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Interested in more global health innovation news? Every week GHTC scours media reports worldwide to deliver essential global health R&D news and content to your inbox. Sign up now to receive our weekly R&D News Roundup email. Pfizer and BioNTech last week reported promising early-phase data on an mRNA combination vaccine against COVID-19 and influenza and announced plans to start a phase 3 trial of the vaccine, following Moderna’s similar announcement for its combination vaccine earlier this month. Moderna’s trial began last week, with Pfizer and BioNTech’s likely to start in the coming months as well. A combination vaccine for COVID-19 and influenza has the potential to greatly reduce the burden of these respiratory viruses on patients, providers, and health care systems, underscoring why these companies and the broader research community have placed a greater focus on combination vaccines coming out of the pandemic.At the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) last week, the World Health Organization reported the results of a major evaluation of a pilot rollout in three African countries of RTS,S, the first approved malaria vaccine, showing positive findings about the lives it has already saved. RTS,S cut deaths among young children by 13 percent over nearly four years and cut cases of severe malaria by 22 percent among kids young enough to have received a three-shot regimen. The RTS,S vaccine is notably not a perfect tool, given the limited durability of its protection and lower efficacy, but health experts say this data makes a strong case for broader rollout of RTS,S and the potential of integrating the second approved malaria vaccine, R21, into multipronged efforts to fight malaria.A research team at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has shown for the first time that human volunteers can be safely and effectively infected with Zika virus, which could benefit research efforts to gain a greater understanding of the disease and to develop vaccines and treatments to use against it, as none currently exist. This controlled human infection model is useful for research because during the 2015-2016 outbreak, researchers were unable to test experimental products in time before the epidemic subsided, and since, there have not been any large outbreaks. The new model is controversial but has been ruled by US regulators and the World Health Organization as safe and scientifically important.

At GHTC, we get to read stories every day about incredible innovations in global health. Most of the technologies we see are inventive, some are revolutionary, and a few are so unusual, one might think they were ripped from the pages of a science fiction novel. Now, we’re testing how well you know these global health technologies with our annual Halloween game: the TRICK or TREATment quiz.For each question, we will present a description of a global health technology. Choose TREATment if you believe this innovation exists. Choose TRICK if you think we are trying to pull one over on you and, instead, the product is still in development or is just a figment of our imagination. 

Interested in more global health innovation news? Every week GHTC scours media reports worldwide to deliver essential global health R&D news and content to your inbox. Sign up now to receive our weekly R&D News Roundup email. Johnson & Johnson on Friday presented new data showing that its pill for dengue fever appeared to protect against a form of the virus in a small human challenge trial done with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, providing hope for the first-ever specific treatment for dengue, which is a growing threat around the world due to climate change. The pill, which is the first-ever drug to show antiviral activity against dengue, will also be tested as a treatment method. If the drug is successful in larger-scale trials, ensuring access to the new drug in low- and middle-income countries —especially as the threat of dengue rises in high-income countries alike—will be essential to effectively tackle the disease around the world.The Sabin Vaccine Institute has launched a phase 2 clinical trial for its vaccine candidate against Marburg virus, a lethal filovirus for which there are currently no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved. The trial will take place in Kampala, Uganda, which has experienced various Marburg outbreaks in the past few decades. The single-dose candidate was previously found to be safe and elicit rapid and robust immune responses in phase 1 clinical and non-clinical studies. The ChAd3 platform, which forms the basis of the Marburg vaccine candidate, also undergirds Sabin's Sudan ebolavirus vaccine candidate, which recently received US funding for phase 2 clinical trials. The need for a vaccine against both deadly diseases has been brought to the fore by recent outbreaks.Last week, Gilead Sciences Inc. announced PURPOSE 5, the first phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate an investigational, long-acting HIV prevention option in Europe. Lenacapavir for HIV prevention, compared with a currently used drug combination, could offer a fewer-dose, long-acting solution to individuals who could benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Lenacapavir, which can be administered as a twice-yearly injection, is currently approved in combination with other antiretrovirals for HIV treatment in people with multidrug-resistant HIV-1 infection. The study has an intentional focus on recruiting participants who are disproportionately affected by HIV and often underrepresented in clinical trials, given the importance of making available a variety of HIV prevention methods to meet the diverse needs of those who could benefit from PrEP.

GHTC responded to Senator Bill Cassidy's (R-LA) request for information (RFI) on modernizing the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Dear Senator Bill Cassidy, We write to you today representing the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC), a group of more than 45 nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and aligned businesses advancing policies to accelerate the creation of new drugs, vaccines, diagnostics, and other health tools to bring healthy lives within reach for all people. It is with this perspective that we intend to contribute input on opportunities to continue modernizing the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After navigating the challenges and learning from the unprecedented impact of the recent pandemic, CDC has initiated a series of strategic policy changes and organizational realignments, as well as established new program areas to fortify its preparedness against future threats. These proactive measures directly address perceived gaps in CDC’s capabilities and warrant acknowledgment through robust intergovernmental support and adequate funding. One of CDC's notable strengths lies in the exemplary work of its global health-related program areas. Notable among these are the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), the Global Health Center (GHC), and the expansive efforts encompassed within the Global Health Security initiatives conducted by the organization. Regarding Fostering Innovation and Collaboration, the CDC should continue and expand its work through GHC. GHC provides expertise on immunizations, disease eradication, and public health capacity-building around the globe through its Global Divisions on HIV & TB, Public Health Protection, and Immunization. Among the far-reaching and high-impact work of GHC, one main priority is to “research, develop, and evaluate new tools and approaches to combat global health threats.” As a global hub for infectious disease research, GHC is uniquely equipped to develop and validate tools for disease surveillance and diagnosis. These tools are critical for both tracking events of public health importance, such as emerging infectious diseases, and monitoring the impact of US global health programs in settings that might otherwise have limited data collection capacity. CDC also provides vital scientific and technical support to interagency initiatives, including the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the President’s Malaria Initiative. GHC is a great example of, from question 4 under the RFI’s Improving Upon What Works Well, “How can CDC improve linkages between in-country staff and program staff in CDC’s U.S. offices? What would be the benefit of improving these linkages?” Strengthening the global work of CDC would provide US citizens in lower-resourced, remote, and rural settings with health innovations that are fit for use, as well as provide early warning of disease threats that could reach US shores. Similarly, NCEZID and its newest sub-department, previously housed within GHC, the Department of Parasitic Disease and Malaria, uses its globally relevant research and collaborations to inform domestic responses to outbreaks and infections. This work has gained heightened significance in the wake of reports of locally transmitted malaria cases in Florida, Texas, and Maryland. The looming threat of various infectious diseases making their way to the United States underscores the need for continued vigilance. This is a challenge actively monitored by NCEZID, particularly through its Office of Advanced Molecular Detection. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies, such as DNA sequencing and advanced computing, the office delves into the intricate biology of infectious diseases to provide insights pivotal to the development of diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines. For instance, the office has played a vital role in determining the genetics of Ebola and Zika, as well as tracking COVID-19 variants. The agency’s wastewater surveillance programs have also provided pivotal insights into the scale of viral circulation in communities and the spread of COVID-19 variants; yet since this work was funded through emergency appropriations, these programs will run out of funding by fiscal year 2025 unless Congress appropriates sustainable yearly funding. As for Mechanisms to Modernize, the CDC is undergoing rapid and far-reaching improvements and modernization procedures that advocates are excited to see bear fruit. As it stands, the changes are too fresh to reap benefits, but the vision set forth by Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Dr. Mandy Cohen is coming into focus and addresses many of the questions posed in the RFI. One of the changes already mentioned—placing the Department of Parasitic Disease and Malaria under NCEZID – brings the global and domestic portfolios of parasitic diseases together, ensuring that tools and learnings mutually advance protection against parasitic diseases, both globally and in the United States. Other changes highlighted in the RFI like the Data Modernization Initiative and the moves to increase investments in the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Program’s work on electronic laboratory reporting require a longer runway to get off the ground before further policy changes can be seriously considered. While the RFI is well-researched and tackles pertinent issues from multiple angles, the global health community observes the changes being made with optimism, largely predicated on frequent consultation and discussion with CDC officials. It is the advice of GHTC to take these overhauls of past data and lab practices as a clear acknowledgment of the early mistakes made during the COVID-19 response. In addition to the aforementioned changes, CDC is taking on a new approach to how it conducts internal business and presents itself to the public. The idea, dubbed “One CDC,” means to unify what was once a more decentralized organization. By striving to talk with one unified voice, CDC is helping to solve a persistent challenge that the whole of the US government struggled with during COVID-19—unclear and too many streams of communication. Instituting more whole-of-organization approaches to communications around public health emergencies should be considered throughout the government. Ultimately, the pathway for tangible improvements within CDC, as envisioned by GHTC, lies in affording the agency the necessary space and financial resources to attain the ambitious goals set for itself, the United States, and the global community. Recognizing that these investments in CDC's global initiatives directly benefit American global health security is paramount. At a time when global health systems are under immense strain and cumulative gains against persistent threats like HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases risk erosion, safeguarding hard-won advancements demands substantial and sustained funding for all facets of CDC's global health activities. This comprehensive support is not only critical to mitigating potential setbacks but also ensures that Americans are shielded from a spectrum of both enduring and emerging health threats. We appreciate your attention to this matter and would be happy to collaborate further with the Senator’s office as action is taken to modernize CDC. Sincerely,  Alex Long  US Policy & Advocacy Officer