💊 Roche and Alnylam's hypertension collab; WHO warns of dengue's pandemic potential; The Gambia's push for pharma quality

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Hi there. Welcome back to The Kable. Today, Switzerland’s Roche has entered a $310 million partnership with the US-based Alnylam to jointly develop and commercialise hypertension therapy Zilebesiran for people with high cardiovascular risk.

The Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute (IEICI) has inked an MoU with Hong Kong-based UMP Healthcare Innov Centre. The goal is to promote Israeli scientific research, encourage startups in medicine and healthcare in Hong Kong, and enhance cooperation in medtech and health tech between the countries. The IEICI also signed a collaboration pact with the Hong Kong Medical and Healthcare Device Industries Association.

Japanese medtech Olympus Corporation has launched the “Kenya Endoscopy Human Research Development Support Project for the Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Diseases”. Quite a self-explanatory name. Do we need to say more?

The US now has a brand new Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy. Again, a self-explanatory name. The Office, led by the retired Air Force major general who helped lead the Pentagon’s Covid response, will also take over the work of the President’s current Covid and mpox response teams.

A Biocon Biologics subsidiary has received 8 observations in a Form 483 issued by the US FDA after the agency inspected its insulin manufacturing facility in Malaysia. Biocon is confident that it can address these observations promptly.

The WHO has published an Intersectoral Global Action Plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders, outlining the actions required to improve access to care and treatment for affected people.

The WHO has also issued new guidance on the role of HIV viral suppression to improve individual health and press the brakes on transmission. The Lancet has also released an accompanying systematic review.

In Tanzania, the government is in talks with healthcare sector stakeholders to produce sickle cell medicine locally, establish a sustainable supply chain for the medicine, and improve access and affordability.

In Nigeria, 80 deaths have been confirmed in the ongoing diphtheria outbreak.

And finally, with 2,292 cases and 9 deaths in the 24 hours ending Sunday morning, Bangladesh has recorded its highest number of dengue-related hospitalisations in a single day.