Top 5 Infectious Disease News Stories Week of March 29-April 5

VX-01 Monoclonal Antibody Targets Mucormycosis by Blocking Angioinvasion

VX-01 is a humanized monoclonal antibody developed by Ashraf S Ibrahim, PhD, and his team to target mucormycosis, a severe fungal infection that primarily affects immunocompromised individuals. Unlike traditional antifungal treatments, VX-01 prevents fungal angioinvasion, blocking the fungus from infiltrating blood vessels and tissues, which is crucial to its lethality. Developed from a murine antibody, VX-01 has shown to be significantly more effective in binding to CotH proteins, essential for the fungus’s invasion of host cells. Preclinical studies indicate that when used alongside antifungal drugs, VX-01 leads to better treatment outcomes. With no detectable damage to host cells in safety evaluations, VX-01 offers a promising and safer adjunctive treatment for mucormycosis, particularly as cases rise due to the global diabetes epidemic and immunocompromised patient populations.

WHO Issues First Reports on Diagnostics, Therapies For Fungal Infections

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published two reports addressing the growing challenges related to fungal infections, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The reports highlight the insufficient pipeline of new antifungal treatments and diagnostics, as well as the increasing resistance to first-line therapies like fluconazole, especially for fungi such as Candida auris. Despite the presence of nine antifungals in clinical development, only a few are in advanced stages, and there is an urgent need for more effective treatments and safer options to reduce adverse effects and hospital stays. The diagnostics report emphasizes the lack of accessible, rapid, and affordable fungal testing, particularly in LMICs, where healthcare infrastructure often limits diagnostic capabilities. The WHO calls for increased global surveillance, financial incentives for drug discovery, and the expansion of research into new fungal treatment targets to address these critical gaps.

Bayesian Dosing in Antimicrobial Therapy: Impact on Patient Safety and Hospital Efficiency

Bayesian dosing is revolutionizing antimicrobial therapy management, particularly for medications requiring therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), according to Sharmeen Roy, PharmD, BCPS, chief strategy and science officer at DoseMe. Roy explains that Bayesian dosing optimizes treatment by automating pharmacokinetic calculations, allowing for individualized therapy that improves target attainment and reduces toxicity risks, such as acute kidney injury. This precision approach not only enhances patient safety but also streamlines hospital operations, leading to reduced lab draws and decreased resource usage across multiple departments. While vancomycin is currently the most widely used medication in Bayesian dosing, expanding this technique to other drugs, like β-lactams and antifungals, remains challenging. However, as more hospitals recognize its benefits, Bayesian dosing adoption is growing, improving patient outcomes and hospital efficiency.

Investigational Oral Biologic Achieves 100% C difficile Clinical Cure in Preliminary Cohort

Lumen Bioscience's investigational oral biologic, LMN-201, has demonstrated a 100% clinical cure rate for C difficile infection (CDI) in the sentinel cohort (Part A) of its RePreve clinical trial. In this initial cohort of 21 patients, all achieved clinical resolution, surpassing the 80% cure rate observed in previous large-scale studies. LMN-201 targets both the C difficile bacterium and its toxin, showing promise in reducing recurrence rates, with only one patient (4.76%) experiencing CDI recurrence within 28 days. The biologic, developed using Lumen's proprietary spirulina-based system, will undergo further testing in the trial's main cohort to evaluate its sustained clinical cure potential over an extended dosing period.

AASLD/IDSA Develop a New Algorithm for Hepatitis C Point of Care Testing and Treatment

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) have introduced a new “screen and treat” algorithm for hepatitis C (HCV), designed to streamline diagnosis and treatment into a single patient visit. Andrew Aronsohn, MD, from the University of Chicago Medical Center, explains that this approach aims to remove barriers to care, particularly for vulnerable populations facing challenges such as addiction, transportation issues, and homelessness. The algorithm outlines key steps for clinicians, including rapid point-of-care HCV RNA testing, immediate medication distribution for those who test positive, hepatitis B screening, and follow-up testing to confirm viral clearance. Aronsohn emphasizes that while this new model is not applicable to all patients, it provides an efficient option for expanding HCV treatment access and reducing loss to follow-up in high-risk populations.