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug, donanemab, approved by Japan's health ministry, offering another treatment option after Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi. Kisunla, sold in the U.S., slows memory and thinking problems by 29% but has risks of brain swelling and bleeding. Unlike Leqembi, Kisunla has finite dosing, allowing patients to stop treatment when amyloid plaques are no longer visible.