💉 BioMilk comes to Africa; Cadila Pharma goes to Russia; Bird flu? It's going everywhere

#521 | Gavi has a busy week; Say no to tobacco; Brush and floss twice a day

Jun 14, 2024

Hello, and welcome back to The Kable for yet another episode in the ongoing bird flu drama that ~~has~~should have the world in its grip.

First up though, a teeny-tiny bit of good news. The WHO has launched a new comprehensive framework with partners to guide the elimination of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) as a public health problem in eastern Africa by 2030. This initiative outlines five main strategies and sets ambitious targets, including a 90% reduction in VL cases and deaths, emphasizing early diagnosis, treatment, integrated vector management, effective surveillance, advocacy, and operational research.

In South Africa, the country has reported its first death from mpox with four other patients still in treatment.

This piece in Science describes how wild poliovirus has come back from nearly the dead to spread with renewed vigour across Pakistan and Afghanistan.

India's Torrent Pharma has received five observations in a Form 483 from the US FDA after an inspection at the company's manufacturing facility in Gujarat.

Speaking of Indian drugmakers, India's Cadila Pharma is investing over $100 million in setting up a production plant in Russia.

Oh and, Covid, it's still around. Still making waves (hehe). And the US is looking to invest up to $500 million for studies on oral and nasal vaccines for Covid.

Abu Dhabi's health ministry continues its recent spree of activity. This week, the agency is reporting a tie-up with Penn Medicine on translational research, a partnership with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to boost research in gene therapy and paediatric oncology, a genomics research partnership with Novartis, and a multilateral partnership to boost Abu Dhabi's position as a pharma and life sciences distribution hub.

And finally, the US CDC says at least two patients in the country have been detected with a new "dual mutant" H1N1 influenza strain, which may reduce the effectiveness of the antiviral oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Despite these mutations raising resistance to oseltamivir, the good news is that these viruses remain sensitive to other medications, and flu vaccinations still offer protection for now.

Stories Of The Week

And then there were four. A new WHO report reveals that just four industries - tobacco, ultra-processed foods (UPFs), fossil fuels, and alcohol - are responsible for over a third of global deaths annually, with Europe and Central Asia particularly affected. These industries not only cause significant health issues, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and diabetes, but also obstruct efforts to control these non-communicable diseases through aggressive marketing, lobbying, and misleading claims. The report calls for stronger regulations on harmful product marketing, increased transparency, and protection for vulnerable populations, emphasising the need to prioritise public health over profit. Easier said than done though. We're still in the throes of an ongoing pandemic but health agencies and organisations around the world would have us believe that it poses no threat anymore. But sure, tobacco, alcohol, fossil fuels and UPF industries will place public health and people over profit. And if you believe that, we have a bridge we'd like to sell you.
(WHO)

Don't forget to brush your teeth. Almost half the world's population is affected by oral diseases, which are growing faster than the population and cost an estimated $710 billion annually. Oral health remains a neglected global challenge, disproportionately affecting the vulnerable, and increasing risks of other diseases such as diabetes and stroke. The World Economic Forum's Oral Health Affinity Group (OHAG), in a recent report, emphasises the economic benefits of investing in oral health and integrating it into overall healthcare systems. Recommendations include making dental care more affordable through public health policies, improving oral health literacy, and ensuring employer-provided insurance covers oral health services.
(WEF)

Drink more milk. Belgian biotech Bio-Sourcing has partnered with South Africa's Afrigen Biologics to develop a pilot program for BioMilk, its new biotherapeutic platform, in South Africa. This initiative aims to improve access to biotherapeutics like monoclonal antibodies and insulin by reducing production costs and strengthening South Africa’s pharmaceutical sovereignty. The partners plan to create a joint entity for operations in South Africa, with interest from public funding bodies and potential investors. BioMilk promises to make essential medicines more affordable and accessible, addressing significant unmet medical needs in oncology and autoimmune diseases. What is BioMilk though? From what we've gathered, it looks like the milk of gene-edited goats. But wait... isn't all milk BioMilk though?
(ALA Associates)

A tale as old as time. Yes, it's that time of the week again. That time when we talk about bird flu. And as has been the norm for the past few weeks, there is quite a bit to unpack. The WHO confirmed the first human case of bird flu in India this year, a 4-year-old child from Kolkata who survived after 5 months of treatment. None of their contacts were reported to be infected. Interestingly, the human who was diagnosed with bird flu in Australia was reported to have contracted it on a trip to Kolkata earlier this year. However, the person who stayed behind in Kolkata had the H9N2 strain while the person who flew (hehe) to Australia contracted the more newsy H5N1 strain. In the US, in a study with ferrets, bird flu killed ferrets infected with it. Of slightly more concern might be the fact that ferrets in adjoining enclosures, with no contact with infected ferrets, also caught the infection. Of even more concern is the fact that ferrets are commonly used to mimic illnesses in humans. Also in the US, agencies are reporting even more cases of bird flu infections in mice and cats with no word yet on how mice are getting infected. Separately, the US is planning a study to see whether there might be respiratory spread of bird flu among cows. The WHO continues to say the risk to public health is low but has asked for intensified surveillance of animals. In Australia, one more farm fell victim to a bird flu outbreak, making it the sixth in two weeks. Experts in the US believe more bird flu spread could heighten the risk to humans while the former head of Gavi believes the US response so far has been woefully inadequate. Another report from the USDA suggests it will be a challenge to manage bird flu in dairy cows, pretty much in line with the report we'd shared last week which said the "strategy" is to wait it out. The good bit in all this is that at least we won't have to worry about equitable access to vaccines. The US has already signed a deal to hoard nearly 5 million vaccines for itself. Now, the EU has gone one further and signed a deal with CSL Seqirus to create a stockpile of 40 million vaccines for 15 countries. Experts around the world continue to sound the alarm over the possibility of a bird flu-induced pandemic. Read more here, here, here, and here.
(WHO, ABC, US CDC, WHO, Reuters, Reuters, Reuters, Stat, Stat, Fierce Pharma, Fortune, BMJ, CNN, Business Insider)

Agency Observer

All work and no play. Gavi had quite the busy week of it. Beginning with board approval of its five-year strategy to take the alliance through till 2030. The new plans include an expansion of Gavi's vaccine portfolio and expansion of existing programs. New vaccines being targeted include TB, group B streptococcus, dengue fever, mpox and hepatitis E. The expanded strategy also saw approval for the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator and a First Response Fund for use in the inevitable future pandemics. Gavi also launched programs for preventive Ebola, routine multivalent meningitis, human rabies, and hepatitis B birth dose vaccinations. And finally, Gavi, in partnership with the WHO and other partners, has expanded access to post-exposure human rabies vaccines in over 50 additional countries.
(Gavi, Gavi, Gavi)

Bottom line

The air that kills. A study by Nanyang Technological University found that between 1980 and 2020, air pollution led to 135 million premature deaths worldwide, with a significant rise during climate events like El Niño. The main culprit is PM2.5 pollutants from sources like wildfires and power plants, which cause severe health issues. Asia saw the highest death toll, especially in China and India. The study once again highlights the need for interventions during specific climate conditions to reduce these deaths, particularly as Southeast Asia is heavily impacted by multiple climate events.
(NTU)

Long reads

Gender bender. The Global Gender Gap Index annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. The latest Global Gender Gap Report 2024 says it will take 134 years to reach gender parity. A sobering read to take with you into the weekend.
(WEF)

Oh, and Gopal Nair doesn't want you to see this.