Search API
Sysmex Astrego AB announced today that it was awarded the Longitude Prize for antimicrobial resistance for developing a rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test for urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Sysmex Astrego received the $10.2 million award to incentivize the development of transformative point-of-care tests that will improve antibiotic treatment decisions.
Using a 400 microlitre urine sample on a smartphone-sized cartridge, the PA-100 AST System test can identify the presence of bacterial infections such as UTIs in just 15 minutes.
The goal is to replace the 2-3 day lab test process.
"Winning the Longitude Prize is the first true and biggest recognition that what we have been doing all these years was for a very important global cause," Ozden Baltekin, PhD, Sysmex Astrego director of program management, said in a press release on June 12, 2024.
Sysmex Astrego launched the PA-100 AST System in Europe in 2023 and intends to accelerate global expansion efforts.
UTIs are the most common bacterial infection, and around 50-60% of women develop one in their lifetime.
As of June 13, 2024, a UTI vaccine is available in certain countries, and new therapies are conducting late-stage development.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, today announced support for human rabies vaccines for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) as part of routine immunization.
On June 13, 2024, Gavi stated eligible countries are receiving guidance on how to access these vaccines under Gavi’s cofinancing policy. The first round of applications will be accepted by mid-July 2024. Ninety-five percent of human rabies deaths occur in Africa and Asia.
“This commitment from Gavi is crucial and will expedite efforts to halt human fatalities caused by dog-mediated rabies,” said Dr Jérôme Salomon, Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases at WHO, in a press release.
“WHO will provide technical assistance to countries, not only to support their funding applications to Gavi but to draw up comprehensive plans of action that can deliver real progress towards the Zero by 30 goal.”
This development complements the ongoing global efforts of the Zero by 30 campaign, led by United Against Rabies partners, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, and the World Organisation for Animal Health, to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies by 2030.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports bats, not dogs, are the leading source of rabies cases.
With 52 countries reporting measles outbreaks over the past year, one international gateway county recently reported a surprising number of measles cases in 2024.
As of June 3, 2024, the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported 1,749 laboratory-confirmed measles cases had been reported in England since October 2023.
England's London and West Midlands areas continued leading the measles outbreak over the last month when 219 confirmed measles cases were confirmed.
The most significant number of cases were in London (106), followed by the West Midlands, East of England, East Midlands, and the North East.
Dr.Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, commented in a May 2024 press release, "The number of measles cases is rising across the country, with a particular increase in London in recent weeks."
"We know some communities in London have very low MMR vaccination rates."
Compared with England, measles outbreaks in the United States appear under control.
As of June 7, 2024, the U.S. CDC reported 151 measles cases in 22 jurisdictions, primarily in Chicago. Most of the Illinois patients were unvaccinated travelers.
The CDC encourages international travelers to speak with a healthcare provider about their measles immunity and travel vaccine options.
With most of the dengue outbreak risks revealed in The Americas in 2024, cases of this invasive mosquito-spreading disease are also impacting Europe.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reporting on June 11, 2024, there were 130 locally acquired dengue cases in the European Union, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, compared to 71 in 2022.
According to ECDC data, this was a "significant increase" in dengue reports from the 2010-2021 period, when the number for the entire period was 73.
Imported dengue cases have also increased from 1,572 cases in 2022 to about 4,900 in 2023, "the highest number" since 2008.
"Europe is already seeing how climate change is creating more favorable conditions for invasive mosquitos to spread into previously unaffected areas and infect more people with diseases such as dengue. Increased international travel from dengue-endemic countries will also increase the risk of imported cases, and inevitably also the risk of local outbreaks," says Andrea Ammon, ECDC Director.
The ECDC says Aedes albopictus, known for transmitting dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, is spreading further north, east, and west in Europe and now has self-sustaining populations across 13 EU/EEA countries.
Aedes aegypti, a vector of yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, recently established itself in Cyprus. Its potential for establishment in other parts of Europe is concerning due to its significant ability to transmit pathogens and its preference for biting humans.
The Culex pipiens mosquito, responsible for the spread of West Nile virus, is native to Europe and is present throughout the EU/EEA.
From a prevention perspective, the second-generation Qdenga vaccine is now offered in many EU countries.
According to a Bloomberg report, Serum Institute of India Pvt. (SII) is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer and currently has the capacity to produce 3 billion doses of vaccines annually.
However, it only sells around 1.5 billion doses yearly, including those for malaria and cervical cancer.
In an interview with Time, Adar Poonawalla, CEO of SII, said, "As countries increase their healthcare budgets, you're going to see a huge uptake of vaccines that can prevent many diseases. Vaccines have been proven to be the most efficient tool for prevention."
For example, when the World Health Organization awarded prequalification status to the SII's R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine, it enabled a mass rollout that could reduce fatalities from the deadly mosquito-borne disease.
SII stated it intends to produce 100 million doses of R21 annually.
Created by the Jenner Institute of Oxford University and developed by SII, the R21/Matrix-M vaccine contains two key ingredients: the malaria-specific R21 antigen and Novavax AB’s saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant to enhance the immune system response, increasing the magnitude and durability of the antibody response.
"The R21/Matrix-M™ vaccine is a vital new tool to help stop the devastating health and economic impact of malaria on nearly half of the world's population, including the tragic loss of 1,300 children every single day," said John C. Jacobs, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax, in a press release on May 20, 2024.
SII was recently included in Time's 100 Most Influential Companies in 2024 and was founded in 1966 by Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla.
