💉 Trade talks threaten medicine materialisation; Y chromosome unmasked; AbbVie drops ADCs from pipeline
#414 | Drug imports drop in Nigeria; Microplastics threaten the food chain; Mice learn to live long
Hello, and welcome back to The Kable for one last time this week. In what would normally be construed as positive news, pharmaceutical imports continue to plunge in Nigeria, with imports dropping 63% in the past two years. However, this is not due to increasing local production sadly. Instead, currency deflation is depressing both demand and import capacity for drugs, leaving many Nigerians resorting to traditional medicine options instead.
That story neatly segues into this opinion piece, calling for rapid development of Africa's pharma manufacturing capabilities. This piece may concern itself only with the continent's battle against HIV, but all the points mentioned there hold true for all diseases Africa is battling.
In India, doctors have been protesting proposed regulations mandating only generic drugs in their prescriptions. That proposal has now been put on hold in response to the strong pushback.
In Uzbekistan, kidney ailments must be a major concern. So major that an Indian company launched the world's largest dialysis centre there. Maybe they mistook it for Dubai?
And finally, ADCs might be all the rage, but someone forgot to give AbbVie that memo. AbbVie is dropping not one but two ADCs from its pipeline.
One week from Sunday, the 10th-anniversary edition of Pharmaconex, the beating heart of African pharmaceutical manufacturing that binds the entire supply chain in Egypt, will open doors to pharma folk around the world.
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The Week That Was
This has been a news-heavy week but devoid of too much heavy news.
On Monday, we reported how the WHO and the G20 India presidency announced a new Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH). Pronounced “guide”, GIDH will operate as a WHO-managed network to support the implementation of the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025, with the WHO serving as the Secretariat for the strategy implementation.
At the same meeting, the World Bank also launched a new report titled “Digital-in-Health: Unlocking the Value for Everyone”. The report highlighted the role that digital technology can play in not only increasing the reach of health services to underserved populations but also in improving health financing.
On Tuesday, a potential ray of light against Chikungunya. In a mice study, researchers uncovered that the chikungunya virus also induces infected cells to generate long, dramatic extensions with neighbouring cells. By making contact with an uninfected cell, the infected cell protects the virus from our immune action. Using this sneaky method, the infection spreads possibly even to joint tissues, resulting in sometimes long-lasting joint pain. Lifting the veil off this infection mechanism might be particularly important for vaccine development.
Also, Saudi Arabia now has its very own Saudi National Institute of Health (SNIH)! Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet announced that SNIH has been established to transform medical research and clinical trials at a national level.
On Wednesday, the WHO announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind online repository of evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) tools. This repository includes WHO tools and external tools used by the WHO to facilitate knowledge translation; it also highlights partner organisations involved in planning, managing, monitoring, and evaluating the process of evidence use and implementation.
So you thought Covid was over? Under the $5 billion Project NextGen, the US government said that it had awarded over $1.4 billion for the development of new Covid therapies and vaccines. This includes a $326 million contract with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals for a next-gen antibody therapy intended to prevent infections. There’s also another $1 billion for four mid-stage Covid vaccine clinical trials, $100 million for the non-profit Global Health Investment Corp, which invests in new tech to accelerate disease responses, and $10 million to J&J Innovation.
On an otherwise light news day on Thursday, the WHO announced a new guide on healthy food at sports events. This guide stems from a partnership the WHO had formed with Qatar's Ministry of Public Health and FIFA to promote healthier food choices during the men's football World Cup last year.
Newsworthy
Trade over therapeutics? In 2022, the European Union (EU) and India recommenced trade talks and the EU's proposal surprised activists by including intellectual property (IP) protections that surpassed globally accepted norms. These additions reignited concerns from a stalled 2013 negotiation round, where India had resisted similar stipulations. Advocates cautioned that these provisions could limit the accessibility of affordable medicines and medical products by extending the timeframe before the production of cost-effective generic alternatives could commence.
Trade discussions frequently broach the topic of IP protection enhancements, especially in regions where major pharmaceutical companies operate. The goal is often to expand IP protection periods to amplify industry profits. A pivotal guideline, the World Trade Organization’s 1995 TRIPS agreement, sets foundational IP protections, aiming to balance medicinal access and profitability from proprietary inventions. Nevertheless, pharma companies and their governmental allies advocate for stricter regulations, termed TRIPS-plus provisions. The EU's publicised documents indicate efforts to elongate patent durations, especially during regulatory certification and approval phases. They are also attempting to instate data exclusivity on crucial regulatory data required for patents, impacting the ease with which generic manufacturers can replicate products.
India supplies 20% of global generic medicines and is the primary pharmaceutical provider to Africa. Civil society groups have expressed concerns about these negotiations and their potential impact on the availability of affordable generic medicines. The secretive nature of the discussions means they're often left in the dark about ongoing deliberations and decisions. Although the EU argues that its proposals maintain the flexibility found in the TRIPS agreement, which enables countries to circumvent patents during health crises, there are worries about high-income nations imposing sanctions against those that exercise these rights. Furthermore, as the balance seemingly tips more towards IP protection, there's a rising call for innovative means to persuade companies to willingly share their technology, ensuring accessibility remains a priority. Activists are apprehensive that even if India stands firm, other nations might yield to stringent IP regulations, potentially compromising medicine accessibility for vast populations.
(Devex)
R&D
Mice get mole rat mojo. Researchers at the University of Rochester have successfully transferred a gene from naked mole rats, renowned for their longevity and resistance to age-related diseases, to mice, resulting in improved health and a 4.4% increase in their lifespan. The gene responsible for producing high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMW-HA), has been linked to the mole rats' unique cancer resistance. When mice were genetically modified to produce the mole rat version of the hyaluronan synthase 2 gene, which produces HMW-HA, they demonstrated greater protection against tumours, reduced inflammation, and enhanced gut health. This breakthrough suggests potential avenues for increasing human lifespan and combating inflammation-related diseases. The team is exploring methods to slow down the degradation of HMW-HA or boost its synthesis to potentially benefit human health and longevity.
(Nature)
Y chromosome: no longer MIA. The entire Y chromosome, often considered the most elusive part of the human genome, has been successfully mapped. Spearheaded by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the project saw collaboration from various institutions and used advanced sequencing technologies. This monumental achievement enhances sequencing accuracy for the chromosome, aiding in identifying certain genetic disorders and potentially revealing the genetic basis for others. While a comprehensive reference genome was generated previously, it lacked the complex Y chromosome. The recent study, built upon extensive prior Y chromosome data, used innovative technologies to assemble more than 62 million letters of the Y chromosome's genetic code. The newly sequenced Y chromosome can potentially illuminate unknown genes and their functions, enhancing our understanding of certain health conditions.
(Nature)
E. coli turns vaccine hero! Researchers from Griffith University have made significant progress in vaccine development by introducing a new stable particulate vaccine modality, currently in its early proof-of-concept stage. This synthetic vaccine, created using reprogrammed Escherichia coli cells, has been successfully tested alongside an established vaccine against Strep A, which is undergoing human trials in Canada. Notably, the new vaccine is ambient-temperature stable, making it especially suitable for regions without consistent refrigeration. The team believes this innovative approach has the potential to revolutionise the development of various vaccines.
(SSRN Electronic Journal)
The Kibble
Social media not guilty. Contrary to popular belief that an increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression may be correlated with the rise in social media usage, a longitudinal study monitoring 800 children from the age of 10 to 16 found no such connection. The study observed the participants through their transition from childhood to adolescence and evaluated symptoms of anxiety and depression through interviews with the children and their parents. The results, consistent for both genders and regardless of the type of social media activity (posting or liking/commenting), revealed that increased social media usage did not lead to a rise in symptoms. Although some previous studies have indicated a relationship between social media use and mental health, most correlations have been weak. Moreover, the study highlighted that while certain negative experiences might arise from social media, they can also offer a sense of community and support, potentially acting as a buffer against loneliness for those with fewer offline social connections. Anyway, catch us on LinkedIn.
(Computers in Human Behavior)
Bottom line
Plastic paves path for pesky pathogens. Modern farming extensively uses plastics, leading to a widespread dispersion of microplastics and nanoplastics in agricultural soils. While the prevalence of microplastics in ecosystems is already known, new research suggests that these micro- and nanoplastics in soil could foster antibiotic-resistant bacteria, introducing them directly into the food chain. These plastics can carry pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria into our food system. Plastics, being excellent adsorbents, attract and bind chemicals and microorganisms, creating biofilms. When bacteria on these plastics encounter unfamiliar chemical substances, they activate stress-response genes, potentially leading to resistance against various chemicals, including antibiotics. Additionally, nanoplastics, due to their size, can enter bacterial cells and present a unique type of stress.
While gene transfer between bacteria on microplastics has been observed in water, it remains hypothetical in soil. However, the difficulty in extracting microplastics from soil has made it a challenging area of study. Furthermore, foodborne pathogens from the soil can contaminate produce, but nanoplastics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria might infiltrate roots and plant tissues, making them irremovable. As the prevalence of microplastics is likely permanent due to their enduring nature, it becomes imperative to understand their impact on soil and the food system, promote awareness, and advocate for biodegradable plastic alternatives.
(Pathogens)
Oh, and Gopal Nair doesn't want you to see this.
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