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In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week.

February 7, 2022 by Anna Kovacevich

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A phase 3 trial to evaluate Valneva’s chikungunya vaccine candidate in adolescents has launched in Brazil, the company announced last week. The live-attenuated, single-shot vaccine, VLA1553, is currently the most clinically advanced chikungunya vaccine candidate worldwide, having completed phase 3 trials in adults. Valneva announced positive top-line results of the phase 3 trial in adults 18 and over in August 2021, indicating the vaccine induced protective chikungunya virus neutralizing antibody titers in 98.5 percent of trial participants and was well-tolerated across age groups. The recently launched trial, funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, is designed to evaluate the vaccine in adolescents aged 12 to 17 and to support its extension to use in the younger age group following potential initial regulatory approval in adults from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Healthy, young people who were intentionally exposed to SARS-CoV-2 developed mild symptoms, if any, in a first-of-its-kind COVID-19 human challenge study, according to a UK study of 34 individuals aged 18 to 30. Around half of the participants who received a low dose of virus became infected, some of whom had no symptoms, while others reported mild-to-moderate symptoms, including sore throats, runny noses, and loss of smell and taste. While controversial due to the risk to participants, challenge trials present an opportunity to study viral infections in detail­—and, according to scientists interviewed, the new study results show such trials can be done safely and lay the groundwork for more in-depth studies of vaccines, antivirals, and immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The HIV treatment Cabenuva has been approved by the FDA for use every two months, reducing treatments to only six times a year. The injectable treatment was first approved last year for use once a month, offering an alternative to antiretroviral regimens that require daily pills. The updated approval is based on data from a phase 3b study that showed dosing of Cabenuva every other month was non-inferior to monthly dosing and that rates of virologic suppression were similar for dosing monthly or every two months. Cabenuva is a combination of cabotegravir and rilpivirine, forming a complete regimen for HIV-1 infection in adults who are virologically suppressed on a stable antiretroviral regimen with no history of treatment failure.

About the author

Anna KovacevichGHTC

Anna Kovacevich is a senior program assistant at GHTC who supports GHTC's communications and member engagement activities.