
<p><strong>Traditionally, Africa has been seen as a recipient of global health interventions rather than a leader in medical research, but Uganda’s Ebola vaccine trial is changing that narrative, and represents a major landmark for Africa’s scientific community.</strong></p>



<p>I<strong>n late January </strong>2025, a nurse at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda collapsed at work, showing symptoms that had been mistaken for malaria. Within days, he was dead. His diagnosis—confirmed only after his passing—was Ebola. His case became the first confirmed fatality in the outbreak, prompting health authorities in Kampala to declare an emergency and move swiftly to contain the virus before it spread further. It was the country’s first Ebola outbreak in two years.</p>



<p>The healthcare worker’s widow, a midwife named Afiya (<em>name changed to protect privacy</em>), was left to care for their two young children alone. She, too, tested positive for Ebola, along with the youngest child. “I was already in shock that my man had died. I thought, now the whole family is going to have Ebola, because I know how it spreads. I felt like God had betrayed me at that moment.” After several weeks in isolation and receiving treatment, Afiya and her one-year-old were discharged from hospital. But they returned to a community that no longer embraced them. Neighbors whispered, pointing at them in the streets, some actively avoided them. Sadly, so did family. “They turned against me,” she laments. “They sent away my people from the funeral, threatening them, telling them that I should never go back because I will get killed. I have not stepped there ever since. It’s been very traumatic.”</p>



<p>In Uganda, as in many parts of Africa, burial traditions involve washing and preparing the body—a practice that becomes particularly dangerous during an Ebola outbreak. The virus remains highly infectious—if not more so—after death, posing an extreme risk to those who come into contact with the body. To combat this, health officials have introduced “safe and dignified burials”, designed to allow families to grieve while minimizing contact with the deceased. However, implementing these measures has proven difficult, particularly in rural areas where traditional customs are deeply ingrained.</p>



<p>The outbreak that claimed the life of Afiya’s husband is now the focal point of a groundbreaking vaccine trial. The Sudan strain of Ebola, which has plagued Uganda for decades, is different from the better-known Zaire strain.</p>



<p>“Ebola has a number of strains. The major difference is in their genetic composition and immune response,” explains the Executive Director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Prof Pontiano Kaleebu.</p>



<p>The vaccine that successfully controlled the Zaire strain does not work against the Sudan variant, making this new vaccine an urgent necessity. While it mimics its predecessor with regards to minimal side-effects like mild fever and soreness at the injection site, the new inoculation is more conducive for use in African settings, as Prof Joseph Okeibunor, a scientist in the Emergency Prevention and Response Program at the World Health Organization (WHO), explains.</p>



<p>“Previous vaccines required ultra-cold storage between-60 degrees to -80 degrees centigrade. The new vaccine is designed to be stored between 2 to 8 degrees centigrade, aligning it more to our environment.”</p>



<p>Beyond the logistical and medical hurdles, there are for- midable challenges such as misinformation and distrust, compounded by the global wave of vaccine skepticism during the Covid-19 pandemic that has created an atmosphere where many people fear being part of a clinical trial.</p>



<p>“People think they are being used as guinea pigs. Some believe that vaccines are used to depopulate African countries. But, of course, the whole idea is to gather knowledge that will help us to improve health security for one and all,” says Okeibunor.</p>



<p>An aggressive awareness campaign has been launched, making use of radio announcements, venturing into churches and mosques, and leveraging community leadership. “A trusted message comes from a trusted messenger,” explains Dr Mosoka Fallah, Acting Director for the Science and Innovation Directorate at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).</p>



<p>“It’s about getting to the community, hearing from them, making them a part of the co-creation of the messages.”</p>



<p>In some areas, however, hesitancy remains. “Most Africans still believe in traditional healers, so they might go to them for the treatment of the virus,” Fallah notes. “Then by the time we pick it up in the healthcare facility, it’s already too late.” Even among those who understand the need for an Ebola vaccine, the idea of taking an experimental drug is daunting. “It’s difficult to get people to consent, especially in the middle of an outbreak when fear is high,” Kaleebu says. “We have to assure them that their safety is our top priority.”</p>



<p>Some healthcare workers have also been hesitant. “I encountered a doctor, a physician, who refused to be vaccinated in this very Ebola outbreak,” reveals Okeibunor. “He’s not actively telling others to avoid it, but he declined it himself.” Despite these challenges, the Ebola vaccine trial represents a major milestone for Africa’s scientific community. Traditionally, Africa has been seen as a recipient of global health interventions rather than a leader in medical research, but this trial is changing that narrative.</p>



<p>“This is an African-led initiative, with African researchers and institutions at the forefront,” Kaleebu declares. “If this vaccine proves effective, it could set the stage for Africa to take a leading role in dis- ease prevention, not just for Ebola but for other emerging diseases,” says Fallah. “We are devel- oping the expertise and infrastructure needed to respond to outbreaks quickly and effectively.” Uganda’s Ebola vaccine trial is more than just a response to the current outbreak—it is a sign of Africa’s growing capacity to tackle public health challenges on its own terms, as well as a testament to the resilience of communities like the one that Afiya and her children must nownavigate on their own. For her, the vaccine came too late to save her husband, but she hopes it will spare others the same pain. “I think about my loved one, I think about the responsibilities I was left with,” she says. “But if this vaccine can save lives, maybe his death won’t be in vain…”</p>


Stethoscope and syringe filled with drugs injecting the Ugandan flag

How Uganda’s Ebola Vaccine Trial Is Changing The Research Narrative


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Topline</h2>



<p>Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Monday he will tell the Centers for Disease and Prevention to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-4-7-2025#00000196-1249-d082-a9d6-5eeb01540000" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Associated Press</a>&nbsp;reported—following through on a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1852812012478398923" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">promise</a>&nbsp;he made while campaigning with President Donald Trump.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Kennedy, speaking to AP after a news conference in Salt Lake City, also told the news outlet he is assembling a task force for the issue.</p>



<p>While campaigning with Trump, Kennedy&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1852812012478398923" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said in a post on X</a>&nbsp;the White House would advise “all U.S​. water systems to remove fluoride from public water” because it is “associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease”—though he did not provide evidence for the connection.</p>



<p>Last month, Utah became the first state to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/03/28/utah-bans-fluoride-in-public-water/">ban fluoride</a>&nbsp;in public drinking water amid a recent surge of concern over the mineral additive, although public health officials have maintained it is safe.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Is Fluoride Dangerous?</h2>



<p>A&nbsp;<a href="https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/publications/monographs/mgraph08" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">systemic review</a>&nbsp;from the National Toxicology Program in HHS last year found fluoride concentrations that exceed the World Health Organization’s recommendations for drinking water quality “are consistently associated with lower IQ in children,” but the authors said more studies are needed to fully understand the impact. The same study said results did not “provide clarity on the association between fluoride exposure and cognitive or neurodevelopmental human health effects.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Is Fluoride’s Benefit?</h2>



<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ada.org/resources/community-initiatives/fluoride-in-water" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">American Dental Association</a>&nbsp;says fluoride is added to water to help prevent tooth decay. Fluoride is the most efficient way to prevent cavities and prevents against them at all ages, the ADA says, adding “the best scientific evidence has consistently shown that fluoridation is safe and effective.” The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/faq/index.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">CDC</a>&nbsp;currently recommends fluoride be used to prevent cavities, though it does not require fluoride be added to water and says it is “important to know the fluoride concentration of your main source of drinking water.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Background</h2>



<p>Americans began receiving fluoridated tap water at a large scale in the early 1950s, according to the CDC, which reported nearly three-quarters of Americans (74.6%) had fluoridated water in their public water systems by 2012. Kennedy has long opposed the use of fluoride, claiming it lowered IQ in children and caused bone conditions.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fluoride-in-water-health/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Health experts</a>&nbsp;have said the amount of fluoride needed to cause the conditions is higher than the level usually present in drinking water.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Further Reading</h2>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-4-7-2025#00000196-1249-d082-a9d6-5eeb01540000" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Live Trump administration updates: RFK Jr. says he plans to tell CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water</a>&nbsp;(Associated Press)</p>


Glass of Water

Kennedy Will Tell CDC To Stop Recommending Fluoride In Drinking Water, Report Says


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Federal investigators are investigating claims suggesting Pfizer delayed announcing test results of its Covid vaccine until after the 2020 presidential election, the Wall Street Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/pfizer-covid-vaccine-2020-election-probe-2f3ec247?mod=hp_lead_pos11" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reported</a>, bolstering a claim by President Donald Trump, who has said for years the company withheld vaccine results to impact his chances at reelection.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan is leading an investigation into claims by a scientist who used to work at Pfizer, who allegedly told colleagues and GSK that the company delayed announcing the success of its Covid vaccine until after the 2020 election, people familiar with the matter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/pfizer-covid-vaccine-2020-election-probe-2f3ec247?mod=hp_lead_pos11" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;the Wall Street Journal.</p>



<p>The scientist, Phil Dormitzer, who no longer works at GSK, reportedly denies making the allegations.</p>



<p>An investigation into the disputed comments follows claims by Trump, who&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1325961445062938625" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">alleged</a>&nbsp;in a series of social media posts that Pfizer “didn’t have the courage” to announce details about the company’s Covid vaccine until after Election Day in 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1325962203346972678" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">suggesting</a>&nbsp;without evidence Pfizer “didn’t want to have me get a Vaccine WIN” before the election.</p>



<p>Investigators have interviewed at least two people in the probe, including a GSK executive who took notes of a conversation with Dormitzer, and prosecutors are expected to soon interview a third person, the Journal reported.</p>



<p>Neither Dormitzer nor Pfizer immediately responded to requests for comment, though Pfizer told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-prosecutors-probe-tip-about-timing-pfizers-covid-vaccine-wsj-reports-2025-03-26/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Reuters</a>&nbsp;in a statement the company has “consistently and transparently reiterated the facts and the timeline” of its vaccine, arguing, “Theories to the contrary are simply untrue.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-did-pfizer-delay-the-release-of-its-covid-vaccine">Did Pfizer Delay The Release Of Its Covid Vaccine?</h2>



<p>Both Pfizer and its biotech partner BioNTech have denied claims the companies delayed the release of their Covid vaccine. Kathrin Jansen, a senior vice president at Pfizer and head of the company’s vaccine research and development,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/fact-check-no-evidence-supports-trump-s-claim-covid-19-vaccine-result-was-suppressed" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;the American Association for the Advancement of Science shortly after the 2020 election that Pfizer’s vaccine development was “never about politics” and the company “had no time and still have no time to deal with politics.” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/announcements/open-letter-pfizer-chairman-and-ceo-albert-bourla?linkId=102134275" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">suggested</a>&nbsp;in October 2020 the company would know whether its vaccine was effective by the end of the month, though he noted federal guidelines would likely delay Pfizer’s request for an expedited public release until at least the third week of November 2020. Bourla previously projected trial results would come by late September 2020, but the timeline was delayed as the company increased the number of participants in its trial. Bourla&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-ceo-we-didnt-delay-vaccine-results-until-after-election-idUSKBN27X2N2/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;in November 2020 the company “didn’t conspire with anyone” to delay its trial result.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-has-trump-said-about-pfizer-s-covid-vaccine">What Has Trump Said About Pfizer’s Covid Vaccine?</h2>



<p>Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/11/trump-angry-about-pfizer-vaccine/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">alleged</a>&nbsp;the Food and Drug Administration and Pfizer conspired with the so-called “medical deep state” to delay the release of Pfizer’s vaccine trial results until six days after Election Day in 2020. After the announcement, Trump requested the Department of Health and Human Services to “get to the bottom” of what happened with Pfizer’s alleged delay, the Washington Post&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/11/trump-angry-about-pfizer-vaccine/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reported</a>. He pushed his claims on Twitter, now known as X,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1325961445062938625" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">writing</a>, “As I have long said, Pfizer and the others would only announce a vaccine after the election, because they didn’t have the courage to do it before.” Trump claimed the FDA “should have announced it earlier, not for political purposes, but for saving lives.” He later&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ap-fact-check-trump-distorts-on-vaccine-state-distribution-76d1580f82b1586b207990396c1e3b5f" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">claimed</a>&nbsp;credit for Pfizer’s announcement and suggested the company denied having received financial support from the Trump administration. Though Pfizer never received direct federal funding to develop its vaccine, it did benefit from a nearly $2 billion advance order from the U.S. for 100 million doses.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Pfizer and BioNTech&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-announce-vaccine-candidate-against" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;the results of their Covid vaccine on Nov. 9, 2020, six days after Election Day. Former President Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election just two days earlier, a result Trump and some of his allies decried amid false claims of widespread voter fraud. The companies said their vaccine was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing the spread of Covid in a late-stage trial, and the announcement did not indicate the vaccine would be immediately available to the public.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">Further Reading</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/pfizer-covid-vaccine-2020-election-probe-2f3ec247?mod=hp_lead_pos11" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">U.S. Prosecutors Probe Tip About Timing of Pfizer Vaccine</a>&nbsp;(<em>Wall Street Journal</em>)</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://sync.graph.bluecava.com/ds.png?p=4cb3430d-9dfd-11ef-a5fe-4201ac100015&amp;segment=forbeseval" alt=""/></figure>


Vaccinations at Egoli Township as Omicron Cases Spread

Did Pfizer Delay Covid Vaccine Announcement Until After 2020 Election? Here’s What We Know.


<p><strong>As artificial intelligence reshapes healthcare, the fight against cancer is witnessing unprecedented breakthroughs, from microscopic nanorobots to virtual treatment twins. This acceleration in drug discovery is just one example of AI&#8217;s impact on oncology, now and in the future.</strong></p>



<p>According to the <em>British Journal of Cancer</em>, cancer research is one of the most heavily-funded areas of science. Billions are poured into research every year but the main ways in which we treat cancer – surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy – haven&#8217;t changed in the past 80 years.</p>



<p>But now artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming this landscape entirely, revolutionizing not just how doctors diagnose and treat cancer, but how we discover new treatments. “I think we are really in the golden age of scientific discovery, powered by the cloud and AI at scale,” says Dr Rowland Illing, Amazon Web Services’ Chief Medical Officer and Director of Global Healthcare and Nonprofits. At its core, cancer presents a fundamental challenge: cells that go rogue, growing and dividing uncontrollably without the normal genetic &#8216;braking system&#8217; that regulates cell growth.</p>



<p>“But finding a way to put the brakes on is where it gets interesting,” says Dr Divya Chander, a physician, neuroscientist and futurist. For Chander, there are three key areas where AI is making significant inroads: drug discovery, designing new therapeutics (like living medicines) and precision clinical trials and precision medicine.</p>



<p><strong>From data to diagnosis</strong></p>



<p>Traditional drug discovery is expensive and time-consuming but AI models can accelerate the process by identifying shared genomic features across diseases to predict effectiveness. “It&#8217;s incredibly helpful because with older medications, we already know they&#8217;re safe,” says Chander. “When we find drugs that are useful for another indication, it’s really an extraordinary gift.” This is particularly important for rare and undiagnosed diseases, including certain cancers, that affect over 300 million people globally (but only 5%-7% have FDA-approved treatments).</p>



<p>A new open-source AI model called TxGNN, developed by Harvard Medical School researchers, aims to close this gap by identifying drug candidates for over 17,000 diseases, including rare cancers, using existing medicines. Then there’s Insilico Medicine, a Hong Kong-based biotechnology startup, who now has one of the first AI-discovered drugs to enter the clinical pipeline. The company’s own Pharma.AI platform, which includes tools like PandaOmics and Chemistry42, uses multiple AI models trained on millions of data samples to identify disease targets and design new drug compounds. What’s really exciting about this is the speed. Insilico reached the first phase of clinical trials in just two and a half years, compared to the traditional six-year timeline, and at a fraction of the usual $400 million cost. “It can cost over a billion dollars per drug and take over a decade and a lot of lives are lost in that time,” adds Chander.</p>



<p>This acceleration in drug discovery is just one example of AI&#8217;s impact on oncology. Working with Genomics England, Illing and his team faced an immense challenge: analysing thousands of scientific papers about genetic links to diseases. “They have a team of bio curators – experts who do searches, pull out papers, read them and work out the associations between disease types and genes,” explains Illing. But with so much key data on cancer and genetics being published, Genomics England’s manual review process couldn’t keep up with the sheer volume of research. Illing’s team worked on an AI solution – automated bio-curation – which transformed this landscape completely. “Over an eight to 10-week period, we built a generative AI platform that was able to look at all of those papers published and identify 20 new gene associations which previously were not known,” Illing says, adding that if they had manually looked at all the data, it would be out of date. “The role of AI is very much automation. It&#8217;s how do you take stuff which needs to be done at scale globally, make it faster and take off the burden of the care providers?”</p>



<p><strong>The digital patient</strong></p>



<p>This revolutionary approach isn&#8217;t simply fast-tracking research, it&#8217;s shifting how quickly scientific discoveries can become life-saving treatments. Among these innovations, AI is being utilized to create increasingly sophisticated simulations of disease progression in virtual environments called digital twins. In fact, Research and Markets have projected that the digital twin industry will reach $130.77 billion by 2029, driven by demand in healthcare and pharmacology. In a new research paper published in <em>Nature Medicine</em> on digital twins, Dr Eric Stahlberg, a Leidos scientist, explained that “if you look at the aerospace industry, they&#8217;re using digital twins extensively to simulate fluid dynamics and materials processing to improve engine and aircraft designs. There are many similarities between those models and newer models that simulate the human cardiovascular and circulatory systems,” he continues. “The complexity of the human body is so substantial that there will always be uncertainty in the models. But ultimately, digital twins will inform patients, help them rank various treatment options and increase their chances of survival.&#8221;</p>



<p>UK Biobank, a global biomedical database and research hub, currently has a project underway that’s using AI to create detailed digital twins that mirror how cancer develops and responds to treatment for individual patients. “Digital twins enable precision care in a way that could never be done before,” says Chander. These computer models are groundbreaking because they combine multi-modal data from genetic patterns and protein behavior to chemical changes in the body and patients&#8217; full medical histories. “Most of the models that are coming out to date, like ChatGPT or Claude, have been language models, but we&#8217;re seeing a shift into large data models,” explains Illing. “Healthcare isn&#8217;t just language – it&#8217;s also genomics, proteins and imaging. By integrating all of those different data streams you get a much better idea, upfront, about what kind of treatment a patient can have.” By analyzing this rich mixture of biological and clinical information, UK Biobank’s AI system can spot subtle warning signs that traditional methods might overlook. First tackling pancreatic cancer, where the complex mixture of different cells in tumors makes early detection difficult, the team is hoping to look at lung, breast, colon, prostate, skin and bladder cancers in the future.</p>



<p>These AI breakthroughs are reshaping how doctors approach cancer treatment, turning an uncontrollable disease into one they can analyze, track and target with unprecedented precision. It’s a new era in medicine where cutting-edge technology can customize care. “The promise of personalized medicine is that when you come in with your specific problem, you will be treated as an individual, rather than just one of a &#8216;this sex, this age, in this environment&#8217;,” ends Illing. “AI is already having a massive impact on this kind of tailored understanding of what patients have got but also how things evolve over time.”</p>



<p><strong>Will next-gen oncology be driven by nanorobots?</strong></p>



<p>Remember those illustrations in the 1976 children&#8217;s book <em>The Value of Believing in Yourself: The Story of Louis Pasteur</em>? Tiny warriors drawn inside syringes, ready to battle disease. What once captured children&#8217;s imaginations is now a scientific reality. Today, AI is turning this vivid imagery into a radical new approach to fighting cancer: nanorobotics – sophisticated molecular machines that are redefining how we target and treat tumors. “These are kind of like rocket ships,” explains Dr Divya Chander, “your rocket ship could be a bacterial cell, or it could be a virus&#8230; or it can be a nanorobot that we create, but essentially it can hold a payload. And so, the shell, the main structure, is something that can actually be activated, like a heat seeking missile.” These tiny machines, typically measuring between 1 to 100 nanometers, are programmed to act as precision delivery systems. One breakthrough example comes from Arizona State University, where researchers have developed DNA nanorobots loaded with thrombin. These microscopic warriors seek out cancer cells and effectively starve tumors by cutting off their blood supply – a far cry from the broad, systemic effects of traditional chemotherapy. The development of nanorobots goes hand-in-hand with what Chander calls “living medicines”. Instead of traditional drugs, living medicine uses nature’s own tools (like bacteria or viruses) to fight diseases. It&#8217;s almost like having tiny helpers that can do things our bodies can&#8217;t do on their own. “A living medicine involves programming a life form to deliver a specific treatment, unlike traditional medicines, which are molecules that spread passively through the body based on physics and chemistry,” explains Chander. “These targeted therapies are extraordinary because they don&#8217;t come with the same side effects as systemic drugs… and chemotherapy is toxic.” What makes nanobots so exciting for cancer treatment is their ability in precisely attacking tumor cells. One new study found that nanorobots reduced tumor size by 65.2% compared to chemotherapy&#8217;s 40.5% reduction. They also delivered drugs with an impressive 92.7% accuracy, detected tumors nearly twice as fast and caused significantly fewer side effects. Most strikingly, patients treated with nanorobots achieved a 78% survival rate within 12 months, compared to 54% for those on chemotherapy.</p>


3D virus cells attacking a DNA strand

A New Era In Oncology: Tackling The Dreaded ‘C’ Word With AI


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—which falls under the purview of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—is planning to study potential connections between vaccines and autism,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-cdc-plans-study-into-vaccines-autism-sources-say-2025-03-07/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Reuters</a>&nbsp;reported Friday, a link Kennedy has controversially pushed in the past.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Two unnamed sources familiar with the matter told Reuters of the planned study, though it was unclear whether Kennedy, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/02/13/rfk-jrs-health-secretary-confirmation-live-updates-senate-confirms-trumps-pick-mcconnell-votes-no/">known-vaccine skeptic</a>&nbsp;who has pushed the conspiracy that autism is linked to vaccination, is involved.</p>



<p>The CDC’s page on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/autism/faq/index.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">frequently asked questions</a>&nbsp;about autism—which was last updated on Nov. 5, 2024—states that, “to date, the studies continue to show that vaccines are not associated with” autism spectrum disorder.</p>



<p>There have been a&nbsp;<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5789217/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">number</a><a href="https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/autism-vaccine-link-debunked" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">&nbsp;of scientific</a><a href="https://autismsciencefoundation.org/autism-and-vaccines/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">&nbsp;studies</a>&nbsp;done in the past that have shown no connection between vaccination and autism, but 20 years ago, Kennedy emerged as the most prominent figure pushing the conspiracy.</p>



<p>Forbes has reached out to the CDC for comment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-has-kennedy-said-about-vaccines">What Has Kennedy Said About Vaccines?</h2>



<p>Kennedy’s stance that vaccines may cause autism, along with his other stances on the safety of various&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/11/06/heres-what-an-rfk-jr-health-role-in-a-trump-administration-could-look-like-vaccine-skepticism-fluoride-ban/">vaccinations</a>, has been slammed by health experts and organizations who argue he is spreading long-discredited theories. Kennedy was among the most well-known public figures spreading the theory for years: In 2005, he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2023/08/scicheck-what-rfk-jr-gets-wrong-about-autism/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">published</a>&nbsp;a later-retracted article claiming a preservative used to prevent vaccine vial contamination was tied to childhood neurological disorders—a theory that CDC experts have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/thimerosal.html#:~:text=Does%20thimerosal%20cause%20autism%3F,link%20between%20thimerosal%20and%20autism." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">long rejected</a>. He also cites a decades-old CDC study when alleging vaccines are tied to autism, despite one of the authors of the study saying it gave no conclusion on a potential connection, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2023/08/scicheck-what-rfk-jr-gets-wrong-about-autism/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">FactCheck.org</a>. Kennedy has also falsely stated as recently as last year that there are no adults “with full-blown autism,” repeating that belief when he appeared on Joe Rogan’s&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3DQfcTY4viyXsIXQ89NXvg" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">podcast</a>&nbsp;last summer. His claims were questioned heavily by lawmakers during his confirmation hearings. During the hearings, Kennedy said he was not “anti-vaccine” but is “pro-safety,” though he&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/rfk-jr-questioned-rising-autism-rates-experts-gets/story?id=118648320" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">refused</a>&nbsp;to say there is no link between autism and vaccines. In October, before he was appointed to lead HHS, Kennedy said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1845995741833011374" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">post on X</a>&nbsp;he is “not going to take anyone&#8217;s vaccines away from them. I just want to be sure every American knows the safety profile, the risk profile, and the efficacy of each vaccine.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-has-trump-said-about-autism-and-vaccines">What Has Trump Said About Autism And Vaccines?</h2>



<p>Since being elected, Trump has discussed the rise in autism rates—which many experts believe is linked to more frequent diagnoses—and said in a post on&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113946130240319294" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Truth Social</a>&nbsp;“something’s really wrong. We need BOBBY!!!” referring to Kennedy. In his joint address to Congress on Tuesday, Trump cited the rise in autism in children and said, “we’re going to find out what it is, and there’s nobody better than Bobby and all of the people that are working with you.” In 2014, Trump weighed in more specifically on the conspiracy that vaccines cause autism, saying in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/449525268529815552?lang=en" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">post on X</a>: “Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesn&#8217;t feel good and changes &#8211; AUTISM. Many such cases!”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-have-autism-rates-been-increasing">Have Autism Rates Been Increasing?</h2>



<p>Yes, autism diagnoses have been on the rise. The CDC reported in 2020 that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/ss/ss7202a1.htm?s_cid=ss7202a1_e&amp;ACSTrackingID=USCDC_921-DM101985&amp;ACSTrackingLabel=This%20Week%20in%20MMWR%20-%20Vol.%2072%2C%20March%2024%2C%202023&amp;deliveryName=USCDC_921-DM101985" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">1 in 36</a>&nbsp;children were diagnosed with autism, an increase from from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/autism/data-research/index.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">1 in 150</a>&nbsp;two decades earlier. Researchers maintain there are no trusted scientific studies that show a connection between vaccines and autism, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://beta.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html#cdc_vaccine_special_topics_cause_impact-vaccines-do-not-cause-autism" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">CDC says</a>&nbsp;there have been nine agency-funded or conducted studies that have shown no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. Rather, researchers say the increase can be attributed to things including more awareness, more parents having children at a later age and increased risk factors like exposure to toxic chemicals and viral infections during pregnancy, The New York Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/health/what-causes-autism.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reported</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-did-the-theory-that-vaccines-cause-autism-originate">Where Did The Theory That Vaccines Cause Autism Originate?</h2>



<p>A since-retracted 1998 medical study from Andrew Wakefield hypothesized there could be a connection between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and the development of autism. The paper was discredited by health experts, retracted and Wakefield lost his medical license for acting “dishonestly and irresponsibly” while conducting research,&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/rfk-jr-questioned-rising-autism-rates-experts-gets/story?id=118648320" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">ABC News</a>&nbsp;reported.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">Tangent</h2>



<p>On Wednesday, Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health indicated he was open to funding new studies looking into potential links between vaccines and autism. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statnews.com/2025/03/05/trump-nih-nominee-jay-bhattacharya-confirmation-research-on-vaccines-autism/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;in his confirmation hearing that he’s “convinced” there is not a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, but would “support a broad scientific agenda based on data to get an answer” to why the rate of children being diagnosed with autism is increasing.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">Further Reading</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-cdc-plans-study-into-vaccines-autism-sources-say-2025-03-07/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Exclusive: US CDC plans study into vaccines and autism, sources say</a>&nbsp;(Reuters)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/02/13/rfk-jrs-health-secretary-confirmation-live-updates-senate-confirms-trumps-pick-mcconnell-votes-no/">RFK Jr. Live Updates: Senate Confirms Trump’s HHS Pick—McConnell Votes ‘No’</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/11/06/heres-what-an-rfk-jr-health-role-in-a-trump-administration-could-look-like-vaccine-skepticism-fluoride-ban/">Here’s What An RFK Jr. Health Role In A Trump Administration Could Look Like: Vaccine Skepticism, Fluoride Ban</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2025/03/05/trump-nih-nominee-jay-bhattacharya-confirmation-research-on-vaccines-autism/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NIH nominee is &#8216;convinced&#8217; vaccines don&#8217;t cause autism, but won&#8217;t rule out more studies on the issue</a> (Stat News)</p>


CDC Headquarters

CDC Plans Large Study On Long-Debunked Connection Between Vaccines And Autism, Report Says


<p><strong>Access to vaccines remains a significant challenge across Africa, but technology is emerging as a key to breaking decades of relying on other nations for vaccine development- and to thereby stop the spread of disease much, much faster.</strong></p>



<p class="has-drop-cap">I<strong>n 2021, Africa’s 1.3 billion </strong>people had to wait months for the Covid-19 vaccine. More than 40 million doses had reportedly been administered in wealthier countries hoarding the vaccine compared with just 25 doses given, in total, to one of the lowest income countries in Africa. </p>



<p>The world was, said the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), on the “brink of a catastrophic moral failure”. It was a stark and unpleasant picture painted by lack of access, limited funding, and supply chain complexities. It’s also not the first time Africa has been left behind. The treatment for HIV/Aids took six years to become accessible to Africans who were among the hardest-hit by the disease, vaccines were hard to come by during the 2009 swine flu pandemic, and in 2023, there was a shortage of cholera vaccines when an Indian manufacturer stopped making the vaccine during an outbreak. </p>



<p>The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has stated that over 200 disease outbreaks were reported in 2024. And they all have a direct impact on education, economic development, security and health. Yet, Africa remains reliant on vaccines produced in other parts of the world reportedly producing less than 1% of the world’s vaccinations. Out of the 54 countries in Africa, only eight have the capacity to produce vaccines – South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Algeria, Egypt and Ethiopia.</p>



<p>Today, Mpox is a growing threat in Africa. In 2024, the Africa CDC declared its first Public Health Emergency of Continental Security and WHO issued its Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), one of its highest global health alerts. Across Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa and, more recently in 2025, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mpox cases totaled more than 50,840 as of November 2024.</p>



<p>The continent’s leadership isn’t sitting still. The African Union and the Africa CDC committed to the ideal of Africa producing 60% of its own vaccines by 2040, signing two Memorandums of Agreement (MOUs) and forming partnerships with key organizations like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, who were instrumental in ensuring Africa received Covid-19 vaccines. But, with the continent expected to now produce 1.5 billion doses a year – 73 times more than what’s produced locally today – technology has become an essential tool to supporting vaccine development and distribution in Africa.</p>



<p>It sounds expensive, but as Arthur Salaün, partner at Boston Consulting Group, tells FORBES AFRICA, “Vaccines are considered one of the most cost-effective global health interventions – for every dollar you invest in vaccines, you get $20 return across economic and societal gains.”</p>



<p>Technology can play into the limited supply of vaccines on the continent. For example, as Michael Mynhardt, CEO and co-founder of MMH &amp; Partners Africa, explains, data can provide rapid insights into where hotspots are forming, giving healthcare providers more time to react. “You can use data to pinpoint and track outbreaks, allowing for teams to develop more effective vaccination strategies.”</p>



<p>He also raises one of the most significant challenges when it comes to managing vaccinations in Africa – the supply chain. There’s a growing need for solutions that can manage the cold chain efficiently while delivering vaccines to remote and hard- to-reach areas. “Drones and autonomous delivery solutions are able to access rural areas quickly and at a lower cost,” he adds.</p>



<p>In Kisumu, a city in Kenya, Zipline drones are being used to deliver rabies post-exposure prophylactics, malaria vaccines and measles vaccines to children. Zipline has also ensured the distribution of more than one million vaccines in Ghana, while the DRC has invested in drones to deliver yellow fever vaccines to out-of-reach locations.</p>



<p>Then there is the role technology is playing in the delivery of the vaccine into the human body itself. As Professor Willem Hanekom, co-national principal investigator for the M72/ AS01E TB vaccine candidate trial in South Africa, explains to FORBES AFRICA: “Most vaccines are delivered by injection – it’s practical and we know how to do it, but what if we developed patches instead? There are trials going on globally to try and convert vaccines into patches but it’s not a simple transition. They have to be safe to use and easy to deliver, and there are a lot of regulatory steps that can take years.”</p>



<p>Patches would be easier to manage, more cost-effective to transport, especially if using UAVs, and less intimidating for children, but their development is lengthy thanks to safety and regulatory challenges. Hanekom takes the conversation back to the supply chain and the critical need to ensure that every vial and vaccine has remained at the right temperature throughout transportation. “Technologies are coming into play that make this more efficient, for example, markers on every vial that can show whether or not there has been an interruption in the cold chain,” he says.</p>



<p>Dr Meg Schaeffer, EdD, MPH, MPA, an infectious disease epidemiologist and National Public Health advisor at SAS Institute in the United States, adds: “Real-time field monitoring tools ensure vaccines retain their efficacy as they move through the delivery process, but another critical factor is more of an interplay on the epidemiology side using a regional model. Technology can help us to consistently monitor where disease outbreaks are occurring and then model and potentially forecast different scenarios to assess which populations will be affected next, and to what extent. It helps us to determine where to position our resources quickly. This is the next critical frontier for Africa – using technology to deploy vaccines exactly to where they need to be so we can stop the spread of disease much, much faster.”</p>



<p>Finally, of course, there’s artificial intelligence (AI). AI is helping organizations reduce the time to discover a vaccine and put it on the market, allowing developers and healthcare systems to react far faster than today. “We see a future for vaccines where instead of 10 years, they will take a few months which means that when you have an epidemic, you can react far quicker than in the past,” he says. “AI-discovered drugs have a success rate of 80%-90% in phase one which is way higher than traditional drugs. The hope is that it will help Africa develop vaccines for local, daily diseases that are of no interest to global pharmaceuticals and change the narrative on the continent.”</p>


Doctor fills syringe with medicine from vial. Vaccination and immunization

The Next Critical Frontier: Vaccine Development In Africa


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>The cancer burden in the United States is shifting towards women and younger people, a new American Cancer Society&nbsp;<a href="https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21871" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;released Thursday shows, with disease rates in one group—women aged 50 to 64—surpassing those of men for the first time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Cancer rates in women under 50 have soared when compared to their male counterparts, the study shows, and are now 82% higher than the rates seen in men, up from 51% in 2002.</p>



<p>The shift can be partially blamed on increasing trends for breast and thyroid cancers, the study says, which make up almost half of all cancers in people under 50 and mostly impact women.</p>



<p>At the same time, rates of common cancers like melanoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and prostate are decreasing in men under 50.</p>



<p>The lifetime probability of being diagnosed with an invasive cancer is now only slightly higher for men (39.9%) than for women (39%), the research shows, much lower than the 1.6% higher chance men had of being diagnosed than women in 1992.</p>



<p>The cancer burden is also shifting by age—new diagnoses in adults aged 65 and older decreased from 61% in 1995 to 59% in 2021, while people aged 50 to 64 and people younger than 50 saw increases in the cancer patient population.</p>



<p>Cancer rates are also on the rise among adolescents aged 15 to 19, but have declined in children ages 14 and below, while mortality rates for both groups have dropped significantly (by 63% and 70%, respectively) since 1970.</p>



<p>Overall, the cancer mortality rate declined by 34% between 1991 and 2022 in the United States, but incidents rates continue to rise in common cancers like breast, pancreatic, uterine corpus, melanoma, liver and some oral cancers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">Surprising Fact</h2>



<p>Among those younger than 65 years, lung cancer incidence was higher in women than in men in 2021 for the first time ever, the study shows.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">Big Number</h2>



<p>2,041,910. That&#8217;s how many cancer diagnoses are expected in 2025, according to the American Cancer Society. An estimated 988,660 of those cases will be in women, 294,220 of which are expected to die. Roughly 323,900 men are expected to die of cancer in 2025.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">Tangent</h2>



<p>The study also looked at cancer inequalities by race. Native Americans see rates of kidney, liver, stomach and cervical cancers two to three times higher than white people, and Black people are twice as likely to die of prostate, stomach and uterine corpus cancers when compared to white people. Black people are also 50% more likely to die from cervical cancer, which is preventable, the American Cancer Society says.</p>


Breast ultrasound exam

More Women And Young People Are Getting Cancer Than Before, New Report Shows


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Constellation Brands, the producer of Modelo and Corona, lost about $450 million in market capitalization as shares for several alcohol makers and distributors dipped on Friday after Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for Congress to update warning labels on alcoholic beverages to include cancer risks.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Shares of Constellation Brands dropped by more than 1% to below $220 as of around 9:35 a.m. EST, cutting the company’s market valuation from $40.4 billion Thursday to below $40 billion.</p>



<p>Other alcohol makers and distributors saw their stocks tumble after Murthy’s advisory, including Bud Light owner Anheuser-Busch InBev (1.2%), Jack Daniel’s maker Brown Forman (1.1%), Molson Coors Beverage (0.8%) and Sam Adams maker Boston Beer Company (0.9%).</p>



<p>The risk of developing cancer increases as alcohol consumption increases regardless of the type of alcohol, Murthy said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2025/01/03/us-surgeon-general-issues-new-advisory-link-alcohol-cancer-risk.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CAlcohol%20is%20a%20well%2Destablished,of%20this%20risk%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20U.S" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">advisory</a>&nbsp;Friday, calling for labels to caution about an increased risk of at least seven types of cancers, including breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat and voice box.</p>



<p>Alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer behind tobacco and obesity, according to Murthy, who&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Surgeon_General/status/1875150673307910193" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">suggested</a>&nbsp;only about 45% of American adults know of the possible cancer risks.</p>



<p>Murthy called for the recommended limits for alcohol consumption to be reassessed, allowing people to consider whether to or how much alcohol they should drink depending on the possible risks of cancer.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">Big Number</h2>



<p>100,000. That’s the estimated number of annual alcohol-related cancer cases in the U.S., including 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths, Murthy said. About 16.4% of total breast cancer cases can be attributed to alcohol consumption.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">What To Watch For</h2>



<p>Congress must approve Murthy’s recommendation to add a warning label to alcoholic beverages. It’s not immediately clear whether the upcoming administration would support the labels. President Trump famously does not drink, and his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1802038956537876771" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;he has sworn off alcohol “for decades” and regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Warning labels on alcohol warn about drinking while pregnant, before driving, operating machinery and general “health risks,” and have gone unchanged since their inception in 1998, according to Murthy. A recent <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/28582/review-of-evidence-on-alcohol-and-health" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a> from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found a link between alcohol consumption and slight increase in breast cancer, but not other types. In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration’s dietary guidelines <a href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/ReportMtgS2_Chapter11_Alc.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">acknowledged</a> alcohol as a carcinogen—a substance that can increase the risk of cancer—that posed other health risks. Health officials <a href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/PartD_Ch11_AlcoholicBev_first-print.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recommended</a> “tightening guidelines” by lowering the recommended alcoholic consumption guidelines for men to one standard drink a day. Guidelines say men are advised to consume up to two drinks a day and are also unchanged.</p>


Outdoor gastronomy in Frankfurt am Main

Alcohol Stocks Drop—Corona Owner Plummets $450 Million In Value—After Surgeon General Says Alcohol Should Have Cancer Warning


<p><strong>Animal-assisted intervention is a therapeutic approach gaining traction across Nigeria for children with Neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities. Dogs, rabbits, aquarium fish and turtles are proving to be their complementary therapists Enhancing overall progress.</strong></p>



<p><strong>George Adinoyi </strong>(<em>not his real name</em>) sat motionless in his classroom at a known special needs center in the heart of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. His teachers had tried every trick in the book to reach him — visual aids, hands-on activi- ties, songs, even gentle coaxing — but nothing seemed to break through the wall of silence that enveloped the young boy.</p>



<p>Diagnosed with autism, Adinoyi didn’t respond to an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) designed to motivate and guide him, until he encountered Tish.</p>



<p>Tish, a long-coat Chihuahua, padded into the school in late 2018, his tail wagging with a blend of curiosity and warmth. For the first time, Adinoyi’s face lit up. His hands reached out tentatively, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. The interaction transformed him. Soon, he began communicating — not just with Tish but also with his peers, teachers, and therapists. The breakthrough led his parents to welcome a dog into their home, further accel- erating his progress.</p>



<p>Adinoyi’s interaction with Tish formed part of Nigeria’s first animal-assisted intervention (AAI) trial run by Dogalov HumAn Support Initiative, a pioneering nonprofit, also based in Abuja.</p>



<p>In sessions, Adinoyi and others are introduced to therapy dogs, usually calm and patient breeds like Tish and Bishop, a black Lhasa Apso. These dogs have been trained to respond to the specific needs of children who are neurodivergent. They help children engage in activities that may otherwise be challenging —whether it’s learning to give a command, practising social interactions, or simply sitting quietly with the dog and feeling the calming presence of an animal that doesn’t demand verbal communication.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="685" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1267938562-1024x685.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-64157" style="width:576px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1267938562-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1267938562-300x201.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1267938562-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1267938562-1536x1027.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1267938562-2048x1370.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>AAI is based on the idea that animals can act as co-therapists, offering unique emotional, cognitive, and social benefits.</p>



<p>Research also corroborates that animals have an innate ability to provide comfort and break down barriers that traditional therapy may not be able to address. For many children, especially those with autism, connecting with other people can be overwhelming. But animals provide a non-judgmental and calm presence.</p>



<p><strong>The</strong><strong> </strong><strong>genesis</strong><strong> </strong><strong>of</strong><strong> </strong><strong>AAI</strong><strong> </strong><strong>in</strong><strong> </strong><strong>Nigeria</strong><strong></strong></p>



<p>For many years, therapy in the country has been synonymous with medications and, at best, traditional counseling sessions. The concept of bringing animals — particularly dogs — into clinical settings to support children with neurodevelopmental disorders was as foreign as the origins of the therapy itself, which traces its roots to the United States (U.S.) and Europe.</p>



<p>Sunday Agbonika, a Nigerian veterinary surgeon and dog trainer, founded Dogalov HumAn Support Initiative after losing his nephew, who had autism, in 2013.</p>



<p>“In 2015, I came across a video about Nathan Selove, a boy with autism in the U.S., paired with a service dog. The transformation in Nathan’s life was remarkable,” he recalls to FORBES AFRICA. “I thought, ‘what if I could have done something similar for my nephew?’ ”</p>



<p>From 2016, Agbonika sought ways to introduce AAI, but early attempts to reach children through their families failed due to societal taboos and lack of awareness.</p>



<p>The breakthrough came in 2018 when special needs centers like the Comprehensive Autism and related Disabilities Education and Training (CADET) Academy and Zamarr Institute opened their doors. For the first time, animals — dogs, rabbits, aquarium fish, and even a turtle — became partners in therapy sessions.</p>



<p>“The challenge in a sense still followed us in terms of the fact that</p>



<p>till date, we rarely have pictures or anything to show. Pictures and things we have to show are the ones that the centers that we work with provide. We normally have an agreement with them that we are not allowed to take shots, to take videos, to take anything when we come on site. We just run the interventions and then we leave. They take pictures, they post. Then, when they post, we have access to that,’’ says Agbonika.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-of-aai"><strong>The</strong><strong> </strong><strong>science</strong><strong> </strong><strong>of</strong><strong> </strong><strong>AAI</strong><strong></strong></h4>



<p>AAI is more than just a feel-good activity.</p>



<p>Studies have demonstrated that interactions with animals can lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, while increasing levels of oxytocin, often referred to as the ‘love hormone’, which promotes feelings of bonding and trust. These chemical changes in the brain can help children regulate their emotions, reduce anxiety, and improve their mood, making them more receptive to therapeutic interventions.</p>



<p>A report published in 2023 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated that, in 2019, 317 million children and young people were affected globally by health conditions contributing to a developmental disability. Autism, in particular, has seen a rise in diagnosis rates, leading to a greater demand for effective interventions.</p>



<p>Traditional therapy, such as speech or occupational therapy, remains crucial, but experts believe that complementary approaches like AAI can significantly enhance the overall progress of children who are neurodivergent.</p>



<p>In Nigeria, where resources for children with neurodevelopmental conditions are often limited, AAI offers a promising new approach.</p>



<p>For example, during a therapy session, Adinoyi is encouraged to lead Tish on a short walk, a simple activity that helps him practise communication and motor coordination. At first glance, it seems like a basic task, but for a child with autism, it represents a complex interaction — giving instructions, paying attention to the dog’s behavior, and responding accordingly. These small moments of success build confidence and help children develop the social and cognitive skills they need for everyday life.</p>



<p>“Animal-assisted services work in a number of ways. One of which is known as animal-assisted therapy involves delivering therapeutic intervention that is first of all planned, goal-oriented, and run by credentialed professionals who are licensed. What we have been able to do is animal-assisted activities which are unstructured interactions between the children and the animals. We reach out to the centers or they reach out to us and we agree to a date when we mobilize our animals there for the children to interact with them. We are now looking to transition to providing direct services,” Agbonika explains.</p>



<p>For some children, it’s dogs that work for them; for others, it might be aquarium fish. ‘’For example, a girl, I know, prefers anything in water. The key is finding what resonates with the child.”</p>



<p>Dotun Akande, founder of one of Nigeria’s pioneering autism centers, Patrick Speech and Languages Centre, in Lagos, shares a similar success story at Dogalov’s inaugural</p>



<p>Human-Animal Interactions Conference in 2021. Akande’s center was founded in 2006 after difficulties finding resources for her son with autism; she first experimented with rabbits, which failed to engage the children. But when they introduced goats, a child who had previously struggled to communicate, drew a picture of the animals— another breakthrough moment.</p>



<p>“We now use chickens to help children improve their communication skills while learning about the evolution and development of animals. With daily exposure to these animals, the children have shown significant improvement in their interactions.</p>



<p>“It’s one of the simplest ways to teach children and understand animal development. This approach should be adopted in all schools, not just special needs centers,” Akande shares with FORBES AFRICA.</p>



<p>According to Akande, this initiative has also inspired one adult to assist at her mother’s poultry farm, while another is seeking a part-time role at a veterinary clinic to gain more knowledge.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-on-the-path-to-progress"><strong>Challenges</strong><strong> </strong><strong>on</strong><strong> </strong><strong>the</strong><strong> </strong><strong>path</strong><strong> </strong><strong>to</strong><strong> </strong><strong>progress</strong><strong></strong></h4>



<p>The road to acceptance of animal-assisted therapy in Nigeria is as winding as the streets of the country. Despite the successes, Dogalov faces significant hurdles.</p>



<p>A devastating heatwave in Abuja recently claimed the lives of several of their therapy animals, including Bishop, a favorite dog at the special need centers they partner with. Rebuilding their animal cohort has been both costly and time-consuming. Funding is another persistent issue. While Dogalov received a small grant of N1 million ($600) from the ‘Friends of Prof’ initiative instituted to commemorate the then Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo birthday in 2021, much of its work relies on personal contributions. “We have spent over $15,000 thus far, with much of it being self-funded or con- tributions from family, friends or the Dogalov board of trustees. It has more or less been my own dogs that I have as a pet enthusiast…”</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-bigger-picture"><strong>The</strong><strong> </strong><strong>bigger</strong><strong> </strong><strong>picture</strong><strong></strong></h4>



<p>For Agbonika and his team, AAI is more than a therapeutic tool — it’s a movement to reshape how Nigerian society views disabilities. Dogalov’s annual Human-Animal Interactions Conference, whose fourth edition was held virtually in August 2024, serves as a platform to educate stakeholders and build partnerships.</p>



<p>Agbonika is joined by Praise Akobo, a fellow veterinarian with her own unique connection to the cause. Living with “an invisible disability”, Akobo found solace in her work with animals. “I always believed animals could play a role in supporting people with disabilities,” she says. In 2022, she reached out via LinkedIn to Dogalov, where she now helps bridge the gap between veterinary medicine and human service professionals.</p>



<p>Akobo looks forward to the possibility of the first physical conference if they are able to attract the required funding for operations with a minimal estimation of $50,000 by Agbonika. The initiative is also exploring partnerships with corporate sponsors and international organizations to scale its efforts. For children like Adinoyi, these animals are more than companions — they’re lifelines to a world of unlimited possibilities.</p>


Overhead Colouring

Dog-Tor Love To The Rescue: Animal Intervention For Therapy In Nigeria


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>The Food and Drug Administration approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine to treat sleep apnea on Friday—marking a significant win for the drug company Eli Lilly, which had Zepbound approved as a weight-loss drug last year.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Zepbound, an Eli Lilly drug, can now be prescribed to adults with “moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea and obesity” to improve their sleep, a press release from the company said.</p>



<p>Zepbound received FDA approval to be prescribed to overweight or obese adults in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/britneynguyen/2023/11/08/fda-approves-diabetes-drug-mounjaro-for-weight-loss-under-brand-name-zepbound/">November 2023</a>.</p>



<p>The Eli Lily&nbsp;<a href="https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/fda-approves-zepboundr-tirzepatide-first-and-only-prescription#:~:text=INDIANAPOLIS%20%2C%20Dec.%2020%2C%202024,apnea%20(OSA)%20and%20obesity." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">release</a>&nbsp;said adults who took Zepbound lost an average of 45 pounds—compared to adults who lost 4 pounds on a placebo—and had around 25 fewer interruptions from breathing each hour during sleep.</p>



<p>Obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition that occurs when the upper airway is blocked while sleeping, and its symptoms include loud snoring, gasping for air during sleep, dry mouth and daytime sleepiness, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/sleep/sleep-apnea-statistics/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">National Council on Aging reports</a>.</p>



<p><em>This story is breaking and will be updated.</em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Big Number</h2>



<p>39 million. That’s about how many American adults have obstructive sleep apnea, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/sleep/sleep-apnea-statistics/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">National Council on Aging</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Background</h2>



<p>Zepbound is a Glucagon-like peptide-1, or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/09/04/how-ozempic-wegovy-mounjaro-zepbound-may-help-treat-other-diseases-heres-what-to-know/">GLP-1</a>, receptor agonist, which is a type of drug used to treat diabetes and weight loss by suppressing appetite and lowering blood sugar and A1C. Zepbound was the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/britneynguyen/2023/11/08/fda-approves-diabetes-drug-mounjaro-for-weight-loss-under-brand-name-zepbound/">third drug approved</a>&nbsp;for weight loss behind Wegovy and Saxenda. The FDA gave Zepbound “fast track” approval to study its uses for overweight or obese adults with comorbidities like sleep apnea in 2022, around when weight-loss drugs began growing in popularity. In April of this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/04/17/weight-loss-drug-zepbound-may-reduce-sleep-apnea-eli-lilly-says/">Eli Lilly said</a>&nbsp;a late-stage trial of Zepbound showed promising results for treating sleep apnea symptoms in obese adults, furthering the belief that weight-loss drugs may have other health benefits. The CDC has previously warned that sleep apnea can give people an increased risk of several cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension and irregular heartbeats. The most common and reliable treatment for sleep apnea is a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which delivers air pressure through a mask while one sleeps, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20377636" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Mayo Clinic</a>, though there are some other options—including surgery—if a person can’t tolerate a mask while sleeping.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Forbes Valuation</h2>



<p>Forbes’ estimates Eli Lily has a market value of $731.8 billion, brought in $35.9 billion in sales this year, made $6.1 billion in profit and has $63.9 billion in assets—leading it to a rank of No. 174 on <a href="https://www.forbes.com/lists/global2000/">Forbes&#8217; Global 2000</a> companies list this year. The drugs and biotech company also ranked No. 7 on Forbes’ <a href="https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-companies/">Best Companies in America</a> list for 2025.</p>


Eli Lilly And Company In Madrid

Zepbound Approved For Sleep Apnea


<p>Xtalpi, a Shenzhen-based AI drug discovery company, saw its shares soar 108% on the Hong Kong stock exchange over the past week, boosting its market cap to $5.5 billion.</p>



<p>The stock price rise comes on the back of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.xtalpi.com/en" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Xtalpi’s&nbsp;</a>sales growth and its more than $135 million deal with Chinese billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/zhu-gongshan/">Zhu Gongshan’s</a>&nbsp;energy company GCL Group.</p>



<p>Known formally as QuantumPharm, the Hong Kong-listed company posted a 28% year-over-year rise in revenue to 102.6 million yuan ($14.4 million) in the first half of 2024, the company said in a filing last Wednesday. Xtalpi attributed the sales growth to the increased number of customers of its AI-powered drug discovery services. Its customers include Pfizer, Johnson &amp; Johnson, Sino Biopharmaceutical subsidiary Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group and CK Life Sciences, the biotech arm of Hong Kong billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/li-ka-shing/">Li Ka-shing’s</a>&nbsp;CK Hutchison Holdings.</p>



<p>Part of the revenue growth came from its first-ever milestone payment, at an undisclosed amount, from Signet Therapeutics, a Chinese biotech startup backed by Xtalpi and Forbes Midas Lister&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/richard-liu/">Richard Liu’s</a>&nbsp;5Y Capital. The milestone payment came after a potential drug the two companies co-developed for diffuse gastric cancer, a form of stomach cancer, received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin human clinical trials.</p>



<p>Xtalpi’s net loss, however, widened 46% to 1.3 billion yuan in the first six months of 2024 from the previous year. The company said it’s due partly to the drop in interest income and an increase in expenses such as the listing fees. Xtalpi has continued to invest heavily in research and development, spending 210.4 million yuan in the first half of the year, though that’s roughly 10% less from the previous year.</p>



<p>Meanwhile, Xtalpi in late August entered into a five-year partnership with Chinese energy and power company GCL Group in a deal worth more than $135 million. Under the collaboration, the two companies will jointly research and develop new materials in areas such as lithium-ion batteries, which are used in electric vehicles.</p>



<p>Cofounded by Wen Shuhao, Ma Jian and Lai Lipeng—three Chinese quantum physicists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—Xtalpi combines AI, quantum physics, cloud computing and robotic automation to find novel molecules that could be developed into new medicines. Its drug candidate for primary hyperoxaluria, which causes kidney stones, is set to enter clinical safety evaluation for human in Australia in the first half of 2025, Xtalpi said.</p>



<p>Recently, Xtalpi has also expanded into discovering new chemical compounds for applications such as agriculture, cosmetic, healthcare, as well as petrochemicals and new materials for EV batteries.</p>



<p>The company has attracted investors from the likes of Tencent, Chinese billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/neil-shen/">Neil Shen’s</a>&nbsp;Hongshan (formerly Sequoia China), 5Y Capital, Google, U.S. billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/jeff-yass/">Jeff Yass’</a>&nbsp;Susquehanna International Group, Chinese tycoon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/tse-ping/">Tse Ping’s</a>&nbsp;Sino Biopharmaceutical and SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2, among others.</p>



<p>Xtalpi was the first to go public under a Hong Kong new listing rule for specialist technology companies with smaller market cap and lower revenue, which was introduced more than a year ago to revive the city’s sluggish IPO market. After raising HK$989.3 million ($126.7 million) in its IPO in June, Xtalpi is set to be included as a constituent stock of Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index on Monday.</p>


Doctor holding tablet showing brain human and body anatomy futuristic technology

Tencent-Backed AI Drug Researcher Xtalpi’s Shares Double On Revenue Rise


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Women with obesity and diabetes taking weight loss and diabetes drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound for over a year lost more weight than their male counterparts—but also experienced more nausea and vomiting, according to new research.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Researchers from Eli Lilly who tracked weight changes for a group of 4,677 people with Type 2 diabetes and obesity found female participants lost up to 24.6% of their body weight during treatment, while males lost up to 18.1% of their body weight.</p>



<p>The participants—2,999 females and 1,678 males—were followed for between 72 and 88 weeks, according to research presented this week at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes.</p>



<p>These participants took different doses of once weekly tirzepatide—the generic name for Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound—shots during this time period.</p>



<p>The researchers noted although safety levels were similar for both sexes, women experienced nausea and vomiting—two of the most common side effects of tirzepatide—at significantly higher rates than their male counterparts.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-women-lose-more-weight-on-glp-1s-than-men">Why Do Women Lose More Weight On Glp-1s Than Men?</h2>



<p>“More research is needed to understand the mechanism by which females may experience more weight reduction in these trials,” Dr. Luis-Emilio García-Pérez, lead author and associate vice president of the Diabetes Global Medical Affairs team for Eli Lilly, said in a statement. However, previous research suggests there may be several factors that play a role in the difference of weight loss between men and women who take tirzepatide and other GLP-1 drugs. The differences in hormones between the two sexes may be the reason women lose more weight, according to a 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8950819/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073510972407445X?via%3Dihub" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;published last month in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found women with obesity and heart failure taking GLP-1s lost more weight than male participants, and suggested differences in metabolism may be the reason. “As a general rule, females have more fat in their bodies, and it is distributed in a different way, which may respond to the mechanisms of action of this medication better,” Dr. John Lowe, a gastroenterologist and physician at Restore Care,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/wegovy-more-weight-loss-women#Why-Wegovy-might-help-females-lose-more-weight" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;Healthline. Lowe went on to add women suffer different societal pressures than men when it comes to body image, so this factor could make women more likely to stick to lifestyle changes—like diet and exercise—while adhering to the drug.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Glucagon-like peptide-1 (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551568/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">GLP-1</a>) receptor agonists are a class of drugs used to treat diabetes and weight loss by interacting with the hunger part of the brain to suppress the appetite, and lowering blood sugar and A1C. Two of the most popular GLP-1s are semaglutide (brand name&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2022/12/26/what-to-know-about-ozempic/">Ozempic</a>, Wegovy and Rybelsus) and tirzepatide, but other drugs in this class include dulaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide and lixisenatide. Tirzepatide is a two-part medication, as it’s a GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (<a href="https://my-bmi.co.uk/medical-therapy/what-are-gip-receptor-agonists/#:~:text=GIP%20receptor%20agonists%20work%20with,few%20benefits%20for%20certain%20patients." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">GIP</a>), which works with the GIP hormone in the brain to increase insulin production and control appetite.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">Big Number</h2>



<p>9 million. That’s about how many prescriptions of Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound were written in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/27/ozempic-wegovy-drug-prescriptions-hit-9-million.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">data</a>&nbsp;from CNBC. Nine million people would represent roughly 2%-3% of the U.S. population.</p>


Mounjaro Photo Illustrations

Women Taking Mounjaro And Zepbound Lose More Weight Than Men, New Study Suggests: What To Know

A Livestock Company in Zhangjiakou

Bird Flu (H5N1) Explained: CDC Reports First Case With No Known Animal Exposure


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>States with an overexposure to artificial light pollution—particularly at night—are linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, according to a new study by scientists at Rush University Medical Center, the latest research to suggest people’s likelihood of developing Alzheimer&#8217;s may be tied to their environments.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>In the study published Friday by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2024.1378498/abstract" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Frontiers in Neuroscience</a>&nbsp;journal, scientists say exposure to artificial outdoor light at night was correlated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer&#8217;s disease—though the study didn’t make a direct causal link.</p>



<p>Researchers used satellite acquired data to determine nighttime light intensity in states and compared that data with Alzheimer&#8217;s disease prevalence in the same states, finding that a positive correlation was found in states with the most light pollution in every year studied (from 2012 to 2018).</p>



<p>States with the most light pollution—and the highest Alzheimer&#8217;s disease prevalence—included Florida, Connecticut and New Jersey, while Montana, New Mexico, Vermont, Idaho, Wyoming and Oregon had lower instances of both.</p>



<p>Nighttime light pollution had a stronger correlation to Alzheimer&#8217;s disease risk than alcohol abuse, chronic kidney disease, depression, heart failure and obesity, the study showed, but less of a link to the conditions of atrial fibrillation, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and stroke.</p>



<p>In people under age 65, however, nighttime light exposure was more strongly associated with Alzheimer’s prevalence than any of the other disease factors studied.</p>



<p>Light pollution is the latest in a list of environmental factors that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/10-years-alzheimers-disease-and-related-dementias-research/increased-understanding-how-social#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20higher%20education%20levels,raises%20the%20risk%20of%20dementia." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">studies suggest</a>&nbsp;could be linked to the risk of developing Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, including living near green spaces, long-term exposure to air pollution and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7663191/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">chemical exposures</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">Big Number</h2>



<p>80%. That’s how much of the global population experiences light pollution, according to the study.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Light pollution, defined as nighttime artificial light from, for example, poorly shielded and overly bright light fixtures, has long been considered to be mostly harmless, researchers said, but more recent studies have linked light pollution to harsh ecological, behavioral, biological, and health consequences. The concept of light pollution was first pointed out by astronomers in the 1970s, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2023/january/increasing-light-pollution-drowning-out-stars.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">National History Museum</a>, as those who studied the night sky noted the increasing impact of artificial light on their work. At the time, the sky was estimated to have been becoming brighter by between 3 and 6% every year, the museum said, but that rate has increased to almost 10% annually around the globe, with an even faster growth rate in North America (10.5%). In addition to impacting the view of the night sky—roughly 30% of people have lost the ability to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.noaa.gov/stories/milky-way-now-hidden-from-third-of-humanity#:~:text=June%2010%2C%202016,Image%20credit:%20National%20Park%20Service)" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">see the Milky Way</a>, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—scientists&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/light-pollution-health-climate/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">have noted</a>&nbsp;that over illumination at night highlights the waste of energy contributing to climate change and can decrease the nighttime cleansing of the atmosphere. Other research, like the study published Friday, is also increasingly starting to suggest light pollution can have adverse effects on human and wildlife health. Light pollution, from LED lights and electronic devices in particular, impacts circadian sleep rhythms, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-adopts-guidance-reduce-harm-high-intensity-street-lights" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">American Medical Association</a>, which can increase the risk of obesity and decrease the production of melatonin. Exposure to artificial outdoor light at night is also associated with increased obesity, depression, anxiety, memory dysfunction, atherosclerosis and cancer, the Rush University Medical Center says.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">Surprising Fact</h2>



<p>Singapore, Qatar and Kuwait are among the most light polluted countries in the world, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">National Geographic</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">Tangent</h2>



<p>Sea turtles have long been studied as a species dramatically impacted by light pollution. Female sea turtles lay their eggs on beaches and their hatchlings navigate toward the sea by using the natural light of the moon to orient themselves away from land and toward the sea. When artificial light sources are introduced and mimic that natural light, however, newly hatched turtles become disoriented and can accidentally navigate away from the sea—a mistake <a href="https://conserveturtles.org/information-sea-turtles-threats-artificial-lighting/#:~:text=Lighting%20near%20the%20shore%20also,is%20usually%20over%20the%20ocean." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">most don’t survive</a>. Similarly, about 10,000 migratory birds are hurt or killed each year by crashing into skyscrapers and high-rise buildings after being confused by brightly lit buildings, according to a study published in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2627884/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Library of Medicine</a>.</p>


Neurology research, conceptual image

Alzheimer’s Risk Linked To Light Pollution, New Study Finds


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>The first mRNA mpox vaccine to be pitted against licensed vaccines beat its rivals by easing symptoms and potentially cutting transmission, according to new research published Tuesday, a coup for manufacturer Moderna as it strives to prove itself beyond COVID-19 amid efforts to contain an escalating outbreak of mpox in Africa.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>The peer reviewed study, published in the journal Cell, marks the first time an mRNA vaccine has been directly compared to the already-licenced shot, Bavarian Nordic’s modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine, sold under brand names Jynneos, Imvamune and Imvanex, in nonhuman primates, said Moderna virology researcher and author Alec Freyn.</p>



<p>To test the two shots, researchers from Moderna, the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Boston University gave each vaccine to six macaques, exposing them to a lethal strain of the virus eight weeks later and monitoring their health and blood for signs of an immune response for another month.</p>



<p>All animals vaccinated with Bavarian Nordic’s MVA shot and Moderna’s experimental vaccine, mRNA-1769, survived the trial, while five of the six macaques in an unvaccinated control group died from the disease, researchers said, and the Moderna group had higher numbers of antibodies in blood samples, suggesting a stronger immune response.</p>



<p>As well as preventing lethal infections, the researchers said Moderna’s investigational vaccine reduced disease severity compared to the licensed shot—mRNA-immunized macaques had a maximum of 54 mpox lesions compared to 607 in the Bavarian group and 1,448 in the unvaccinated group—and shortened disease duration by more than 10 days.</p>



<p>Macaques in the mRNA group also had lower amounts of the mpox virus in both their blood and throat swabs, suggesting Moderna’s vaccine could also be effective at reducing virus transmission.</p>



<p>“With the mRNA technology, we&#8217;re able to produce a vaccine that gives quite potent responses with a very tolerable safety profile,” said senior author Jay Hooper, a virologist at USAMRIID, adding that an mRNA shot could help prevent the disease spreading without the safety issues that prevent widespread use of some other vaccines used for mpox, such as Emergent BioSolutions’ smallpox shot ACAM2000.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral illness caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. In August, the World Health Organization&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/08/16/who-declares-mpox-a-public-health-emergency-heres-what-to-know/">declared</a>&nbsp;a growing outbreak in central Africa a public health emergency of international concern. It is the second time the agency has made such a warning, the highest level of alert it can sound under international law, in as many years, following a global outbreak in 2022. That&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/08/21/mpox-explained-key-details-on-latest-virus-outbreak/">outbreak</a>, which predominantly affected gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, was driven by a different and milder variant behind the outbreak we are seeing now, which data suggests could kill as many as 10% of people it infects. Young children, pregnant people and those with compromised immune systems are particularly at risk and symptoms of infection include a fever, swollen lymph nodes and characteristic, pus-filled rash. The virus spreads primarily through close contact with infected people, animals or contaminated materials like towels and while the variant was historically limited to small outbreaks in central Africa, it appears to have mutated into a more transmissible form.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-peg">News Peg</h2>



<p>The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there have been at least 17,500 cases and 517 deaths from the virus in 2024 alone, though officials acknowledge surveillance is limited and warn the figure is potentially much higher. Amid ongoing outbreaks of the clade IIb virus variant responsible for the 2022 global outbreak, a handful of clade Ib infections have since been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/08/21/mpox-explained-key-details-on-latest-virus-outbreak/">reported</a>&nbsp;outside of Africa, including in Sweden and Thailand, though most are still located within the Democratic Republic of Congo and nearby countries. While there are a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/08/22/mpox-vaccine-maker-bavarian-nordic-shares-soar-amid-concern-over-virus-outbreak/">number</a>&nbsp;of authorized vaccines for use against mpox, constraints like cost, availability or suitability have hindered widespread uptake. Supplies of the preferred shot, Bavarian Nordic’s MVA vaccine, are limited, for example, and it is relatively expensive and has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/cases-data/JYNNEOS-vaccine-effectiveness.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">limited</a>&nbsp;effectiveness at reducing the severity of symptoms and curbing transmissibility. Emergent’s ACAM2000, on the other hand, is in plentiful supply due to stockpiling against a potential smallpox threat and can cut the risk of transmission effectively but the risk of severe side effects may make widespread use inappropriate.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">What To Watch For</h2>



<p>The tests Moderna are conducting in nonhuman primates are being run&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-mpox-vaccine-being-tested-in-the-uk/35622" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">alongside tests</a>&nbsp;in humans. The company’s mRNA-1796 shot is being assessed in an early stage clinical trial to determine safety, tolerability and immune response over a range of doses. The outcomes of this will determine the trajectory of future trials for the vaccine.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-mrna-vaccines-work">How Do Mrna Vaccines Work?</h2>



<p>Vaccines train your body to fight off pathogens in a safer way than if they were encountered naturally. This involves presenting the immune system with something it would later recognize and respond to if encountered at a later date, giving it a head start to help prevent infection entirely or reduce disease transmissibility and the severity of symptoms. Most vaccines make use of a weakened or inactivated (killed) version of the disease-causing germ, or a specific part of the germ like a protein or sugar, to spark an immune response, which impose limits on how fast a new shot can be developed and scaled up. mRNA shots work by providing instructions to the body allowing it to produce part of the germ itself, triggering an immune response without needing any exposure to the germ. By nature, mRNA shots can be more flexible and specific than shots using the entire virus.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-mrna-vaccines-help-tackle-emerging-pandemics">Can Mrna Vaccines Help Tackle Emerging Pandemics?</h2>



<p>The swift development, testing and approval of mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic was a landmark moment for public health and the first time mRNA shots had been authorized after decades of struggles and setbacks. The scalability of mRNA vaccines outpaced more traditional methods, illustrating why experts now believe the technology platform will be a crucial tool for tackling emerging pandemic <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/07/03/gsk-secures-mrna-vaccines-for-bird-flu-covid-and-seasonal-flu-from-struggling-biotech-curevac/">threats</a>. Many experts and health groups like the <a href="https://www.who.int/activities/prioritizing-diseases-for-research-and-development-in-emergency-contexts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Health Organization</a> and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (<a href="https://cepi.net/priority-diseases" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CEPI</a>) flag diseases like <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/07/02/moderna-scores-federal-funding-for-mrna-bird-flu-vaccine-as-pandemic-fears-grow/">bird flu</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/07/22/what-to-know-about-the-deadly-nipah-virus-as-india-races-to-contain-another-outbreak/">Nipah</a>, Lassa Fever, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/03/27/what-is-marburg-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-killer-ebola-like-virus-spreading-in-parts-of-africa/">Ebola and Marburg</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/10/23/us-scientists-deliberately-infected-people-with-zika-heres-why/">Zika</a>, coronaviruses like COVID-19, SARS and MERS and Rift Valley fever as urgent priorities for research given their high potential to seed future pandemics and the absence of countermeasures. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/05/22/british-scientists-warned-monkeypox-would-fill-void-left-smallpox/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">some experts</a> have long <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/05/27/1101751627/scientists-warned-us-about-monkeypox-in-1988-heres-why-they-were-right" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warned</a> one of humanity’s greatest public health achievements—the eradication of smallpox through a highly successful vaccination campaign—has potentially left the world vulnerable to outbreaks of related diseases that can exploit our lack of immunity now that we no longer immunize ourselves against it. Mpox, an Orthopoxvirus like smallpox virus variola, is one such threat, and there are many other viruses in the group like camelpox, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/02/12/what-to-know-about-alaskapox-after-officials-confirm-first-death-from-recently-discovered-virus/">Alaskapox</a>, cowpox, rabbitpox, dolphinpox and horsepox, some of which are known to infect humans and for which the risks are Blood serum from vaccinated macaques “neutralized not only mpox but also vaccinia, cowpox, rabbitpox, camelpox, and ectromelia virus,” Freyn said, a sign the vaccine would convey at least some protection against the virus. “We believe that this vaccine may protect from other Orthopoxvirus threats that may emerge in the future,” he said.</p>


A Covid-19 Vaccination Site As Children Under 5-Years Old Become Eligible For Shot

Moderna’s First mRNA Mpox Vaccine Beats Licensed Rival Shots In Early Testing


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Managing the early stages of medication abortion care at home later in pregnancy is safe and cuts down time spent in hospital, according to new research&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01079-1/fulltext" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">published</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, which researchers say could boost access to the procedure as reproductive rights stand out as a key issue in the 2024 election.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Almost all abortions in the United States are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/reproductive-health/data-statistics/abortion-surveillance-findings-reports.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">performed</a>&nbsp;at or before 13 weeks of pregnancy—the first trimester—according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and clinical guidelines typically recommend the procedure be performed exclusively in clinical settings after the 12-week mark so patients can remain under observation.</p>



<p>Medication abortions involve taking two types of pills to end pregnancy—mifepristone, which blocks a hormone needed for pregnancy to continue, and misoprostol, which makes the womb contract—and for abortions after 12 weeks patients are usually given mifepristone in a clinic and return to a day or two later to receive misoprostol until the procedure is complete, a process that frequently requires an overnight stay in hospital.</p>



<p>Based on a randomized control trial of 435 women having a medical abortion between 12 and 22 weeks published in the Lancet medical journal, researchers from universities and hospitals in Sweden found medical abortions conducted after 12 weeks of pregnancy were as safe and as effective when misoprostol was started at home instead of in hospital and that women managing the early stages of care at home spent less time in hospital.</p>



<p>Of the pregnant people starting misoprostol at home and returning to clinics to receive further doses—several are usually required to complete the procedure—71% spent fewer than nine hours in hospital, compared to 46% of those in the hospital treatment group, the peer reviewed study showed.</p>



<p>There were no differences in the pain reported by patients in either group, the type and number of side effects or rates of hospital admission earlier than what was planned, the researchers said, adding that a follow up survey revealed 78% of the home group said they preferred their allocated treatment option compared to just 49% of the hospital group.</p>



<p>One of the study’s authors Johanna Rydelius, a gynecologist at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and researcher at the University of Gothenburg, said the findings offer a safe alternative to a practice that often requires overnight stays many women “find stressful and isolating” and could potentially lead to more “feelings of autonomy during a time where women can feel extremely vulnerable.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">Crucial Quote</h2>



<p>“Increasing access to abortion later in pregnancy is a crucial component of the struggle for reproductive autonomy,” said Heidi Moseson and Caitlin Gerdts, researchers at Ibis Reproductive Health, a U.S. non-profit reproductive health research organization, in a linked comment piece published alongside the study in the Lancet. Given the “overwhelming preference for at-home” misoprostol administration among the pregnant people involved in the study, Moseson and Gerdts, who were not involved in the research, said reforming guidance and “moving towards a less clinically supervised model of medical abortion care later in pregnancy is an important first step” for improving access.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-current-guidelines-recommend-facility-based-medication-abortions-after-12-weeks">Why Do Current Guidelines Recommend Facility-Based Medication Abortions After 12 Weeks?</h2>



<p>This is because of the greater risk of complications the procedure carries in later stages of pregnancy that may require additional care. This could include pain, bleeding, infection or an incomplete abortion (material remaining). But despite “profound” implications for access, the requirement to administer medications in clinical settings is “driven primarily by the absence of data on alternative models of care,” Moseson and Gerdts explained. This system “limits the number and type of facilities that can offer abortion care after 12 weeks,” they added, pointing to limited bed spaces and staffing requirements needed to keep people overnight.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, many states across the U.S. have harshly restricted access to abortion. The procedure is now&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2024/jul/29/abortion-laws-bans-by-state" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">banned</a>&nbsp;from conception in 14 states and from six weeks—a time many people are not even aware they are pregnant—in four states, with the future of abortion uncertain in a handful of other states due to legal challenges. While exceptions are made under limited circumstances in states banning abortion, these vary by state and clinicians and health experts have complained the vague or inconsistent language setting out exceptions are out of touch with medical reality and unworkable in practice. This fits within broader efforts to roll back reproductive care even further, such as Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2qq1wqw3w2o" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">attempts</a>&nbsp;to restrict access to mifepristone. The matter has polarized the country and both Democrats and Republicans have seized upon reproductive healthcare as a major dividing issue for the upcoming presidential election.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">Big Number</h2>



<p>625,978. That’s how many legal induced abortions there were in the U.S. in 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/reproductive-health/data-statistics/abortion-surveillance-findings-reports.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC, excluding California, Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey, which did not submit data to the agency. Almost all of these, 93.5%, happened at or before 13 weeks.</p>


Woman holding pills and glass of water while standing in kitchen at home

Self-Managing Some Abortion Care Later In Pregnancy Is Safe, Effective And Boosts Access, Researchers Say


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>A pair of listeria outbreaks in the U.S. in recent weeks have led stores and brands—including Boar’s Head, Wiers Farm and Freshire Farms—to recall products like deli meat in 23 states, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s0828-listeria-outbreak-deli-meats.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">officials</a>&nbsp;say five more people died in relation to one outbreak.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Facts</h2>



<p>A listeria outbreak in deli meats was first reported last month, and as of Wednesday, it has been linked to 57 cases across 18 states, with all of those cases resulting in hospitalization,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s0808-listeria-deli-meats.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according to</a>&nbsp;the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>



<p>Those cases include eight deaths: one in Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, Virginia, Illinois and New Jersey, and two in South Carolina, the CDC said Wednesday.</p>



<p>During the investigation into the outbreak, Boar&#8217;s Head recalled a number of deli meats and the United States Department of Agriculture&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/07/26/listeria-outbreak-deli-meat-liverwurst/8b245002-4b5d-11ef-9149-c75da5dd9201_story.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;it was conducting testing to determine if those products were connected to the outbreak.</p>



<p>In early August, Boar’s Head&nbsp;<a href="https://www.inquirer.com/health/boards-hed-deli-lunch-meats-listeria-outbreak-20240731.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">recalled</a>&nbsp;7 million pounds of deli meats—significantly more than the initial 200,000-pound recall—and added 71 products made over the course of six weeks to its list, including pre-packaged meat and poultry products for the first time.</p>



<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/boars-head-provisions-co--recalls-ready-eat-liverwurst-and-other-deli-meat-products" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Department of Agriculture</a>&nbsp;also said in early August more than a dozen pre-packaged and bulk summer vegetables were being recalled due to possible listeria contamination, though no illnesses have been reported in association with that recall—the two do not appear to be related.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/faq.html#:~:text=Listeria%20can%20sometimes%20infect%20other,1%20in%206%20people%20die." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Listeria</a>&nbsp;is a foodborne illness most often contracted by eating improperly processed deli meats (listeria spreads easily among deli equipment, surfaces, hands and food, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/prevention.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">CDC says</a>) and unpasteurized milk products, and the hearty bacteria can survive refrigeration and even freezing.</p>



<p>Most healthy people rarely become ill from listeria infection, but it does disproportionately impact people older than 65, newborns and pregnant women, who may themselves experience only mild symptoms, but babies in utero can die from Listeria.</p>



<p>Almost all cases (87%) require hospitalization and one in six people die from the illness,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/faq.html#:~:text=Listeria%20can%20sometimes%20infect%20other,1%20in%206%20people%20die." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according to</a>&nbsp;the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Where Have People Gotten Sick From Listeria In Deli Meat?</h2>



<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/delimeats-7-24/map.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">18 states</a>&nbsp;where cases have been recorded, according to the CDC, include: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. New York and Maryland have reported the most cases, with 17 and eight, respectively.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Deli Meats Have Been Recalled For Listeria?</h2>



<p>Boar’s Head Provisions Co. recalled liverwurst after a sample of the product in a Maryland store tested positive for listeria, and the company has also recalled meats sliced on the same day on the same line as the liverwurst at a Virginia plant. Those include Virginia old fashioned ham, Italian Cappy style ham, extra hot Italian Cappy style ham, bologna, beef salami, steakhouse roasted bacon ham and garlic bologna with an Aug. 10 sell-by date. Boar&#8217;s Head second recall, announced last week, includes 71 different products made between May 10 and July 29. More specifics can be found on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/boars-head-provisions-co--recalls-ready-eat-liverwurst-and-other-deli-meat-products" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">USDA&nbsp;</a>website. The outbreak has been linked to meat sliced at deli counters, not prepackaged meats.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How Does Listeria Spread Among Deli Meats?</h2>



<p>The listeria bacteria&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/listeria-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20355269" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">can be found</a>&nbsp;in soil, water, animal feces and raw materials.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/prevention.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">The CDC says</a>&nbsp;cold cuts, cheeses and other deli products are at particular risk of listeria because of how easy it is for the bacteria to spread among deli equipment and surfaces. While meats are kept refrigerated, refrigeration does not kill listeria, and it can be a tough bacteria to eliminate. When meats are prepared at a facility where listeria persists, the bacteria can spread on surfaces, hands and through the food itself. One person died and 16 were sickened due to a listeria outbreak among deli meats and cheeses in six states in 2022, and a similar outbreak killed one and sickened another 12 in four states in 2020.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Stores Have Recalled Produce For Listeria, And In What States?</h2>



<p>Walmart has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wiers-farm-inc-expands-voluntary-recall-whole-and-salad-cucumbers-due-possible-contamination" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">recalled</a>&nbsp;bagged and bulk produce in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Aldi locations in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have done the same. Other stores, including Save-a-Lot, Kroger, Shop &#8216;n Save, have also recalled products in the states listed above and Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Tennessee.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Vegetables Have Been Recalled For Listeria?</h2>



<p>Bagged poblanos, cubanelle peppers, green beans, salad cucumbers, serranos, organic bell peppers, cucumbers, yellow squash and zucchini from the Wiers Farm have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wiers-farm-inc-expands-voluntary-recall-whole-and-salad-cucumbers-due-possible-contamination" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">recalled</a>, as have bagged green beans and jalapenos from Freshire Farms. Bulk Anaheim peppers, clinanto, cubanelle peppers, cucumbers, green beans, green bell peppers, habanero peppers, hungarian wax peppers, jalapeno peppers, mustard greens, pickling cucumbers, parsley, poblanos, serranos and tomatillos have also been recalled, though no specific brand names were mentioned. The barcodes for each recalled product can be found on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wiers-farm-inc-expands-voluntary-recall-whole-and-salad-cucumbers-due-possible-contamination" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">FDA&#8217;s website</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Surprising Fact</h2>



<p>A Missouri couple&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lawsuit-filed-against-boars-head-on-behalf-of-missouri-woman-hospitalized-in-listeria-outbreak-linked-to-deli-meats-302207602.html#:~:text=MINNEAPOLIS%2C%20July%2026%2C%202024%20%2F,St.%20Louis%20County%20Circuit%20Court." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">has sued</a>&nbsp;Boar&#8217;s Head and Schnucks Markets after they purchased contaminated liverwurst in June. Sue Fleming, 88, became &#8220;deathly ill&#8221; and was hospitalized with a listeria infection, according to her lawyer. She did recover from the illness after a long stay in a hospital, followed by a stay at a rehabilitation facility. The couple is<a href="https://nypost.com/2024/07/27/us-news/boars-heads-sued-over-multistate-listeria-outbreak/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">&nbsp;now suing</a>&nbsp;for $25,000 in damages and claims the illness caused “loss of enjoyment of life” and “damage to the marital relationship.&#8221;</p>


Houston Chronicle

Everything To Know About The Listeria Outbreaks—As More Deaths, Hospitalizations Reported


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>New study results found weight loss and diabetes drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro may significantly cut the risk of diabetes in people with prediabetes and obesity, adding to the growing list of diseases researchers have found the drugs can prevent.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Drug manufacturer Eli Lilly&nbsp;<a href="https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/tirzepatide-reduced-risk-developing-type-2-diabetes-94-adults" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;the results from a three-year study that found its drug tirzepatide slashed the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 94% in adults with prediabetes who also are obese or overweight.</p>



<p>Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in Mounjaro, the company’s approved diabetes drug, and Zepbound, the company’s approved weight-loss drug.</p>



<p>The drug also caused participants to lose weight: Those taking the highest 15 mg dose lost an average of 23% of their body weight compared to the placebo group, which only lost 2.1%.</p>



<p>However, during a 17-week follow up period when participants stopped treatment, weight was regained, and there was “some increase in the progression to type 2 diabetes,” though they still had an 88% reduction in risk, according to Lilly.</p>



<p>The most commonly reported adverse events among the study group were mild to moderate gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and constipation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">Big Number</h2>



<p>98 million. That’s about how many Americans have prediabetes, totaling around one in three adults in the U.S., according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/communication-resources/1-in-3-americans.html#:~:text=Graphic%20text%3A%20About%2098%20million,classified%20as%20type%202%20diabetes." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">data</a>&nbsp;from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-prediabetes">What Is Prediabetes?</h2>



<p>People with prediabetes have higher than normal blood sugar levels, but they aren’t high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. It’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prediabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20355278" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">caused</a>&nbsp;by insulin resistance—the same thing that causes type 2 diabetes—which can happen because of genetics, excess body fat, a diet high in processed foods, physical inactivity, chronic stress, lack of sleep, long-term steroid use and hormonal disorders like cushings disease. Although prediabetes is fairly common, most Americans (80%) don’t know they have it,&nbsp;<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21498-prediabetes" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the Cleveland Clinic. This is because prediabetes often doesn’t have any symptoms, though some people do experience symptoms like skin tags, eye changes and darkened skin around the armpits, back or neck. However, prediabetes is reversible through lifestyle changes like weight loss,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/prediabetes" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to Yale Medicine.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/01/31/diabetes-drug-mounjaro-expected-to-be-approved-for-weight-loss-soon-what-to-know-and-how-it-compares-to-similar-drugs/">Mounjaro</a>&nbsp;was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2022, and Zepbound was approved in 2023. Prediabetes isn’t the only disease tirzepatide has been found to prevent. Participants taking tirzepatide with high blood pressure saw up to a 10.6 point reduction in blood pressure, according to a February&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/02/05/lillys-weight-loss-drug-tirzepatide-may-significantly-reduce-blood-pressure-study-finds/">study</a>. Earlier this month, Lilly revealed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/08/01/weight-loss-drug-zepbound-could-lower-heart-failure-risks-eli-lilly-says/">trial results</a>&nbsp;that found patients taking tirzepatide had a 38% lower risk of death or hospitalization because of heart complications. The drug drastically slowed the progression of kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes and an increased cardiovascular risk,&nbsp;<a href="https://diabetes.org/newsroom/tirzepatide-slowed-progression-chronic-kidney-disease-pateints-with-type-2-diabetes-increased-cardiovascular-disease" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the American Diabetes Association. Tirzepatide also significantly reduces&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/06/21/mounjaro-drug-tirzepatide-could-treat-sleep-apnea-study-finds/">sleep apnea</a>&nbsp;symptoms.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">Further Reading</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/01/31/diabetes-drug-mounjaro-expected-to-be-approved-for-weight-loss-soon-what-to-know-and-how-it-compares-to-similar-drugs/">Diabetes Drug Mounjaro Expected To Be Approved For Weight Loss Soon: What To Know And How It Compares To Similar Drugs</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/08/01/weight-loss-drug-zepbound-could-lower-heart-failure-risks-eli-lilly-says/">Weight Loss Drug Zepbound Could Lower Heart Failure Risks, Eli Lilly Says</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Mounjaro/Zepbound Drastically Cuts Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes, Eli Lilly Report Suggests


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Sweden&nbsp;<a href="https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health-agency-of-sweden/communicable-disease-control/disease-information-about-mpox/one-case-of-mpox-clade-i-reported-in-sweden/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">confirmed</a>&nbsp;it had its first case of mpox, a disease formerly known as monkeypox, shortly after the World Health Organization declared an international health emergency over Africa’s escalating mpox outbreak.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>The Public Health Agency of Sweden said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health-agency-of-sweden/communicable-disease-control/disease-information-about-mpox/one-case-of-mpox-clade-i-reported-in-sweden/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">press release</a>&nbsp;Thursday a person who “sought care at Region Stockholm has been diagnosed with mpox caused by the clade I variant.”</p>



<p>The person had been infected during a stay in Africa, the agency said, adding the diagnosis “does not affect the risk to the general population,” which is currently “very low.”</p>



<p>The case makes Sweden the first country outside of Africa to report a case of the new mpox variant.</p>



<p>The clade I&nbsp;<a href="https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health-agency-of-sweden/communicable-disease-control/disease-information-about-mpox/one-case-of-mpox-clade-i-reported-in-sweden/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">variant</a>&nbsp;is an offshoot of the mpox virus that is “likely to be associated with a higher risk of a more severe course of disease and higher mortality” and seems to spread more easily between people, especially children, through regular close contact within households.</p>



<p>WHO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/14-08-2024-who-director-general-declares-mpox-outbreak-a-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;Wednesday the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and an increasing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, which is “the highest level of alarm under international health law,” WHO’s director general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/WHO/status/1823771400420909265" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>This is the second public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) caused by mpox in as many years. In July 2022 a multi-country outbreak of mpox was declared as a PHEIC as cases “spread rapidly via sexual contact across a range of countries where the virus had not been seen before,” WHO said. That emergency ended less than a year later, in May 2023, after there had been a sustained decline in cases globally. As of Monday, at least 12 countries had reported Clade I mpox infections this year, with 2,863 cases and 517 deaths, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://africacdc.org/news-item/africa-cdc-declares-mpox-a-public-health-emergency-of-continental-security-mobilizing-resources-across-the-continent/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, and suspected cases across the continent had surpassed 17,000. The virus itself is a close relative of smallpox, one of the deadliest human pathogens and the only infectious human disease to have been eradicated, though it is less severe.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-there-an-mpox-vaccine">Is There An Mpox Vaccine?</h2>



<p>There is a modern vaccine produced by Bavarian Nordic that was rolled out during the 2022 global outbreak, but supplies are limited and many of the countries with the largest outbreaks are also not equipped with the basic health infrastructure to deliver the shots effectively. But, Africa CDC did sign an agreement with the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority and Bavarian Nordic to provide more than 215,000 doses of their vaccine, and the Africa&nbsp;<a href="https://africacdc.org/news-item/africa-cdc-declares-mpox-a-public-health-emergency-of-continental-security-mobilizing-resources-across-the-continent/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">CDC said</a>&nbsp;it would oversee vaccine distribution and prioritize local needs.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">Tangent</h2>



<p>The declaration of the international emergency led to Bavarian Nordic’s shares <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/08/15/vaccine-maker-shares-soar-after-who-declares-health-emergency-over-africa-mpox-outbreak/">jumping</a> as much as 17% in early trading Thursday in Copenhagen, though gains fell throughout the day. On Wednesday, the company’s stock climbed about 12% following WHO’s declaration of the emergency.</p>


Monkeypox and Covid Tests Processing at AEGIS Labs

Sweden Reports Mpox Case—First Non-African Country With New Variant


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>The World Health Organization declared an international health emergency Wednesday over an escalating mpox outbreak in Africa, joining the continent’s&nbsp;<a href="https://africacdc.org/news-item/africa-cdc-declares-mpox-a-public-health-emergency-of-continental-security-mobilizing-resources-across-the-continent/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">top public health body</a>—warning the disease could snowball without immediate steps to contain it and stoking fears a deadlier mpox pandemic could be on the horizon.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the African Union’s health watchdog and the top public health body on the continent, said a growing mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries constitutes a “public health emergency of continental security” on Tuesday.</p>



<p>The emergency designation is the agency’s first since launching in 2017 and comes amid growing concern among scientists over the rapid, unchecked spread of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/06/26/dangerous-new-mpox-virus-sparks-global-outbreak-fears/">concerning mpox strain</a>&nbsp;that is more lethal than the version of the virus responsible for the global outbreak in 2022.</p>



<p>The variant, called mpox clade Ib (1B), is an offshoot of the clade I virus that has caused sporadic outbreaks in the DRC for decades and appears to spread more easily between people through routine close contact, especially among children.</p>



<p>Clade I infections have historically been confined to central Africa, predominantly the DRC, but the Africa CDC said the disease has now spread beyond Congo to at least 13 countries, with four—Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya—<a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1153141" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reporting</a>&nbsp;their very first clade I cases in recent months.</p>



<p>Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya&nbsp;<a href="https://africacdc.org/news-item/speech-of-the-director-general-africa-cdc-on-the-declaration-of-mpox-as-a-public-health-emergency-of-continental-security-phecs/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">stressed</a>&nbsp;the declaration is “not merely a formality” but a “clarion call to action” in recognition of a “crisis that demands our collective action.”</p>



<p>Kaseya said “there is no need for travel restrictions at this time,” adding the decision will unlock funding and other resources and mobilize institutions in affected countries to empower health officials to act “swiftly and decisively” in the face of outbreaks.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-peg">News Peg</h2>



<p>WHO’s emergency committee met Wednesday and declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, which is “the highest level of alarm under international health law,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director general, said during a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/WHO/status/1823771400420909265" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">press conference</a>. This is the second time the agency has declared a global mpox outbreak: WHO declared a PHEIC in July 2022 and lifted the designation roughly a year later in May 2023. “In addition to other outbreaks of other clades of mpox in other parts of Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,&#8221; Tedros said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-bad-is-the-outbreak-in-africa">How Bad Is The Outbreak In Africa?</h2>



<p>At least 13 African countries have reported clade I mpox infections and in 2024 so far there have been 2,863 cases and 517 deaths. Most of these have been in the DRC, the Africa CDC said. Given limited capacity for testing to confirm infections genetically, confirmed cases give only a limited picture. Suspected cases on the continent are in excess of 17,000 this year so far, up from just under 15,000 for all of 2023 and around 7,150 for 2022. Africa CDC said “this is just the tip of the iceberg” given the “many weaknesses in surveillance, laboratory testing and contact tracing.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-mpox-and-how-can-it-be-stopped">What Is Mpox And How Can It Be Stopped?</h2>



<p>Mpox is a disease formerly known as monkeypox. Symptoms include a fever, swollen lymph nodes and characteristic rash and the disease follows infection with the monkeypox virus, typically through close contact with infected humans, animals or contaminated materials like bed linen. The disease is normally mild but can kill, with young children and people with compromised immune systems especially vulnerable. The virus is a close relative of smallpox, one of the deadliest human pathogens and the only infectious human disease to have been eradicated, though it is much less severe (smallpox killed around a third of people infected in the best cases). There are two broad groups of monkeypox virus that cause mpox infections: clade I and clade II. Data suggests infections with the former has a fatality rate of around 10% and the rate for clade II is less than 1%. Specific treatments for infection are limited and largely untested, especially in mpox clade I infections, and hospitals are mostly restricted to providing supportive care in the worst cases. Smallpox vaccines have been shown to provide at least some degree of protection against infection, though data is limited, particularly for clade I infections. As smallpox was eradicated globally in 1980, and eliminated in many countries much earlier, many people alive today have not received a vaccine for the virus or, if they have, will have done so a long time ago. Other preventative measures include avoiding bushmeat, potentially infected animals and avoiding unprotected close contact with those who appear infected or materials they’ve come into contact with.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">Tangent</h2>



<p>Many older smallpox vaccines are kept as a biosecurity measure in national stockpiles but are not considered appropriate to use in most circumstances given the strong risk of potentially severe side effects. A more modern vaccine, produced by Bavarian Nordic, is an improvement on these and was rolled out during the global outbreak in 2022, but supplies are limited and the shots can be costly for poorer nations dealing with mpox outbreaks like many of those in Africa. Complicating matters is that many of these countries also lack the basic health infrastructure to deliver the shots to those who need them in order to stamp out outbreaks effectively, particularly in rural areas. Supplies are likely to be an ongoing issue. Kaseya said the Africa CDC has signed a deal for 215,000 vaccines that are available now with Bavarian Nordic, with further plans to secure 3 million doses this year. Kaseya did not disclose details of plans to secure another 3 million doses this year and even if it materializes it falls&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/africa-cdc-declares-mpox-public-health-emergency-continental-security-director-2024-08-13/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">far short</a>&nbsp;of the more than 10 million doses Kaseya said will be needed on the continent.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Scientists have been aware of mpox for decades, but the disease has garnered relatively little international attention as outbreaks have typically been small in scope and limited to regions in central and western Africa, for clade I and II, respectively. Most cases were linked to spillover infections from animals and though scientists still aren’t clear what animals are the natural reservoirs of the virus, rodents are the primary suspect. That all changed in 2022 when the virus began spreading globally, predominantly, though not exclusively, in networks of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. The virus, an offshoot of clade II called clade IIb, appeared to be better able to spread among people and through sexual contact, a previously undocumented means of transmission.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">Crucial Quote</h2>



<p>“This is not just another challenge; it is a crisis that demands our collective action, a moment that calls upon the very essence of our humanity, our unity, and our strength,” Kaseya said when announcing the emergency declaration. “Our continent has seen many struggles,” Kaseya said, pointing to pandemics, outbreaks, natural disasters and conflicts, adding that “through every adversity, we have risen, not as fragmented nations, but as one Africa.” He urged nations to “summon that same spirit of solidarity” to tackle the mpox outbreak. “But let me be clear: this is not just an African issue. Mpox is a global threat,” Kaseya stressed, calling on nations around the world to help the continent combat the disease.</p>


Monkeypox Virus Photo Illustrations

WHO Declares Mpox A Public Health Emergency—Here’s What To Know


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Drug manufacturers have created updated monovalent COVID-19 vaccines to protect against currently circulating variants, and the shots—which have shown to be more effective than the now-available vaccines—are expected to be available as soon as this month.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Facts</h2>



<p>New COVID-19 vaccines for the 2024-2025 fall and winter respiratory virus season were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/06/05/fda-panel-recommends-new-covid-vaccines-for-jn1-lineage-by-fall/">recommended</a>&nbsp;by the Food and Drug Administration, and the agency advised Americans to take the vaccines when they become available.</p>



<p>COVID-19 cases&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/covid-19-can-surge-throughout-the-year.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">historically spike</a>&nbsp;during the fall and winter months around the same time as flu and respiratory syncytial virus season, so the updated vaccines are expected to be available ahead of this to help curb an uptick in cases.</p>



<p>The FDA originally recommended the vaccines target the coronavirus’ JN.1 variant, but later changed this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/updated-covid-19-vaccines-use-united-states-beginning-fall-2024?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">recommendation</a>&nbsp;to advise manufacturers to focus on the KP.2 strain of the JN line after reviewing updated case data.</p>



<p>Both <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179142/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moderna</a> and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179144/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pfizer</a> said they were prepared to formulate either vaccine—and will make KP.2 vaccines after the FDA’s updated guidance—while <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179143/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Novavax</a> said its manufacturing for a JN.1 shot is already underway and it won’t have a KP.2-specific shot ready in time for the fall.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">When Will The Vaccines Be Available?</h2>



<p>Each drug manufacturer gave different <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/06/05/fda-panel-recommends-new-covid-vaccines-for-jn1-lineage-by-fall/%5C">timelines</a> for when their respective vaccines will be ready during a June meeting with the FDA. Pfizer said its vaccine will be available this fall ahead of flu season. Moderna said its shot will be available as soon as August, while Novavax gave a September 1 deadline.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Who Is Eligible For The Vaccines?</h2>



<p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-t0627-vaccine-recommendations.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">recommends</a>&nbsp;everyone six months and older to get an updated vaccine regardless of if they were previously vaccinated. Both&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2024/Moderna-Files-FDA-Application-for-the-JN.1-Targeting-COVID-19-Vaccine/default.aspx" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Moderna</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-receive-positive-chmp-opinion-omicron-3" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Pfizer’s</a>&nbsp;vaccines will be available for people six months and older, while&nbsp;<a href="https://ir.novavax.com/press-releases/U-S-ACIP-Recommends-Use-of-Authorized-and-Approved-2024-2025-COVID-19-Vaccines#:~:text=Novavax%20intends%20to%20provide%20doses,individuals%20aged%2012%20and%20older." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Novavax’s</a>&nbsp;shot will be directed towards those 12 years and older.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Are The Vaccines Free?</h2>



<p>No, the vaccines won’t be free like they were in previous years, though their price isn’t known yet. The shots will be covered for people with Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans like they were in the past,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/getting-your-covid-19-vaccine.html#:~:text=Paying%20for%20COVID%2D19%20vaccines,%2C%20Medicare%2C%20and%20Medicaid%20plans." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC. The CDC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/bridge/index.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Bridge Access Program</a>&nbsp;offered free COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured adults in the past. It was set to end in December, but the agency announced it would shut down in August due to lack of funding. However, Biden administration officials are looking into acquiring permanent funding so a similar vaccine program will be offered to adults who don’t have insurance, the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/05/22/cdc-covid-bridge-access-program-ending/73733643007/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;USA Today. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-for-children/about/index.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Vaccines for Children Program</a>&nbsp;will continue providing free vaccines to children of parents who can’t afford coverage.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How Effective Are The Vaccines?</h2>



<p>Though the now-available vaccines—originally created to combat the XBB.1.5 variant—are effective at protecting against the JN lineage, the updated vaccines from all three manufacturers offered greater protection. Moderna’s KP.2 vaccine was up to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179143/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eight times</a> more effective at protecting mice against JN variants than its XBB.1.5 vaccine. When compared to its now-available XBB vaccine, Pfizer’s KP.2 COVID-19 vaccine offered up to a 7.3-times stronger response to mice infected with KP.2 and several other JN variants, according to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179144/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trial data</a>. Novavax scientists gave mice an XBB.1.5 vaccine and then administered the JN.1 shot 11 months after. The JN.1 vaccine was up to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179143/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">48 times</a> more effective at protecting against the JN lineage than the initial XBB.1.5 shot.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Background</h2>



<p>Both KP.2 and JN.1 are descendants of the omicron COVID-19 variant. KP.2 was the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/05/22/covids-new-flirt-variants-what-to-know-as-experts-fear-summer-surge/?sh=59372a3dd705">most dominant</a>&nbsp;variant circulating in the U.S. in May, June and most of July. However as of August 3 it’s only the fifth most prominent variant, while three of its descendants are the first, second and fourth most dominant strains, according to CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">data</a>. JN.1 was the leading variant during the spring, but now makes up less than 1% of cases. KP.2 and its offsprings are descendants of JN.1 and only have a few different mutations, so a JN.1-specific vaccine should offer some protection against these variants,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/other/ema-confirms-its-recommendation-update-antigenic-composition-authorised-covid-19-vaccines-2024-2025_en.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the European Medicines Agency.</p>


Updated COVID Vaccines Are Coming: Effectiveness, Who’s Eligible And More


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Weekly aspirin use may reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer—especially in those with unhealthy lifestyles—a new study found, as experts warn colorectal cancer is affecting younger populations and harmful lifestyle choices may be to blame.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Facts</h2>



<p>The study followed almost 108,000 men and women with an average starting age of 49 years old for three decades, and researchers recorded their aspirin intake and assigned them lifestyle scores based on their BMI, diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption and cigarette use.</p>



<p>The study found participants with regular aspirin use—which is considered as two or more standard 325 mg pills, or at least six low-dose 81 mg tablets, per week—had a lower risk of developing colorectal cancer, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2821928?guestAccessKey=272cd587-5b58-46d3-88ff-96c77577f1cc&amp;utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=080124" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;published Thursday in JAMA Oncology.</p>



<p>Aspirin’s benefits were the most pronounced among the participants with the most unhealthy lifestyles, especially those who smoked cigarettes and had higher BMIs: This group had a 3.4% chance of getting colorectal cancer if they did not take regular aspirin and a 2.12% chance of getting colorectal cancer if they took aspirin regularly.</p>



<p>In comparison, in participants with the healthiest lifestyle scores, the colorectal cancer rates were 1.5% in the regular aspirin-taking group and 1.6% in the non-regular aspirin group.</p>



<p>The researchers pointed to previous <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014299921003265" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> that suggests aspirin can reduce the production of pro-inflammatory proteins, known as prostaglandins, which are known to promote the development of cancer, as the reason aspirin lowers colorectal cancer risk.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why Is Colorectal Cancer On The Rise In Young Adults?</h2>



<p>A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/07/31/cancer-rates-increased-among-millennials-and-gen-x-study-suggests-heres-why/">study</a>&nbsp;found 17 types of cancers were becoming more prevalent among millennials and Generation X. Some 10 of those cancers were obesity-related, and colorectal cancer was one of them. Around 20% of all colorectal diagnoses in 2019 were in Americans under age 55—double the rate in 1995—according to a 2023 American Cancer Society&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/colorectal-cancer-facts-and-figures/colorectal-cancer-facts-and-figures-2023.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">report</a>. Both the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/colorectal-cancer-screening" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Preventive Services Task Force</a>&nbsp;and the U.S. Multisociety Task Force on Colorectal Cancer&nbsp;<a href="https://ascopost.com/news/november-2021/us-multisociety-task-force-on-colorectal-cancer-releases-updated-screening-recommendations/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">recommended</a>&nbsp;in 2021 most Americans be screened for colorectal cancer at age 45, which is five years earlier than previously recommended, and continue with screenings periodically until age 75. Colorectal cancer has risen from being the fourth leading cause of cancer death in men and women under 50 during the late 1990s, to being the first in men and second in women, according to a January ACS&nbsp;<a href="https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3322/caac.21820" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">report</a>. Breast cancer is the leading cause in women under age 50. Experts aren’t entirely sure why there’s a rise of colorectal cancer cases in younger people, but&nbsp;<a href="https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/features/colon-and-rectal-cancer-on-the-rise-in-young-adults-/2024/03" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">they believe</a>&nbsp;certain lifestyle factors like diet, lack of movement, obesity, tobacco and alcohol use and environmental exposure to certain chemicals may be to blame. Obesity rates have been increasing for decades, and almost half of the U.S. is predicted to be obese by 2030, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1909301?query=featured_home" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">research</a>&nbsp;published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Several studies have linked diets high in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41575-024-00893-5" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">ultra-processed foods</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cncy.22582" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">antibiotics</a>&nbsp;to certain cancers, and research has found the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2021/october/ultra-processed-foods.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">consumption</a>&nbsp;of ultra-processed foods among Americans has increased substantially since 2001.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Big Number</h2>



<p>152,000. That’s about how many Americans are expected to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, the American Cancer Society <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/colon-rectal-cancer/about/key-statistics.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">predicts</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Background</h2>



<p>The Preventive Services Task Force previously&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/aspirin-to-prevent-cardiovascular-disease-and-cancer-april-2016" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">recommended</a>&nbsp;in 2016 adults in their 50s take low-dose aspirin every day for prevention of colorectal cancer and heart disease. However, this suggestion was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/aspirin-to-prevent-cardiovascular-disease-preventive-medication" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">dropped</a>&nbsp;in 2022, and the organization said it was unclear if aspirin reduced the risk of colorectal cancer. This came after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2020/aspree-aspirin-increases-advanced-cancer" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">research</a>&nbsp;from 2020 suggested older people who took a daily low dose of aspirin actually had an elevated risk of advanced cancer and death from cancer.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Further Reading</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/07/31/cancer-rates-increased-among-millennials-and-gen-x-study-suggests-heres-why/">Cancer Rates Increased Among Millennials And Gen X, Study Suggests—Here’s Why</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


I have the worst pain ever

Regular Aspirin Use May Reduce Colorectal Cancer Risk, Study Suggests—What To Know


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Higher levels of belly and arm fat may increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, while high muscle strength may decrease this risk, new research suggests, the latest study to explore the link between body composition and brain degeneration.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The study included 412,961 participants between the ages of 40 and 70 who were followed for an average of about nine years; 8,224 participants developed neurodegenerative diseases during this time—mainly Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.</p>



<p>The researchers found participants with excess arm fat had an 18% greater risk of developing these diseases compared to participants with low levels of arm fat, according to the study published Wednesday in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.</p>



<p>Participants with high levels of belly fat were also 13% more likely to develop these neurodegenerative diseases, and this risk was slightly higher in men than women.</p>



<p>However, there was one factor that consistently decreased risks among participants: Having high muscle strength lowered risks by over 25%.</p>



<p>Previous&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2807421#:~:text=High%20levels%20of%20lean,between%20risk%20factors%20and%20diseases." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">research</a>&nbsp;found having higher levels of lean muscle mass—the difference between total body weight and body fat—decreases neurodegenerative disease risk, but the Neurology study researchers found inconsistent results on this factor, and suggested muscle quality may play a more important role in reducing risk than muscle quantity.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“Targeted interventions to reduce trunk and arm fat while promoting healthy muscle development may be more effective for protection against these diseases than general weight control,” Dr. Huan Song, a study author and professor for Sichuan University in China, said in a statement.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-excess-fat-increase-the-risk-of-neurodegenerative-disease">WHY DOES EXCESS FAT INCREASE THE RISK OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE?</h2>



<p>One reason high levels of belly fat increases this risk is due to a type of fat called visceral fat, which only lies around abdominal organs. Visceral fat is also called “<a href="https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-visceral-fat" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">hidden fat</a>” because it’s located within the stomach and isn’t visible to the naked eye. Middle-aged people with excess visceral fat have increased levels of tau and amyloid proteins in their brains, which are both indicators of Alzheimer’s, according to a 2023&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aginganddisease.org/EN/10.14336/AD.2023.0707" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;published in Aging &amp; Disease. Researchers have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fncel.2023.1294420/full" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">found</a>&nbsp;obesity significantly increases the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases. The brain naturally shrinks with age, but obesity can cause this process to speed up, causing the brain to age by about 10 excess years and increasing Alzheimer’s risk,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/managing-the-risk-of-dementia/reduce-your-risk-of-dementia/obesity" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the Alzheimer’s Society. Metabolic changes associated with excess fat can damage the central nervous system, and can then lead to neuronal cell death, which is a known contributor to neurodegenerative disease, a Life Sciences&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002432051730276X?via%3Dihub" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;suggested.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>The Neurology study researchers also considered how cardiovascular diseases—like heart disease or stroke—factor into degenerative brain disease development. Around 35% and 22% of participants with excess belly and arm fat, respectively, developed some form of cardiovascular disease after the study began, but before the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. Cardiovascular diseases have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">previously linked</a>&nbsp;as risk factors for neurodegenerative disease. The researchers believe early management of cardiovascular diseases in people with excess arm and belly fat may mitigate neurodegeneration.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>30 million. That’s how many people worldwide are living with a degenerative brain disease,&nbsp;<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24976-neurodegenerative-diseases" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the Cleveland Clinic.</p>


Excess Arm And Stomach Fat Boosts Alzheimer’s And Parkinson’s Risk While Muscle Strength Decreases It, Study Suggests


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The use of GLP-1 medications like semaglutide for weight loss has increased twofold over the past decade, but declined in use among type 2 diabetics, according to a new study, and the researchers warn the resulting and ongoing drug shortage may limit diabetics’ access to the drugs.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center examined 1 million first-time GLP-1 prescriptions in the U.S. between 2011 and 2023 and separated patients by those who took GLP-1s for type 2 diabetes, and those who didn’t have diabetes but took them for obesity or obesity-related health conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease.</p>



<p>The amount of new patients prescribed GLP-1s for diabetes decreased by almost 10% between 2011 and 2023, while those who were prescribed the drugs for obesity or other obesity-related conditions more than doubled during the same time period, particularly since 2020, according to the study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.</p>



<p>Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide—the generic name for Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus—was the most prescribed GLP-1 in 2023, making up over 88% of all new prescriptions.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551568/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">GLP-1s</a>&nbsp;are medications designed to manage type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity by lowering blood sugar and A1C, interacting with the hunger part of the brain to suppress the appetite and slowing down the process of food emptying from the stomach, causing patients to feel full longer.</p>



<p>The researchers warned the medications’ growing popularity among those with obesity could be exacerbating a nationwide drug shortage, and also raises concerns about “the need to ensure that patients with diabetes still have access to these treatments,” Dr. Yee Hui Yeo, the study’s co-first author and a clinical fellow in the Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Cedars-Sinai, said in a statement.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-glp-1s-have-been-approved-for-weight-loss">WHAT GLP-1S HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR WEIGHT LOSS?</h2>



<p>There are&nbsp;<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/13901-glp-1-agonists" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">seven approved</a>&nbsp;GLP-1 drugs in the U.S. There’s also a similar class of medications called dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists, and tirzepatide (the generic name for Mounjaro and Zepbound) is the only drug available in the U.S. from this group. However, only&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-drug-treatment-chronic-weight-management-first-2014" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">semaglutide</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.novonordisk.com/content/nncorp/global/en/news-and-media/news-and-ir-materials/news-details.html?id=1430#:~:text=Bagsv%C3%A6rd%2C%20Denmark%2C%2023%20December%202014,for%20the%20treatment%20of%20obesity." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">liraglutide</a>—the generic name for Saxenda and Victoza—and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-medication-chronic-weight-management" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">tirzepatide</a>&nbsp;have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight management. Saxenda was the first to be approved in 2014, followed by Wegovy in 2020 and Zepbound in 2023.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-there-still-a-glp-1-drug-shortage">IS THERE STILL A GLP-1 DRUG SHORTAGE?</h2>



<p>Yes, several GLP-1s have been in short supply for months, though some appear to be back in stock. The three lowest doses of Wegovy are still in a shortage with no expected date of recovery, while all doses of Ozempic are available, according to the FDA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/dsp_ActiveIngredientDetails.cfm?AI=Semaglutide%20Injection&amp;st=c" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">database</a>. Two doses of both Mounjaro and Zepbound are in a shortage, though the FDA reports availability will improve after July. Doses of Saxenda and Victoza are also in short supply. The FDA blames increasing demand as the reason for the shortages. The shortages aren’t just affecting the U.S.: The European Medicines Agency&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/385/bmj.q1448?utm_campaign=usage&amp;utm_content=tbmj_sprout&amp;utm_id=BMJ005&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">warned</a>&nbsp;the GLP-1 drug shortage is a “major public health concern” that probably won’t be resolved in 2024. Diabetics have had a hard time getting ahold of their medications because of the shortages, with some rationing their drugs to cope with the lack of supply, NPR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/07/10/nx-s1-5006103/ozempic-wegovy-semaglutide-shortage-type-2-diabetes-obesity#:~:text=Television-,Shortages%20of%20Ozempic%20and%20other%20drugs%20harms%20Type%202%20diabetes,them%20when%20they%20need%20them." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reported</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Adverse side effects may also be causing a decline in GLP-1 use among type 2 diabetics.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351199#:~:text=Metformin%20(Fortamet%2C%20Glumetza%2C%20others,it%20uses%20insulin%20more%20effectively." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Metformin</a>&nbsp;is considered the go-to drug for glucose management in type 2 diabetics, but many patients take second-line drugs—type 2 diabetes drugs that aren’t insulin—like GLP-1s to assist with treatment, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ajmc.com/view/treatment-modification-after-initiating-second-line-medication-for-type-2-diabetes" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;by Northwestern Medicine. Almost 40% of patients taking second-line diabetes drugs stop treatment, but this number is even higher (50%) among those taking GLP-1s. The researchers believe this may be due to gastrointestinal side effects—like vomiting, nausea and diarrhea—associated with GLP-1s. Other than side effects, the high cost of the drugs is also a leading cause of discontinuation, according to a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://diabetesjournals.org/spectrum/article/34/2/175/32908/Exploring-Why-People-With-Type-2-Diabetes-Do-or-Do" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;by the American Diabetes Association.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>$100 billion. That’s how much the weight loss drug industry could be worth by 2030,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-17/lilly-lly-and-novo-novob-seen-dominating-100-billion-obesity-market-in-2030" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">analysts estimate</a>, though some believe this is a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/28/obesity-drugs-to-be-worth-200-billion-in-next-10-years-barclays-says.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">lowball</a>&nbsp;estimate.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>The Cedars-Sinai researchers also found the percentage of people who were prescribed GLP-1s who didn’t meet the FDA requirements for the drugs increased from 0.21% in 2019 to 0.37% in 2023. These are people who are being prescribed the drugs off-label even though they don’t have diabetes, obesity, heart disease or any other related health condition. Although a slight increase, this could be tied to the growing popularity of people who aren’t obese&nbsp;<a href="https://www.webmd.com/obesity/news/20230801/using-ozempic-for-minor-weight-loss-fair-or-foul" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">using</a>&nbsp;Wegovy and other GLP-1s for weight loss. Using GLP-1s for weight loss without meeting the FDA requirements is “abuse,” and these people are “far more likely to develop the serious side effects,” Dr. Nancy Rahnama, a Beverly Hills-based internal and bariatric medicine specialist with her own private practice,&nbsp;<a href="https://beverlyhillscourier.com/2023/11/16/the-real-skinny-on-weight-loss/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;local newspaper the Beverly Hills Courier.</p>


Novo Nordisk A/S Scouts Deals to Gain New Medicines and Technology

GLP-1s Are Growing In Popularity As Weight Loss Drugs But Losing Steam Among Diabetics, Study Suggests


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>A German man appears to have been cured of HIV after he received a first-of-its-kind stem cell transplant procedure nearly a decade ago, according to findings announced Thursday, as researchers say he is probably the seventh person worldwide to be cured of the virus affecting tens of millions of people globally.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The German man—referred to as the “next Berlin patient,” after the first person cured of HIV—stopped taking antiretroviral treatment for HIV in late 2018 after receiving a stem cell transplant for leukemia in 2015, researchers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iasociety.org/news-release/first-its-kind-hiv-cure-case-among-scientific-highlights-aids-2024" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;ahead of the International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany, adding he was still in HIV remission.</p>



<p>This appears to be the first case in which HIV is cured in a patient whose stem cell donor had a single HIV-resistant mutation, rather than two, which physician Christian Gaebler said could have “promising implications” for future cure strategies.</p>



<p>HIV can still be spread to people with the mutation, which removes a protein the virus uses to enter blood cells, Gaebler said, though the virus progresses slowly if they don’t receive antiretroviral treatment.</p>



<p>The case suggests “we can broaden the donor pool” for other similar cases, Sharon Lewis, president of the International AIDS Society, said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>In 2009, Timothy Ray Brown, referred to as the “Berlin patient,” was the first person researchers said appeared to be cured of HIV. Ten years later, the “London patient” appeared to be cured, followed by “The City of Hope” and “New York” patients in 2022. Two people, the “Geneva patient” and the “Düsseldorf patient” appeared to be cured last year. All six underwent stem cell transplants to treat blood cancer, while the first five received an HIV-resistant mutation from their donor.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>39 million. That’s the estimated number of people across the world who are living with HIV as of the end of 2022, the World Health Organization&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+people+have+hiv&amp;oq=how+many+people+have+hiv&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRhAMgwIAhAjGCcYgAQYigUyDAgDECMYJxiABBiKBTIMCAQQABgUGIcCGIAEMgoIBRAAGLEDGIAEMgcIBhAAGIAEMgcIBxAAGIAE0gEIMjQzMmowajeoAgCwAgA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>. About 630,000 people died of HIV-related illnesses worldwide that year, according to the organization.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>There is no effective cure for human immunodeficiency virus, a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/whatishiv.html#:~:text=It%20was%20probably%20passed%20to,the%20mid%20to%20late%201970s." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In recent years, researchers have <a href="https://www.cirm.ca.gov/our-progress/disease-information/hivaids-fact-sheet#:~:text=The%20team%20at%20is%20taking,make%20them%20resistant%20to%20HIV." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studied</a> whether stem cell transplants could be used as treatment, with doctors using anti-HIV genes or mutations to combat the virus. If not treated, the virus can result in AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, the agency noted, adding, “Once people get HIV, they have it for life.” The virus is often detected through symptoms that resemble flu-like symptoms within two to four weeks after infection, though diagnosis is only possible through testing.</p>


Female Scientist in Lab

HIV Stem Cell Treatment Likely Cures 7th Person In History Of Virus, Doctors Say


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Women diagnosed with endometriosis may have a “markedly increased” risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to women without the disease, according to a <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2821194?guestAccessKey=9570cb60-051f-4c10-9a64-0fe9e9fe6ad1&amp;utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=071724" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> published Wednesday in the JAMA Network, following years of speculation about whether the two diseases are linked.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Endometriosis, a disease causing tissue from inside the uterus to grow outside of the uterus, is associated with a four-times higher risk of ovarian cancer and a seven-times higher risk of developing a mild form of the cancer, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2821194?guestAccessKey=9570cb60-051f-4c10-9a64-0fe9e9fe6ad1&amp;utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=071724" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>, which analyzed health data on nearly 500,000 women in Utah age 18 to 55.</p>



<p>Women who have severe forms of endometriosis have a 9.7 times higher risk, researchers suggested.</p>



<p>The risks have likely been underestimated because the data did not include whether the women were using oral contraceptives like birth control, which researchers said has been linked with a lower risk of ovarian cancer.</p>



<p>Additional prevention studies are necessary to better determine the link between endometriosis and ovarian cancer, researchers said, adding women with endometriosis could be an “important population” for cancer screening.</p>



<p>190 million. That’s how many women are affected by endometriosis globally, though that number is likely higher because access to diagnosis is limited in low-income regions, <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/endometriosis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to the World Health Organization. The disease can result in infertility or “severe, life-impacting” pain during periods, in addition to chronic pelvic pain, abdominal bloating and fatigue, the organization said. The cause of endometriosis is unknown and there is no cure, though some treatments like hormonal medicines are often prescribed to mitigate pain.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Researchers have studied a possible link between endometriosis and ovarian cancer for years. In 2017, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5563086/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;found up to 19% of cases of a form of ovarian cancer were associated with endometriosis, including an increased risk among younger women. Another study in 2020&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/27/2/393/5986656?login=false" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">indicated</a>&nbsp;endometriosis was associated with a higher risk of ovarian and thyroid cancers, in addition to a minimal risk of breast and cervical cancer. Researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia released a&nbsp;<a href="https://imb.uq.edu.au/article/2022/03/endometriosis-and-ovarian-cancer-genetically-tied" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;in 2022 suggesting endometriosis and ovarian cancer were genetically linked, meaning women who have the disease could also have “genetic markers” for developing ovarian cancer.</p>


Aerial view of the hands of a scientist pouring fluid with the pipette into a petri dish in a laboratory with a green atmosphere.

Women With Endometriosis Face ‘Markedly Increased’ Risk Of Ovarian Cancer, Study Suggests


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>A class of diabetes and weight loss drugs that includes Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro could also help protect against a variety of cancers, according to new research published Friday, adding to mounting evidence the injections offer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/04/18/weight-loss-and-diabetes-drugs-like-ozempic-and-mounjaro-could-treat-sleep-apnea-and-parkinsons-too-here-are-other-conditions-scientists-are-looking-at/?sh=62e373b67f76">numerous additional health benefits</a>&nbsp;as pressure builds for insurers and public health providers to cover the popular medication in spite of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/04/30/wegovy-is-available-again-after-shortages-fda-says-but-supplies-are-still-limited/?sh=4773390761b4">persistent shortages</a>&nbsp;and cost&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/05/13/bernie-sanders-urges-ozempic-maker-novo-nordisk-to-be-fair-over-outrageously-expensive-us-drug-prices/?sh=2d9c1973404c">concerns</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Glucagon-like peptide receptor agonists, a class of drugs often known as GLP-1s or GLP-1RAs, were associated with a “significant risk reduction” for 10 different cancers when used to treat type 2 diabetes compared to insulin, according to new&nbsp;<a href="http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.21305?utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_term=070524" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">research</a>&nbsp;published in JAMA Oncology.</p>



<p>The findings come from an analysis of the electronic health records of 1.7 million U.S. patients over 15 years who were prescribed GLP-1RAs, insulins or metformin for type 2 diabetes — all help control blood sugar — between 2005 to 2018, though it did not specify which drugs were examined.</p>



<p>GLP-1 drugs, which mimic the action of a gut hormone and can help control blood sugar, include popular obesity and diabetes treatments like Ozempic and Wegovy (brand names for semaglutide), Mounjaro and Zepbound (or tirzepatide), Victoza and Saxenda (liraglutide) and Trulicity (dulaglutide).</p>



<p>Semaglutide was only authorized for medical use towards the end of the study timeline and tirzepatide was not approved until much later, though findings for some drugs can give an indication for what might happen with closely related drugs.</p>



<p>All of the 13 cancers studied are considered obesity-associated cancers as excess body fat has been linked to a greater risk of developing them and worse prognosis among patients who do.</p>



<p>GLP-1RAs were linked to a greatly reduced risk of developing esophageal, colorectal, endometrial, gallbladder, kidney, liver, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, as well as meningioma and multiple myeloma, compared to patients taking insulin.</p>



<p>There was no firm evidence for a lower risk for developing the obesity-associated cancers compared to patients taking metformin for their diabetes, however, though the researchers said there were promising but statistically insignificant indications of a lower risk for gallbladder and colorectal cancer.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>While GLP-1RAs were associated with a decreased risk for most obesity-associated cancers studied compared to other standard diabetes treatments, the researchers said drugs were also associated with a risk of developing some cancers. Compared to patients on metformin, patients taking GLP-1RAs had a higher risk of kidney cancers, the researchers said, though the risk was also lower than patients taking insulin. There have been no previous reports of kidney cancers associated with using GLP-1s, which are known to have direct effect on kidney function and have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/05/25/ozempic-drug-semaglutide-could-protect-kidneys-study-finds/">linked</a>&nbsp;to lower rates of kidney disease. Nevertheless, the researchers said the findings should be followed up for “full evaluation” and suggest the need for continuous monitoring of patients being treated with GLP-1RAs. There was also no significant reduction in the risk of developing thyroid cancer for patients taking GLP-1RAs compared to insulins, the researchers said. This finding adds weight to existing research highlighting concerns the drugs are associated with an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer and support warnings on drug packages advising caution among patients with endocrine or thyroid problems.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-don-t-know">WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h2>



<p>The study was observational in nature and therefore can only determine relationships, not cause and effect. It’s possible the reduction in risk for obesity-associated cancers comes from the weight loss and diabetes control afforded by such medications, as these are both issues linked to higher risks of cancers, or from some action of the drug itself or another thing entirely. Given the data available, the researchers said the study doesn’t consider “newer and possibly more effective antidiabetic and weight loss agents,” which could show even more pronounced effects, as well as those with multihormone agonist activities that are increasingly coming to market (tirzepatide, for example, is a multihormone agonist).</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>These results add to a growing pile of research suggesting the health benefits of popular weight loss and diabetes injections extend far beyond control of the conditions they were brought to market for, which themselves are implicated in a variety of physical and mental health problems. These data will be crucial to helping companies <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/03/27/heres-why-ozempic-and-mounjaro-rivals-wont-topple-weight-loss-drugmakers-novo-nordisk-and-eli-lilly-anytime-soon/?sh=76a10ccf2b38">maintain an edge</a> over <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/03/13/ozempic-and-wegovy-rivals-here-are-the-companies-working-on-competitor-weight-loss-drugs/">competitors</a> racing to bring their first products to market and will add heft to arguments the drugs should be funded by insurers, employers and public health authorities dragging their heels on coverage. A <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/04/18/weight-loss-and-diabetes-drugs-like-ozempic-and-mounjaro-could-treat-sleep-apnea-and-parkinsons-too-here-are-other-conditions-scientists-are-looking-at/?sh=3724094f7f76">myriad of other conditions</a> are being explored by drugmakers, including <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/06/21/mounjaro-drug-tirzepatide-could-treat-sleep-apnea-study-finds/">sleep apnea</a>, addiction, anxiety, Parkinson’s and fatty liver disease and Novo Nordisk has already secured convincing enough data to add cardiovascular disease to Wegovy’s label.</p>



<p>.</p>


Ozempic Manufacturer Sued Over Side Effects Of Medication Used For Weight Loss

Drugs Like Ozempic Could Lower Cancer Risks, Study Suggests


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>British Pharma giant GSK&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/gsk-and-curevac-to-restructure-collaboration-into-new-licensing-agreement/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday it will pay as much as $1.5 billion to take control of several mRNA vaccines from vaccine developer CureVac, sending shares of the struggling German biotech soaring during premarket trading and strengthening the British drugmaker’s vaccine portfolio as it tries to compete with the likes of Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>GSK said it would pay €400 million ($430 million) upfront to CureVac to take full control of developing and manufacturing mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, seasonal flu and avian influenza (bird flu).</p>



<p>The British drugmaker said it would pay an additional €1.05 billion ($1.13 billion) upon reaching various development, regulatory and sales milestones for the shots, as well as royalties from sales.</p>



<p>The shots for COVID and flu are in mid stage clinical trials and the deal could see GSK regularly update vaccines to combat seasonal variants and potentially develop&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/06/10/modernas-covid-flu-vaccine-shows-stronger-immune-response-than-individual-shots-late-stage-trial-finds/">joint COVID-flu shots</a>, while GSK said the bird flu vaccine is in the earliest stage of clinical trials.</p>



<p>Available data for all vaccine candidates suggest they could be “best-in-class new vaccines,” GSK said.</p>



<p>GSK’s chief scientific officer Tony Wood said the company is “excited about our flu/COVID-19 programmes and the opportunity to develop best-in-class mRNA vaccines to change the standard of care” and the company told Reuters the deal will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/gsk-buys-full-rights-make-covid-influenza-vaccines-curevac-2024-07-03/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">not impact</a>&nbsp;the size of GSK’s $140 million stake in CureVac.</p>



<p>Shares for GSK during trading hours in London were flat Wednesday morning but shares for Nasdaq listed CureVac were up around 25% during premarket trading and CEO Alexander Zehnder said the deal strengthens the company’s “financial position and enables us to focus on efforts in building a strong R&amp;D pipeline.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happened-to-curevac-and-what-will-it-do-now">WHAT HAPPENED TO CUREVAC AND WHAT WILL IT DO NOW?</h2>



<p>mRNA specialist CureVac&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/gsk-and-curevac-announce-strategic-mrna-technology-collaboration/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">started</a>&nbsp;working with GSK to develop shots using the technology during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pair fell behind other companies like Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech, who rapidly brought shots to market, and the duo has failed to develop shots of comparable efficacy in the time since. While pharma titan GSK, one of the world’s biggest vaccine manufacturers, was able to weather the storm, CureVac has never recovered from the precipitous drop in its share price brought about by its failure to bring an mRNA product to market, plunging from around $115 per share in mid 2021 and to around $4 today, a figure that includes today’s spike. CureVac’s dim outlook was similar in nature to that of the other mRNA specialists that rose to fame in the COVID-19 pandemic, notably Boston-based Moderna and Germany’s BioNTech, and like them CureVac is turning its attention to other medical applications of mRNA platforms. The company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.curevac.com/en/curevac-initiates-strategic-restructuring-to-align-resources-with-focus-on-high-value-mrna-pipeline-opportunities/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;it will use the cash injection to prioritize “high-value opportunities” such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/06/04/what-to-know-about-personalized-mrna-cancer-vaccines-after-promising-trials-from-moderna-and-merck/">mRNA cancer vaccines</a>&nbsp;and other areas “of substantial unmet medical need.” CureVac also said it will lay off 30% of staff as part of a wider restructuring effort to “streamline” operations.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>CureVac said it expects to report data from early stage clinical trials of its mRNA cancer vaccine candidate for glioblastoma in the second half of 2024. By the end of 2025, CureVac said it expects to have two clinical cancer vaccine candidates ready for solid tumors and blood cancers, with clinical trials set to begin by the end of 2026. The cash from the GSK deal, alongside expected savings from restructuring, will “extend CureVac’s cash runway into 2028,” the company said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“Now, we can embark on a new chapter for CureVac,” Zehnder said in a statement. While describing the layoffs as unfortunate, Zehnder said he is “convinced that this is a necessary step to ensure the long-term success of CureVac.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>CureVac’s vaccine&nbsp;<a href="https://www.curevac.com/en/pipeline/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">pipeline</a>&nbsp;includes a candidate shot for H5N1 influenza, a variant of bird flu that is tearing through poultry and cattle farms in the U.S. Given growing concerns of a potential pandemic in humans brewing, it is an area that could garner GSK interest and funding for rapid development in the near future, particularly given the easily modifiable nature of mRNA vaccines that make them ideal for responding to emerging outbreaks. Vaccine rival Moderna&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/07/02/moderna-scores-federal-funding-for-mrna-bird-flu-vaccine-as-pandemic-fears-grow/">inked</a>&nbsp;a deal to secure $176 million in U.S. government funding on Tuesday to test avian flu vaccines in humans with a view to bringing a “pre-pandemic” shot to market.</p>



<p>.</p>


Thailand Rolls Out Pfizer Vaccine

GSK Secures mRNA Vaccines For Bird Flu, COVID And Seasonal Flu From Struggling Biotech CureVac


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>An ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/06/12/bird-flu-h5n1-explained-bird-flu-h5n1-explained-toddler-infected-with-another-strain-second-human-case-in-india/">bird flu</a>&nbsp;outbreak among U.S. dairy cows has led to three confirmed human cases in dairy workers, and although there aren’t any confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission, experts warn safety measures like masks, vaccines and safety goggles will be needed if a pandemic is declared due to the virus’s deadly nature.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Forbes it’s monitoring human and animal exposure to H5N1 bird flu and watching the situation carefully, though “the current public health risk is low.”</p>



<p>Although rare, bird flu typically affects humans who’ve&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/h5n1-human-infections.htm" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">come in contact</a>&nbsp;with infected birds, and there aren’t any confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission.</p>



<p>The virus may spread from animals to humans through airborne transmission and through contact with infected surfaces, Dr. Jessica Justman, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist at Columbia University, told Forbes, though the exact transmission process isn’t fully understood.</p>



<p>Former CDC director Robert Redfield—who helped oversee the agency during the COVID-19 pandemic—<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGsM9IgVAJo" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;NewsNation earlier this month a bird flu pandemic is inevitable, so “it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.”</p>



<p>Redfield brought up bird flu’s high death rate as a cause for concern if a pandemic were to be declared: Of the 889 confirmed human cases between 2003 and May, 52% resulted in death, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/emergency/surveillance/avian-influenza/ai_20240621.pdf?sfvrsn=78c8c282_5" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">data</a>&nbsp;from the World Health Organization.</p>



<p>WHO defines&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/westernpacific/activities/preparing-for-pandemics" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">pandemics</a>&nbsp;as large-scale outbreaks that can claim millions of lives, disrupt societies and devastate economies; it&nbsp;<a href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/66155/WHO_CDS_CSR_EDC_99.1.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y#:~:text=The%20Pandemic%20will%20be%20declared,one%20segment%20of%20the%20population." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">won’t declare</a>&nbsp;a bird flu pandemic until the virus causes several outbreaks in at least one country and spreads to another with high death rates in at least one segment of the population.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-safety-measures-may-be-put-in-place-if-a-bird-flu-pandemic-is-declared">WHAT SAFETY MEASURES MAY BE PUT IN PLACE IF A BIRD FLU PANDEMIC IS DECLARED?</h2>



<p>Experts have cautioned that if a bird flu pandemic is declared, safety measures will need to be put in place to mitigate the spread. Dr. Donal Bisanzio, a senior epidemiologist with the nonprofit research institute RTI International, told Forbes methods like masking and social distancing should be the first implemented. “Those are all the kinds of interventions we need to put in place to buy time for the vaccine,” Bisanzio said. Justman told Forbes new methods like protective eyewear may be effective safety measures, especially among farm workers who have daily contact with potentially infectious animals. This is because all&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0530-h5-human-case-michigan.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">three</a>&nbsp;U.S. dairy farmers infected with bird flu had eye-related symptoms like pink eye and irritation, indicating the virus may spread when humans touch or rub their eyes with infected hands. She also pointed to a recent CDC bird flu&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/spotlights/study-ferrets-eye-exposure.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;that found ferrets—that as mammals have similar respiratory tracts to humans—became infected after eye exposure. Dr. Maciej Boni, an epidemiologist and professor at Temple University, told Forbes he doesn’t think safety measures for a bird flu pandemic will be similar to those put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic because experts don’t know yet how the virus will behave if it mutates and begins transmitting between humans. “H5N1 is not 10 or 20 times more deadly [than COVID-19], it’s 1,000 times more deadly,” Boni said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-there-human-bird-flu-vaccines">ARE THERE HUMAN BIRD FLU VACCINES?</h2>



<p>There are several FDA-approved bird flu vaccines, including ones made by <a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/audenz" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sequirs</a> and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-biologics/influenza-h5n1-virus-monovalent-vaccine-adjuvanted-manufactured-id-biomedical-corporation-questions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Biomedical</a> Corporation of Quebec, a subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals. The U.S. has a <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-we-have-enough-bird-flu-vaccines-for-a-potential-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stockpile</a> of FDA-approved bird flu vaccines, but they’re not enough to vaccinate the entire country. Sequirs said it <a href="https://www.precisionvaccinations.com/vaccines/audenz-avian-influenza-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expects</a> to have 150 million vaccines ready within six months of an announcement of a human bird flu pandemic. “I think the right course of action is to simply premanufacture several 100 million doses of vaccines and just have them ready,” Boni said regarding pandemic preparation. Sequirs also <a href="https://www.cslseqirus.us/news/csl-seqirus-announces-us-government-award-in-response-to-avian-influenza" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> in May it was selected by a brand of the Department of Health and Human Services to create almost 5 million doses of its bird flu vaccines as a form of pre-pandemic preparedness. Bisanzio pointed out better communication between public health agencies and the public will be needed for a bird flu vaccine rollout because “there was a lot of misinformation [about the COVID-19 pandemic], and that caused issues with the vaccine rollout, and some people didn’t even want to get a vaccine,” he said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>As of May 21, more than 97 million poultry (primarily chickens) in 48 states have been euthanized because of bird flu since 2022, and cases have been confirmed in 118 dairy cow herds across 12 states, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-flu-summary.htm" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">data</a>&nbsp;from the CDC (unlike chickens, cows&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/milk-bird-flu-cow-testing/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">appear to recover</a>&nbsp;from the virus). The Department of Agriculture believes wild migratory birds are the original source of the cow outbreaks that recently has experts concerned the virus may mutate and spread more easily in humans. Jeremy Farrar, chief scientist for WHO,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/04/18/who-warns-threat-of-bird-flu-spreading-to-humans-is-great-concern/?sh=32a2a3cb1176">called</a>&nbsp;the cattle infections in the U.S. a “huge concern,” urging public health officials to continue closely monitoring the situation “because it may evolve into transmitting in different ways.” Though there’s no evidence a human has contracted bird flu from eating infected meat, the USDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/avian-influenza-food-safety-qa.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">urges</a>&nbsp;people to eat meat prepared at safe temperatures. To be properly cooked, whole beef cuts must be cooked to an internal temperature of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/bbq-iq.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">145 degrees</a>&nbsp;Fahrenheit, ground meat must be cooked to 160 degrees and poultry must be cooked to 165 degrees. Rare and medium rare steaks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/kitchen/doneness.php" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">fall below</a>&nbsp;this temperature. Properly cooked eggs with an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit kill bacteria and viruses including bird flu,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/spotlights/2021-2022/bird-flu-poses-low-risk-public.htm" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC. Consuming unpasteurized dairy products is also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/updates-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">advised against</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/06/12/bird-flu-h5n1-explained-bird-flu-h5n1-explained-toddler-infected-with-another-strain-second-human-case-in-india/">Bird Flu (H5N1) Explained: Toddler Infected With Another Strain—Second Human Case In India</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Here’s Why COVID Measures Like Masking And New Ones Like Safety Goggles Could Return If A Bird Flu Pandemic Is Declared


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Health officials across the continental U.S. are starting to warn about the annual return of West Nile virus, a potentially lethal human disease without treatments or vaccines that is rearing its head earlier than usual as the changing climate makes the environment more hospitable for the mosquitoes that spread it.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The West Nile virus is primarily transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes and is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/about/index.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/data-maps/historic-data.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">infecting</a>&nbsp;between roughly 1,000 and 10,00 people each year for the last 20 years.</p>



<p>The virus naturally circulates among birds and mosquitoes but sometimes infects other mammals, notably humans and horses, who can get sick but act as dead-end hosts for the pathogen because they cannot pass it back to mosquitoes biting them.</p>



<p>The vast majority of people infected with West Nile — eight out of every 10 people — do not develop any symptoms, but the 20% of people that do will develop West Nile virus disease or West Nile fever, which includes a fever alongside an array of other symptoms like headache, joint pains, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue or a rash.</p>



<p>Most people with febrile illness will recover from West Nile completely, though fatigue and weakness may last for weeks or months, but a small number of people who are infected will develop serious and potentially fatal illness affecting the central nervous system with possible symptoms including confusion, muscle weakness, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), seizures, paralysis and coma.</p>



<p>Approximately one in 150 infections leads to serious illness, though the risk is greater for people over the age of 60 years old (around 1 in 50 infected people) and for those with certain medical conditions like cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and with compromised immune systems.</p>



<p>Roughly one in 10 people who develop severe West Nile affecting the central nervous system will die from the disease and for those who don’t, recovery take weeks or months and many will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8474605/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">experience</a>&nbsp;long-lasting neurological symptoms from the infection such as memory loss, depression, hearing loss, muscle weakness and motor issues like difficulty walking.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-if-you-re-infected-and-how-do-you-prevent-west-nile">WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU’RE INFECTED AND HOW DO YOU PREVENT WEST NILE?</h2>



<p>West Nile is typically diagnosed by a number of tests a clinician may order if disease is suspected based on symptoms and likely exposure to the kinds of mosquitoes that carry the virus. Such tests could include blood tests that check for West Nile virus antibodies or a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to test cerebrospinal fluid. There are no specific treatments for West Nile in humans and in most cases doctors will provide supportive therapy to treat specific symptoms, such as pain relief, IV fluids, ventilators and hospital admission for intensive care.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/hcp/treatment-prevention/index.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">According</a>&nbsp;to the CDC, a variety of drugs have been tested for use against West Nile but none have demonstrated specific benefit so far. Similarly, there are no vaccines to prevent West Nile in humans — there are several licensed for use in horses — and clinical trials have not progressed to late stages in humans. Previous infection is believed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/symptoms-diagnosis-treatment/index.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">confer lifelong immunity</a>&nbsp;against getting West Nile disease again, according to the CDC, which says the best way of preventing West Nile is to avoid getting bitten by an infected mosquito. The agency recommends insect repellant, wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants and taking steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors through means like water management and biological controls as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/prevention/index.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">best ways of preventing mosquito bites</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>No human-to-human transmission of West Nile following casual contact has been documented,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/west-nile-virus" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the World Health Organization. However, the health agency said rare infections have been recorded between humans during exceptionally close contact such as mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding, and through blood transfusions and organ transplants. Such cases can be minimized through public health messaging and implementing restrictions on blood and organ donation during outbreaks in affected areas, the WHO said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-peg">NEWS PEG</h2>



<p>West Nile is found worldwide, including the U.S. It was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/west-nile-virus" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">first isolated</a>&nbsp;from a woman in Uganda’s West Nile district in 1937 and mosquitoes carrying it were first found in the U.S. in the late 90s, when a strain circulating in Tunisia and Israel was imported to New York, sparking what the WHO describes as a “large and dramatic outbreak” that spread across continental parts of the country. Since being introduced to the U.S., the WHO said the West Nile virus has become “widely established from Canada to Venezuela,” adding to its original range across Africa, parts of Europe, the Middle East, West Asia and Australia. West Nile is most common in the U.S. during periods of high activity for the&nbsp;<em>Culex</em>&nbsp;species of mosquito largely responsible for transmitting the virus, which is around summer and fall, and health agencies across the country have recently started issuing their annual warnings for the disease and the mosquitoes that carry it. Such warnings have been happening weeks earlier than usual on account of the milder winter and spring being more favorable for mosquitoes, bringing an early mosquito season.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-peg-0">NEWS PEG</h2>



<p>On Tuesday, the Illinois Department of Public Health&nbsp;<a href="https://www.25newsnow.com/2024/06/18/public-urged-fight-bite-west-nile-virus-is-detected-3-area-counties/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;the virus had been detected in 13 counties including Woodford, Fulton and LaSalle according to testing in birds and mosquitoes, though no human cases have been reported yet. In early June, Los Angeles County also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-01/los-angeles-county-west-nile-virus-2024-mosquitos-birds-prevention" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;its first detection of mosquitoes carrying the virus for the year, which was also earlier than typical. Public health official Steve Vetrone said it should serve as a “critical reminder for all residents to take preventative actions.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>7. That’s how many West Nile virus disease cases have been reported in humans across the U.S. this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/data-maps/current-year-data.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to data from the CDC. These were reported in six different states — Michigan, Maryland, Tennessee, Kansas (2 cases), Arkansas and Arizona — and five infections resulted in neuroinvasive disease.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>This year’s figures come from the very start of the mosquito season and numbers can be expected to climb significantly as the year goes on. Last year, the CDC says there were more than 2,500 human disease cases of West Nile, including 1,840 hospitalizations and 182 deaths. More than half of cases were reported in August, with the rest largely reported in September and July. In the future, experts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/08/10/west-nile-virus-spread-symptoms/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">fear</a>&nbsp;human-caused climate change could worsen the spread of West Nile and a host of other mosquito-borne illnesses by creating ideal conditions for the mosquitoes that spread it.</p>


Category: Health