Infectious Diseases

Cidara conferred global rights to its novel antifungal to marketing partner, Mundipharma, while reacquiring a flu prophylaxis it licensed to J&J in 2021 and gaining $240m in new funding to back development.

Joincare Pharmaceutical and partner TaiGen Biotechnology tout preliminary Phase III results in uncomplicated acute influenza for TG-1000, a homegrown follower of Shionogi/Roche’s oral antiviral Xofluza. Novel antivirals for flu were hotly pursued by Chinese developers throughout 2023.

Shah Capital Management said Novavax could tap the estimated 100 million Americans uncomfortable with mRNA vaccines, such as those from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

Pfizer plans to use the positive Phase III data in adults 18-59 to expand use of the RSV vaccine.

Sales of the Swiss firm’s Zevtera are set to rocket after the beta-lactam antibiotic got approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. Now Basilea needs to sign up a commercial partner.

The sustainability of drugs that protect against antimicrobial resistance is on the edge without proper pull incentive models on a global scale. GARDP, Shionogi and a physician focused on infectious diseases explained why at a recent briefing in Tokyo.

Moderna still projects $4.5bn in R&D spending this year for its pipeline of 28 mRNA vaccines, including a COVID-19 vaccine with stronger immune response than Spikevax.

The Swiss major’s global health chief Lutz Hegemann tells Scrip on a trip to Rwanda that being a profitable enterprise while helping to improve access to new and older therapies for those who need it most is the real measure of a successful business.

BIO CEO panelist Rajeev Venkayya argued that the huge amount of investment in COVID-19 vaccines makes it possible for new players to challenge Comirnaty and Spikevax’s dominance.

Both groups have posted hits with similar novel antibiotics, and both have a lot riding on commercial success.

Its mRNA-based RSV vaccine challenger has a more convenient administration than GSK and Pfizer’s frontrunners, but may not compete on durability of protection.

Lotilaner, the active ingredient in Tarsus’s Demodex blepharitis drug Xdemvy, showed significant ability to kill ticks in a small Phase IIa study. Analysts call the Lyme program a likely out-licensing opportunity for Tarsus.