Top 5 Infectious Disease News Stories Week of August 23-August 30

Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Gastrointestinal Infectious Diseases

MP Biomedicals has introduced a new series of in vitro diagnostic tests utilizing immunochromatographic technology to detect gastrointestinal pathogens, specifically Helicobacter pylori, Salmonella typhi, and Vibrio cholerae serogroups O1 and O139. These rapid diagnostic tools are designed to deliver accurate results quickly, thereby improving the capability of healthcare professionals to identify and manage gastrointestinal infections efficiently.

Monoclonal Antibody Reduces Symptomatic COVID-19 Risk by 84% in Immunocompromised

Invivyd’s investigational monoclonal antibody, pemivibart (Pemgarda), which received FDA emergency use authorization earlier this year, has demonstrated continued efficacy in preventing disease onset over a 6-month exploratory period in the patient population. Recent topline data from the ongoing CANOPY phase 3 clinical trial reveals that pemivibart significantly outperformed placebo in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. Participants treated with pemivibart had a 1.9% rate of confirmed symptomatic COVID-19, compared to 11.9% in the placebo group, reflecting an 84% relative risk reduction.

Concerns Over Mosquito-Borne Illness Causes Massachusetts Town to Create Curfew for Parks, Spraying in Counties

The town of Plymouth has decided to close its parks from dusk to dawn due to concerns over eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) following a case reported in the state. Updated August 28: In addition to a reported case in Massachusetts, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has confirmed the death of an individual from EEE, who was hospitalized with severe central nervous system disease. This is the first human EEE case in New Hampshire since 2014, when three infections, including two fatalities, were reported. The DHHS also noted a confirmed case in Vermont this summer.

Nestlé Health Science Aquires Global Rights to Vowst

Nestlé aims to enhance the global availability of Vowst, an FDA-approved therapy for healthcare-associated infections, while exploring new international opportunities for the product. Earlier this month, Nestlé Health Science announced an agreement to acquire global rights to Vowst from Seres Therapeutics, Inc., pending Seres' shareholder approval. This acquisition will give Nestlé full control over Vowst's development, commercialization, and manufacturing worldwide. Since its launch in June 2023, Nestlé has been marketing Vowst (fecal microbiota spores, live-brpk) in the U.S. This orally administered, microbiota-based therapy is designed to prevent the recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in adults after antibacterial treatment for recurrent CDI, a serious gastrointestinal infection that incurs significant healthcare costs, averaging $43,000 per patient annually.

Pfizer-06425090 C Diff Vaccine Falls Short on Primary Endpoint

The Phase 3 CLOVER trial evaluated the PF-06425090 vaccine for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). While the vaccine did not meet the primary goal of preventing CDI, it was safe and well-tolerated. It showed promise in reducing the duration of CDI symptoms, medical attention needs, and antibiotic use. Specifically, the vaccine reduced the median duration of CDI from 4 days to 1 day compared to placebo. The vaccine’s efficacy was 31% for those receiving three doses and 28.6% for those receiving two doses, although these figures had wide confidence intervals.