💊 Africa maps AMR; Vietnam approves swine fever shots; UN Sec-Gen bemoans broken food systems

#391 | Another malaria shot in the works; The perks of wasting; Beneficial bacteria give themselves to the dark side

Hello, and welcome back to The Kable! Let’s start by getting done with the one lonely Big Pharma story in today’s edition. Bristol Myers Squibb has invested $35 million in Immatics, which is involved in the discovery and development of T-cell redirecting cancer immunotherapies.

India and Argentina have entered a bilateral agreement to exchange young researchers and startups, especially in the fields of biotech and agriculture. India also expressed interest in collaborating in other areas, including bio-enzymes.

A French clinical-stage biotech, whose name seems to be inspired by an American rock band, has produced its first batch of PanCov – a next-gen vaccine which can protect against Covid and other coronaviruses. Clinical trials are set to begin in early 2024.

What’s a Kable without news of the US FDA issuing warning letters to Indian pharma companies? This time, Centaur Pharmaceuticals is in the line of fire for cleaning and cGMP compliance issues.

In Abu Dhabi, a man tested positive for the older cousin of Covid, MERS last month. No secondary infections have been reported so far.

Meanwhile, as Covid recedes, sales of respiratory drugs and anti-infectives are also falling. India’s pharma market is feeling the burn.

The Serum Institute of India isn’t feeling the pain, though, as the government has approved the export of its BCG vaccine to Canada to treat bladder cancer.

Countries around the world are reporting the spread of a Neisseria gonorrhoea clone which is highly resistant to existing treatment options. Syphilis and congenital syphilis are also on the rise, with a shortage of benzathine penicillin used to treat it exacerbating the situation. The WHO has released its latest guidance on improving the surveillance, testing and diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections.

In Nigeria, suspicions of anthrax on an animal farm have turned out to be true; the Federal Government has officially confirmed the country’s first case in recent years.

And finally, the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) isn’t blind to the plight of trachoma patients in Ethiopia. QFFD is partnering up with the eye care charity Orbis to control the spread of the blindness-causing disease in the East African country.

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