#510 | Guess who’s back? It’s dengue; Guess who never went away? It’s mpox; AI designs antibodies
Hello, and welcome back to The Kable one last time this March.
Speaking of March, you know what is not really marching? Discussions on a new pandemic treaty. The hot-off-the-presses update is that talks are now going into extra time, after members failed to reach a consensus by the agreed-upon date of March 28.
What is continuing to march on though is Mpox. The disease never stopped spreading across Africa, and even in the US, cases are nearly 2x what they were last year.
Also, keeping a steady march forward is Africa’s mission to make 60% of its vaccine needs locally by 2040. To further this mission, the IVI hosted a side event with Kenya and the Africa CDC at the AU Summit last month. An update from this event is now available on the IVI website.
Elsewhere, Brazil and France are collaborating on a $1.1 billion plan to protect the Amazon rainforest. More power to them, we say.
And Japan says it is foreseeing an imminent surge in cases of strep throat, a surge that could be fairly lethal.
As if to help in the precise scenario in the previous sentence, Google now has an AI tool that can detect disease from your cough. No really.
In what many would consider distressing news, a new study says CBD products don’t do anything to alleviate pain and may even be downright dangerous.
And finally, our favourite topic. Bird flu. Except this time, it is not in birds. Two farms in the US have found bird flu in their cattle. Where is a really good bookie when you need one? Also, The Conversation has a piece on how you can protect yourself from bird flu. Thank us later.
Before we move on to stories of the week, The Kable is Editorial Partner to Pharmaconex, Africa’s most influential hub for the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in the MEA region, something we’re really thrilled about.
Like The Kable, Pharmaconex shines a spotlight on the pharma industry story in Africa & is committed to building a community for the industry members where they can benefit, expand, and share knowledge so that the region thrives. The newest edition to the Pharmaconex Family, Pharmaconex West Africa, brings its decade of knowledge and expertise to Nigeria. It will be held from 22-24th of April in Lagos, Nigeria, and you really should REGISTER TO ATTEND.
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Stories Of The Week
The AVMA takes shape. Last year, Gavi announced a $1.8 billion plan to set up the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) to support sustainable vaccine manufacturing in Africa. Devex has the lowdown on how the AVMA will come to being. And it makes for excellent reading. The AVMA was announced in furtherance of the Africa CDC’s stated mission to produce 60% of the continent’s vaccine needs by 2040, transitioning from importing 99% of its vaccines. By offering grants and incentives to local manufacturers for both entering the vaccine production sector and scaling up operations, the program seeks to foster a sustainable ecosystem for vaccine production in Africa. This effort not only aims to address current supply chain vulnerabilities but also to position African manufacturers to respond more effectively to future pandemics and to contribute to global health security more broadly. This is excellent reporting from Devex and deserves to be on your weekend reading list. Separately, Gavi has announced that the AVMA will be launched in June this year at an event co-hosted in Paris.
(Devex)
From Brazil with love. Caring Cross, a US-based non-profit, is revolutionising access to expensive cell and gene therapies for severe diseases like leukaemia, lymphoma, and HIV by collaborating with Brazil’s government and the Fiocruz Foundation. This partnership aims to drastically cut the high costs associated with these treatments in the US and Europe by developing and manufacturing these therapies locally in Brazil at a fraction of the cost. With a focus on providing these therapies free to patients within the Brazilian public health system, this innovative approach could offer a scalable model for localised drug manufacturing globally. This initiative highlights a growing trend toward local production of drugs, making advanced medical treatments more accessible and affordable worldwide. Through this project, the partners aim to demonstrate how localised manufacturing not only reduces logistical expenses but also makes the dream of affordable gene therapies a closer reality for many, potentially setting a new standard for the global health industry.
(Fiocruz)
Dengue’s big comeback tour. The first three months of this year have seen a tripling of dengue cases in the Americas compared to the same period last year, with Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay being the most affected. Even Puerto Rico has now declared a dengue-related emergency. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has warned that this year could see the worst dengue outbreak ever recorded in the region, with more than 3.5 million cases and over 1,000 deaths reported so far. This surge is alarming, especially considering around 4.5 million cases in all of 2023, indicating that the Americas are on track for a record-breaking number of infections. With dengue posing a risk to around half the world’s population, PAHO is calling for increased efforts in vector control and training for healthcare workers to identify and treat severe symptoms more effectively.
(Reuters)
Breakthroughs
AI to the fore again. Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a generative AI program capable of designing atomically accurate antibodies from scratch, promising to significantly speed up and reduce the cost of antibody production. This AI tool, tested by the Baker Lab at the UW Institute for Protein Design, can create antibodies that bind to toxins and proteins from pathogens like those causing COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza. Traditional methods of producing antibodies, which involve extensive library screening or immunisations in animals, are much slower and more labour-intensive. The team’s AI approach aims to streamline the creation of these crucial biologic therapies, potentially transforming a field poised to become a nearly half-trillion-dollar industry. Their work could lead to more efficient development of therapeutic antibodies, marking a significant leap forward in computational biology and drug development.
(BioRxiv)
AI eats bacteria. Researchers from Stanford and McMaster University have developed an AI model called SyntheMol, designed to combat drug-resistant bacteria, specifically Acinetobacter baumannii, a significant threat in hospitals. This AI model innovatively creates new molecules with potential antibacterial properties, marking a major advancement in the field of antibiotic discovery. They synthesised and tested dozens of unique compounds, identifying six new molecules effective against A. baumannii and other dangerous pathogens, showcasing the model’s ability to produce novel antibiotics. This approach could revolutionise how we discover drugs by efficiently generating structurally unique antibiotics that could be critical in fighting against the growing global issue of antibiotic resistance. The study underscores the promise of generative AI in developing new antibiotics, although challenges such as improving molecule solubility for clinical testing remain.
(Nature Machine Intelligence)
Care for a pet? Everybody knows that some major health scares around the world, including Covid, came knocking on humanity’s door courtesy of our animal buddies. This story of diseases hopping from animals to humans isn’t new. But here’s a twist from a recent study: we’re actually returning the favour to the animal kingdom, and then some, by passing on viruses to them at double the rate they do to us. Researchers dove into a massive pool of about 12 million virus genomes and found out that humans are quite the generous hosts, with a significant chunk of virus exchanges being from us to our furry (and not-so-furry) friends. We’ve got cats, dogs, pigs, and even wild animals like raccoons catching bugs from us. This isn’t just a one-off; it’s a two-way street of viral sharing that really underlines how much we impact our environment and the critters we share it with. This study, shedding light on our role in this exchange, suggests we’re not just passive victims in the world of infectious diseases; we’re quite active participants, affecting everything from pets to wild animals.
(Nature Ecology & Evolution)
Tick, tick, tock. Imagine a world where a simple tick bite could lead to a fever so severe it could threaten your life – welcome to the reality of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, a nasty customer that’s been hitching rides on ticks and spreading to new places, including parts of Europe, thanks to climate change. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and their buddies have cracked a code that could lead to a game-changer in fighting this deadly disease. They’ve discovered that this virus sneaks into our cells by piggybacking on a protein that usually minds its own business handling our cholesterol levels. This discovery is huge because it opens the door to potentially outsmarting the virus by creating a decoy that could stop it in its tracks. The researchers believe that if we get our act together like we did with COVID-19, developing a drug against this tick-borne terror could happen sooner rather than later. And with ticks getting around more these days, partly thanks to migratory birds, having a trick up our sleeve could be crucial. So, while the thought of ticks spreading a deadly fever is the stuff of nightmares, there’s hope on the horizon that we might just be able to stop it.
(Nature Microbiology)
Corporate
AbbVie, Novo make some moves. A relatively light week in the world of Big Pharma with not too much to report. AbbVie made a small acquisition, shelling out $137 million upfront to buy Landos Biopharma, whose lead drug is a small molecule that takes a novel approach to treating ulcerative colitis. And Novo Nordisk dug deeper into cardio with a buy of heart drugs biotech Cardior Pharmaceuticals, adding a novel RNA-based therapy for heart failure to its pipeline.
(AbbVie, Novo Nordisk)
Outbreaks
Meningitis on the move. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has raised the alarm about a noticeable uptick in invasive meningococcal disease cases and is calling on healthcare providers to ensure individuals are vaccinated against this life-threatening infection. As of this week, the CDC reported 143 cases, a significant jump from 81 cases reported at the same time last year, marking the highest annual tally since 2014 with 422 cases. The surge is linked mainly to the meningococcal bacteria group Y strain, which has been particularly impacting individuals aged 30–60 years, African American people, and those with HIV.
(AP News)
Bottom line
India’s dairy dilemma. India, the world’s largest milk producer, is at the forefront of an environmental dilemma due to its substantial cattle population contributing significantly to methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. With 80 million dairy farmers producing 231 million tons of milk annually, the industry’s vast number of cows and buffalo are identified as the primary source of these emissions. Although the government has initiated measures to address methane emissions, focusing on renewable energy and improving livestock feed to enhance productivity and reduce the number of cattle needed, there’s a consensus that more could be done. Strategies like promoting climate-smart dairying, reducing crop burning, and encouraging local cattle breeds have been suggested as sustainable practices. However, challenges like feed shortages and the necessity of government support for quality feed highlight the complexity of reducing emissions without impacting farmers’ livelihoods or altering traditional farming systems. As India juggles with its role as a major agricultural player and its environmental responsibilities, the call for a balanced approach to tackle methane emissions becomes increasingly urgent, underlining the potential for targeted actions in sectors like energy for more immediate gains.
(AP News)
Keeping it natural. A group of 25 scientists from around the globe have come together with a plan to dodge future pandemics, not by waiting to battle the next big virus after it’s already causing havoc but by keeping it in the animal kingdom where it belongs. Their big idea? Keep nature wild and healthy so animals, like bats known for carrying some pretty nasty viruses, have plenty of food and room to roam without bumping into humans or our livestock. It turns out, when these creatures lose their natural spaces and snacks, they get stressed, start moving into our backyards, and are more likely to drop viruses where we can pick them up. This team’s roadmap, inspired by studies about bats spreading the Hendra virus, suggests we can cut down on these unwanted exchanges by protecting natural habitats, ensuring animals have enough to eat, and setting up safe zones to keep wildlife from wandering into our living spaces. Plus, they’re calling for an international group to keep tabs on how well we’re keeping nature intact and diverse. Basically, if we look after nature, it’ll look after us by keeping its germs to itself.
(Nature Communications)
Long reads
Gen Z’s guide to happiness. The latest World Happiness Report has flagged an increasing trend of unhappiness among teenagers and young adults, attributing it to the challenges posed by an evolving economic landscape, social media’s impact on self-esteem, and a scarcity of educational and vocational training opportunities. As housing becomes less affordable and wages stagnate amid rising living costs, young people are finding themselves caught in a cycle of mental health issues, looking towards a future that seems bleak. This generational shift in outlook is stark, with younger individuals beginning to mirror the stress and exhaustion traditionally reported by their parents rather than maintaining the optimism often found in older generations who have benefited from financial booms. The report calls for governments to prioritise the well-being of the younger population through enhanced support for education, training, and mental health, highlighting the broader economic benefits of ensuring a contented, well-equipped younger generation.
(World Happiness Report)
Oh, and Gopal Nair doesn’t want you to see this.