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A new study from a research team at Houston Methodist found that a new AI-powered tool could help accelerate the development of treatments targeting antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens, as the global threat of antimicrobial resistance continues to grow. The AI-based platform integrates machine learning with biologically informed features to evaluate and rank libraries of candidate peptides—small proteins that are part of the body’s immune system—based on their potential to address these bacterial pathogens. The researchers used the platform to identify a promising candidate peptide that demonstrated an ability to effectively target methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at low concentrations in lab tests.  Last week, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced an expanded collaboration to strengthen regulatory systems and pharmacovigilance programs across Latin America and the Caribbean, supporting rapid, equitable access to safe vaccines, including during pandemics. Specifically, the funding will support workforce training, enhanced collaboration among national regulatory authorities, and regulatory capacity-strengthening, enabling more efficient and aligned pathways toward the evaluation and approval of safe and effective vaccines during outbreaks. This collaboration builds on a broader partnership, first forged in 2024.  A Phase 3 trial conducted in India found that two tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidates did not show efficacy against all forms of TB, including pulmonary TB and latent TB, but they did demonstrate safety and offer limited protection against a more severe form of the disease. The PreVenTB trial, led by the Indian Council of Medical Research, evaluated the efficacy of VPM1002 and Immuvac, which represent 2 of the 16 vaccine candidates in the pipeline for TB aiming to become the first new vaccine for TB in more than 100 years. The only current licensed offers inconsistent protect against pulmonary TB in adults. 

GHTC sent public written testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittees on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS), urging policymakers to increase funding and include supportive policy directives for global health research and development in fiscal year 2027 (FY27) spending bills. Among other priorities, the testimony urges Congress to direct funding for the new Prevention, Treatment, and Response Initiative (PTRI) at the Department of State and appropriate robust funding for emerging infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

Last week, Shionogi announced that its US subsidiary has received a $119 million contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to boost production and advance development of a key antibiotic, helping improve US preparedness for future outbreaks of drug-resistant bacterial pathogens. Specifically, the funding will go toward the establishment of a US manufacturing site and procurement of cefiderocol, an antibiotic that has the ability to target difficult-to-treat, multidrug-resistant infections, which is already approved for several indications. The award will also fund the development of cefiderocol to respond to high-priority bacterial threats. In a newly published study, a Cornell University research team shared the results of a long-term study that could be a first step toward developing the first safe, reversible, long-acting, and 100 percent effective nonhormonal male contraceptive. In a proof-of-principle study in mice, the researchers targeted a natural checkpoint in meiosis, the reproduction process for sex cells, and were able to safely stop sperm production and, importantly, then recover normal meiosis and complete sperm function, with no impacts on other functions or on offspring. If this approach continues to demonstrate success in further studies, it could eventually be utilized in an every-three-month injection or patch contraceptive product. IAVI recently announced that the first participants have been vaccinated in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of its investigational vaccine for Marburg virus disease, a highly fatal, high-priority disease, which has been behind a growing number of outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years and for which there are no specific approved vaccines. In nonclinical studies, the candidate demonstrated consistently strong efficacy results: a single intramuscular vaccination protected 100 percent against lethal challenge with the virus. IAVI is simultaneously continuing to work with partners in sub-Saharan Africa to ensure the availability of candidate doses for evaluation during future Marburg outbreaks. 

IAVI recently announced the start of a first-in-human clinical trial evaluating a combination injection of four broadly neutralizing antibodies, with the aim of eventually developing a tool to prevent HIV transmission in infants during the postnatal period. The combination shot includes four antibodies that target different HIV receptors, including IAVI’s broadly neutralizing antibody ePGT121v1-LS. The current trial is evaluating safety, dosing, pharmacokinetics, durability, and efficacy in 118 adult participants across the United States and Peru, and, if successful, could pave the way for future studies in infants. A research team has identified a bacterium strongly associated with noma, a potentially fatal infection for which the underlying cause is poorly understood. The researchers used metagenomic sequencing and machine learning algorithms to analyze saliva samples from children with acute noma. They identified a bacterial species that may be responsible for the disease, which was detected in the early stages of infection and does not carry known antibiotic resistance genes, suggesting that infection could be effectively treated with existing antibiotics if detected early enough. These findings also pave the way for the development of diagnostic tools that can detect noma early on, when treatment is most effective and before irreversible damage has been done. Last week, Butterfly Network shared that it received regulatory clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration for its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ultrasound, offering a critical new tool to improve maternal care in low-resource settings with limited access to prenatal imaging. Compared to traditional ultrasounds that rely on expensive technology, the new device is more affordable and provides results in less than two minutes with fewer inputs. The tool has already been deployed in Malawi and Uganda, and this latest approval will enable its widespread rollout in the United States.