Barcelona Institute for Global Health

Survey reveals that infectious disease experts see the need to address gaps in surveillance programs to identify emerging pathogens, public health funding and testing infrastructure capabilities They point to viral pathogens and mosquito-borne pathogens as likely to spark outbreaks as humans, animals and viruses overlap; and new viruses are as concerning as changes to existing viruses Experts believe robust tracking of changing insect range, animal habitats and their migrations and extreme weather events are important to understanding infectious diseases and changing risk patterns ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Sept. 17, 2024 — Abbott announced the findings of a new survey among leading infectious disease experts around the world on the state of pandemic preparedness and found that while most agree that preparation has improved since the COVID-19 pandemic, respondents say significant gaps remain in building surveillance programs to identify emerging pathogens, public health funding and having adequate testing infrastructure capabilities.1 The survey, commissioned by the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition, asked more than 100 experts in virology, epidemiology and infectious diseases around the world about their priorities for addressing the gaps in readiness for disease outbreaks, their views on how the changing environment is impacting infectious diseases, and their suggestions for building a resilient healthcare system capable of identifying and responding to emerging disease outbreaks around the world. "Just as scientists have developed sophisticated monitoring systems to track emerging storms and hurricanes, our job as virus hunters is to identify pathogens that have the potential to spark outbreaks in order to stay one step ahead," said Gavin Cloherty, Ph.D., head of infectious disease research at Abbott and head of the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition. "Disease surveillance acts as our radar, helping us prioritize which viruses are most likely to trigger an outbreak and where those outbreaks may occur." When asked to classify the types of pathogens that are most likely to start outbreaks:1 Respondents were evenly split on whether a new pathogen (50%) or changes in a known disease (50%) were a bigger threat for large-scale outbreaks. Nearly all (94%) believe viral pathogens are most likely to lead to widespread outbreaks, followed by bacteria, fungal and parasitic infections. A pathogen that is highly transmissible, a novel virus with no tests, treatments or vaccines available, and a virus that can transmit silently are the factors most likely to accelerate a local outbreak into an epidemic or pandemic; a known pathogen that's now drug resistant to treatments, a virus that causes high mortality, or one with high morbidity were less likely. The survey also asked infectious disease experts their perspective on the impact changes in the climate could have on the severity and frequency of infectious disease outbreaks, including extreme weather events and where insects and animals live. Experts identified mosquito-borne pathogens (61%) as representing the greatest threat to human health as the climate changes, compared to avian (21%), animal (14%) or tick-born (4%) pathogens.1 Viruses from mosquitoes – including dengue fever, Zika virus, West Nile virus and malaria – are common in tropical areas, including Latin America, Africa and Asia. Scientists are finding that warming temperatures and more flooding are pushing mosquitos that can carry these diseases to new places. Scientists predict that 1.3 billion people could be impacted by Zika by 2050 and 61% of the world’s population could be impacted by dengue by 2080.2-3 The survey results showed that infectious disease experts believe that robust tracking of changing insect ranges, animal habitats and their migrations, and extreme weather events are important to understand changing risk patterns for infectious diseases. "Temperature increases and extreme weather events are impacting how humans, animals and insects interact and we are finding mosquito-borne viruses in new places," said Jorge Osorio, DVM, Ph.D., M.S., a professor and director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and co-director of the Colombia-Wisconsin One Health Consortium. "As these viruses appear in more parts of the world, we need a globally coordinated effort to share learnings from countries who have been successfully managing these illnesses, as well as ensuring that effective surveillance and countermeasures are in place." As part of the survey, respondents were asked to share their priorities for addressing the most urgent gaps in the world’s current state of readiness. Surveillance programs to identify emerging pathogens, funding for public health infrastructure, testing infrastructure capabilities, increasing the numbers of epidemiologists and frontline workers, and diagnostic test development were cited as the top five areas for investment.  Private-public partnerships like the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition, a network of more than 20 scientific and public health organizations around the globe, are focused on identifying, tracking and responding to known and emerging disease outbreaks to help prevent the next pandemic. The Coalition also partners with other entities such as the Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID) Network, the Global Virus Network (GVN) and the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET), who have an ongoing commitment to pandemic preparedness, including training the next generation of epidemiologists and having an early detection and rapid response to outbreaks. Informed by the findings from the survey, members of the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition recommend focusing on three priorities to maintain and strengthen the ability to manage local, regional and global infectious disease outbreaks: The Need to Address Gaps: Public health systems need surveillance programs to quickly identify new pathogens and outbreaks using the diverse set of tools available. Funding for public health should be available to sustain these programs and help train the next generation of virus hunters who help identify and respond to outbreaks as well as educate the public on infectious diseases.​ Know What We’re Looking For: While every outbreak is important to understand, only some have the potential to spark national, regional or global health concerns. Understanding the profile that presents the most risk enables the healthcare community to calibrate efforts to protect public health.​ As viruses are discovered in new locations, it’s important for the medical community and the general public to know what viruses may be circulating, pointing to the need to continue strengthening surveillance and education efforts. Understand the Changing Environment: Experts are nearly unanimous in their view that the evolving way humans, animals and insects overlap and interact will change the dynamics of infectious disease outbreaks. Continued research and investments in new technology are needed to help understand how those dynamics are at play locally – old diseases in new regions, acceleration of routes of transmission – to help guide more effective preparation. About the Survey: The Pandemic Preparedness Survey was commissioned by the members of the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition to understand the views of the epidemiologists and disease surveillance experts on the current state of pandemic preparedness. Invitations to participate in the online survey were distributed to more than 400 experts at Coalition member institutions, the Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID) Network, the Global Virus Network (GVN), the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET), as well as other academic research institutions. 103 experts fully completed the survey. The survey was conducted between April 2024 and June 2024 and participation was voluntary and anonymous. About Abbott: Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. Connect with us at www.abbott.com and on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X and YouTube. 1APDC Pandemic Preparedness Survey. Full report available on Abbott.com. 2Smith, P. et al. (2024). Climate change impacts on global biodiversity. Global Change Biology, 30(2), 123-145. https://doi-org.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/10.1111/gcb.15384 3Brown, L et al. (2019). Microbial interactions in the human gut. Nature Microbiology, 4(8), 1234-1245. https://doi-org.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/10.1038/s41564-019-0476-8

WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-Lyndra Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company working to make daily pills a thing of the past, today announced it has dosed the first participant in its Phase 1 clinical trial investigating oral biweekly ivermectin (LYN-163) to fight malaria. Lyndra’s LYNX™ drug delivery platform makes oral biweekly ivermectin possible. Combined with existing malaria control strategies, the World Health Organization (WHO) believes that ivermectin, an antiparasitic medicine, may provide a valuable tool in the fight to eradicate malaria in communities where the disease is endemic.1 By delivering a steady dose of drug for two weeks with a single oral administration, oral biweekly ivermectin may reduce the rate of malaria transmission, thereby providing protection for an entire community. Lyndra has received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop and test oral biweekly ivermectin as part of the foundation’s strategic goal to achieve a world free of malaria. “The initiation of this Phase 1 trial marks the first time a single oral dose is able to deliver drug steadily for two weeks – another milestone in Lyndra’s efforts to reduce the dosing frequency of oral medicines with our LYNX drug delivery platform,” said Dr. Richard Scranton, Chief Medical Officer of Lyndra Therapeutics. “Two-week oral dosing is a vital step toward providing medicine that may help rid the world of malaria and serve as a model for future long-acting oral medicines for other critical global and public health needs.” Additional investment and innovations in malaria eradication strategies are needed, with an estimated 241 million cases of malaria and ~627,000 malaria-related deaths worldwide in 2020. Approximately 95% of cases and 96% of deaths are in the WHO African Region.2 Included on the WHO’s List of Essential Medicines, ivermectin has been approved for human use since 1987 to treat a variety of parasitic diseases. In-vitro and clinical studies, as well as modeling based on these studies,3 shows that ivermectin may help reduce the spread of malaria by killing mosquitoes that ingest blood containing targeted levels of the drug.4 “Despite the fact that malaria is preventable and treatable, it remains one of our most serious global health problems,” said Dr. N. Regina Rabinovich, ExxonMobil Malaria Scholar in Residence at Harvard University and Director of the Malaria Elimination Initiative at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). “Our current malaria control strategies are failing; new vector control strategies are needed. Ivermectin has shown promise to kill mosquitoes that spread malaria. A long-acting oral formulation that is easy to administer could help provide protection to entire communities. If these strategies are effective, they can change the trajectory of malaria control and make eradication a feasible goal.” The initiation of this Phase 1 clinical trial for oral biweekly ivermectin is just one demonstration of Lyndra’s commitment to developing innovative solutions to some of the most vexing challenges in healthcare with its game-changing LYNX drug delivery platform. Pivotal trials for Lyndra’s lead asset, oral weekly risperidone (LYN-005), are planned to initiate in 2022 and a Phase 1a clinical trial for Lyndra’s oral weekly levomethadone (LYN-014) for the treatment of opioid use disorder is scheduled to begin this year. About Oral Biweekly Ivermectin (LYN-163) Lyndra’s investigational long-acting oral biweekly ivermectin (LYN-163), enabled by Lyndra’s LYNX™ drug delivery platform, is being studied as a tool in the fight to eradicate malaria. Malaria-carrying mosquitoes die if they ingest blood containing targeted levels of ivermectin; therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for the study of ivermectin for malaria control. Oral biweekly ivermectin may help to eliminate malaria when dosed to adults in areas where malaria is endemic, by maintaining a steady plasma concentration of ivermectin for two weeks after a single dose, giving it the potential to reduce transmission and disease incidence throughout an entire community. Combined with existing malaria control strategies, oral biweekly ivermectin could help turn the tide in the global fight against the disease. Lyndra’s LYNX™ Drug Delivery Platform The LYNX™ drug delivery platform is the most significant advance in oral drug delivery in decades, creating medicines that last for a week or longer in an oral dosage form. A key aspect of the platform is the ability to deliver the drug consistently, minimizing peaks and troughs of drug levels compared to daily medicine. Based on technology invented in the Langer Lab, the LYNX platform has progressed rapidly since 2015 through preclinical and early human studies and achieved proof of concept of the platform and lead asset in a recently completed Phase 2 study. The LYNX platform is modular and scalable and can incorporate virtually any oral therapies – including approved drugs and those currently in development – offering the potential to increase adherence and improve health outcomes, while also freeing people from the burden of daily pills and simplifying their lives. About Lyndra Therapeutics Lyndra Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering long-acting oral therapies. Lyndra is focused on commercializing therapies in central nervous system (CNS) disorders, which would most benefit from dramatically reduced dosing frequency. Lyndra’s lead product candidate, oral weekly risperidone (LYN-005), is being developed for the treatment of people living with schizophrenia and bipolar 1 disorder. The company is also committed to advancing its platform to tackle major public health and global health challenges, with therapies that include oral weekly levomethadone and oral weekly buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, a monthly oral contraception pill and oral biweekly ivermectin for malaria eradication. Since the founding of Lyndra, the company’s partners have included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the NIH, AbbVie and Gilead Sciences, Inc. Lyndra is headquartered in Watertown, MA and has a state-of-the-art GMP manufacturing facility in Lexington, MA.

A study provides new evidence on the adverse effects of prenatal exposure to ethylene oxide (EO) on fetal development. The results show that increased EO exposure in utero is associated with a reduction in birth weight and head circumference in newborns. A study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, provides new evidence on the adverse effects of prenatal exposure to ethylene oxide (EO) on foetal development. The results, published in Epidemiology, show that increased EO exposure in utero is associated with a reduction in birth weight and head circumference in newborns. Ethylene oxide is a chemical used in various industrial processes and in hospitals, is known for its mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. Human exposure to EO is mainly through inhalation of tobacco smoke and air pollution produced from various household products, including cleaning and personal care products. Workers in the healthcare and chemical industries are particularly exposed to this substance, which is commonly used in sterilisation processes. Previous studies have found that women exposed to higher levels of EO at work during pregnancy had a higher risk of miscarriage and premature birth than those with lower exposure. This new study focused on pregnant women and newborns in the general population, rather than a specific population with known high levels of EO exposure. The research team looked at the levels of EO hemoglobin (Hb) adducts in the cord blood of 1,106 newborns from 5 countries: Greece, Spain, Norway, UK and Denmark. This measurement provides valid information on the amount of EO the foetus was exposed to during the last three months of pregnancy, which may help to better understand potential adverse effects on foetal development and birth outcomes. The study used data from the NewGeneris project, which aimed to study genotoxic exposures in the environment on children's health by measuring several biomarkers in cord blood. Information on birth weight, head circumference, sex and gestational age was obtained from maternity records. Higher exposure, lower birth weight and smaller head circumference The results of the study showed that median levels of EO-Hb adducts in the umbilical cord were higher in smoking mothers compared to non-smoking mothers. Higher levels of hemoglobin adducts were associated with lower birth weight. Specifically, mean birth weight decreased by 3.30 grams with each 10 pmol/g increase in hemoglobin adducts. Increasing levels of hemoglobin adducts were also associated with a decrease in head circumference. "Reduced head circumference has been linked to delayed neurodevelopment, and reduced birth weight increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis," says Barbara Harding, ISGlobal researcher and first author of the study. The team found no evidence of an association between EO Hb adduct levels and the risk of being small for gestational age (SGA), a condition that can compromise a baby's short and long-term health. "The study results highlight the importance of addressing EO exposure in both occupational and non-occupational settings. Policy changes to reduce EO exposure in vulnerable populations, such as women of childbearing age, could protect foetal health and improve birth outcomes," says Manolis Kogevinas, ISGlobal researcher and senior author of the study.