::::::
Organization Announcements
Editor’s Note:
Careful readers will note that the number and range of organizations now monitored in our Announcements section below has grown as the impacts of the pandemic have spread across global economies, supply chains and programmatic activity of multilateral agencies and INGOs.
Airfinity [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.airfinity.com/insights
INSIGHTS & COMPANY NEWS
No new digest content identified.
Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://alleninstitute.org/news-press/
News
SciShots: Cellular scaffolding
February 4, 2022
Computer animation techniques light up cells’ inner workings
Open Call
Open call for Allen Distinguished Investigator award proposals
February 1, 2022
We are seeking letters of intent for frontier science funding to support technology development in Protein Lifespan and Nutrient Sensing. Up to eight awards will be made for up to $10M total funding. Submit by March 1.
BARDA – U.S. Department of HHS [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://aspr.hhs.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsRoomHome.aspx
News
DoD Awards Contract to iHealth Lab Inc., to Purchase COVID-19 Antigen Over-the-Counter Test Kits in Support of President Biden’s 500 Million Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests
Friday, January 28, 2022
BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media-center
Press Releases and Statements
No new digest content identified.
Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.gatesmri.org/news
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute is a non-profit biotech organization. Our mission is to develop products to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases—three major causes of mortality, poverty, and inequality in developing countries. The world has unprecedented scientific tools at its disposal; now is the time to use them to save the lives of the world’s poorest people
No new digest content identified.
CARB-X [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://carb-x.org/
News
No new digest content identified.
Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy – GE2P2 Global Foundation [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.net/
News/Analysis/Statements
:: Past weekly editions and posting of all segments of Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review are available here.
:: Informed Consent: A Monthly Review – February 2022 is now posted here
CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://cepi.net/
Latest News
CEPI opens Call to develop heat-stable vaccine tech for use against epidemic and pandemic threats
The aim is to use these new tools to improve global access to vaccines through reducing complex-cold chain requirements and potential vaccine wastage.
End Pandemics
03 Feb 2022
DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [U.S.] [to 05 Feb 2022
https://www.darpa.mil/news
News
No new digest content identified.
Duke Global Health Innovation Center [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://dukeghic.org/
Our Blog
No new digest content identified.
EDCTP [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.edctp.org/
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) aims to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well as other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials
News
30 January 2022
World NTD Day 2022 – EDCTP remains 100% committed to ending neglected tropical diseases
Emory Vaccine Center [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
Vaccine Center News
No new digest content identified.
European Vaccine Initiative [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/
Latest News, Events
World NTD Day, achieving health equity to end the neglect of poverty-related diseases
30 January 2022
Evidence Aid [to 05 Feb 2022]
Evidence Aid aims to save lives and livelihoods in disasters by providing decision-makers with the best available evidence and by championing its use.
http://www.evidenceaid.org/
New Resources
Vitamin and mineral supplementation during pregnancy in low- and middle-income countries Added February 4, 2022
Parental hesitancy about childhood vaccination Added February 4, 2022
Immunization, urbanization and slums Added February 2, 2022
Vaccine-preventable diseases and immunisation coverage among migrants and non-migrants Added January 30, 2022
Fondation Merieux [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
Support for Laboratories
End of the third edition of the Mérieux Foundation’s MOOC on Quality Management
February 3, 2022, Global
The third and final edition of the MOOC on “Quality Management in Medical Laboratories”, created by the Mérieux Foundation in …
Gavi [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.gavi.org/
News Releases
4 February 2022
COVAX crosses milestone of 500 million donated doses shipped to 105 countries
:: COVAX has now shipped over 500 million donated doses to 105 countries
:: 31 countries have contributed to the effort, which accounts for nearly half of COVAX’s total shipments of over 1.1 billion doses – of which more than a billion have been distributed to lower-income economies supported through the Gavi Advance Market Commitment (Gavi COVAX AMC)
[See COVID above for detail]
GHIT Fund [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
No new digest content identified.
Global Fund [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
No new digest content identified.
Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness [GloPID-R] [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.glopid-r.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.
Hilleman Laboratories [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
News & Insights
No new digest content identified.
HHMI – Howard Hughes Medical Institute [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.hhmi.org/news
Press Room
No new digest content identified.
Human Vaccines Project [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/
News
HVP COVID Report
Feb 03, 2022
Peter Hotez: A Patent-free Vaccine for Global Access
IAVI [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.iavi.org/
Latest News
February 2, 2022
IAVI appoints three notable global health and business leaders to its board of directors
Today IAVI announced that Wafaa El-Sadr, Alexis Pinto, and Susan Silbermann have been appointed to its board of directors.
January 27, 2022
IAVI and Moderna launch trial of HIV vaccine antigens delivered through mRNA technology
NEW YORK AND CAMBRIDGE, MASS. – JANUARY 27, 2022 – IAVI and biotechnology company Moderna announced today that first doses have been administered in a clinical trial of experimental HIV vaccine antigens at George Washington University (GWU) School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C.
The Phase I trial, IAVI G002, is designed to test the hypothesis that sequential administration of priming and boosting HIV immunogens delivered by messenger RNA (mRNA) can induce specific classes of B-cell responses and guide their early maturation toward broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb) development. The induction of bnAbs is widely considered to be a goal of HIV vaccination, and this is the first step in that process. The immunogens being tested in IAVI G002 were developed by scientific teams at IAVI and Scripps Research and will be delivered via Moderna’s mRNA technology.
“We are tremendously excited to be advancing this new direction in HIV vaccine design with Moderna’s mRNA platform. The search for an HIV vaccine has been long and challenging, and having new tools in terms of immunogens and platforms could be the key to making rapid progress toward an urgently needed, effective HIV vaccine,” says Mark Feinberg, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of IAVI. “We are grateful to all of our partners and especially to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for funding this trial.”…
International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities [ICMRA]
http://www.icmra.info/drupal/en/news
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Research
No new digest content identified.
ICRC [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new
Selected News Releases, Statements, Reports
The ICRC appeals for 2.4 billion Swiss francs for its operations in 2022
The ICRC’s global appeal consists of 2.1 billion Swiss francs (CHF) for its field operations and 263 million for its headquarters.
04-02-2022 | Article
New ICRC executive team appointed
Under the leadership of Director-General Robert Mardini, the new directors will formally take up their functions on 1 July 2022 for a period of four years.The appointments today come after a rigorous recruitment process launched in September 2021, wh
03-02-2022 | News release
COVID-19 VACCINATION : Support to people affected by armed conflict and violence, including those living in hard-to-reach places
The ICRC is working with Red Cross and Red Crescent partners around the world to support COVID-19 vaccination in armed conflicts as well as hard-to-reach and volatile areas.
02-02-2022 | Article
IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/
Press Releases/Announcements
No new digest content identified.
IFRC [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
04/02/2022
Madagascar: More than 4 million people at risk as Tropical Cycloe Batsirai…
01/02/2022
Pacific: COVID-19 endangers fragile health systems
Institut Pasteur [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area
Press Documents
Press release
02.02.2022
New anti-HIV antibody function discovered: tethering of viral particles at the surface of cells
Teams at the Institut Pasteur, CNRS, Vaccine Research Institute (VRI) and Université de Paris have discovered a new function of anti-HIV-1[1] antibodies by applying cutting-edge microscopy techniques to in vitro viral cultures. The scientists found that certain antibodies already known for effectively targeting HIV-1 envelope (Env) protein can prevent infected cells from releasing viral particles, thus halting viral spread…
IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases
News – Selected
News
04 Feb 2022
IOM, Governments and Partners Appeal for USD 67 Million to Assist Vulnerable Migrants Across the Horn of Africa and Yemen
ISC / International Science Council [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://council.science/current/
ISC is a non-governmental organization with a unique global membership that brings together 40 international scientific Unions and Associations and over 140 national and regional scientific organizations including Academies and Research Councils.
News Blogs Podcasts
No new digest content identified.
IVAC [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates; Events
No new digest content identified.
IVI [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.ivi.int/
IVI News & Announcements
No new digest content identified.
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/news/center-news/
Center News
No new digest content identified.
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Mozambique
Attacks and violence in Cabo Delgado displace thousands as cyclone season begins
Project Update 4 Feb 2022
Refugees, IDPs and people on the move
Poland-Belarus border crisis: “We don’t want people to die in the forest”
Voices from the Field 3 Feb 2022
Niger
Working with the community to counter malaria and malnutrition
Project Update 3 Feb 2022
Refugees, IDPs and people on the move
Italy-Libya agreement: Five years of EU-sponsored abuse in Libya and the central Mediterranean
Project Update 2 Feb 2022
Jordan
MSF brings down the curtain on one of its largest interventions in the country
Project Update 31 Jan 2022
National Academy of Medicine – USA [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://nam.edu/programs/
Selected News/Programs/Events
No new digest content identified.
National Academy of Sciences – USA [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/
News
Biodiversity at Risk ‘ New Booklet
January 26, 2022
Biodiversity – the rich variety of living things that support and sustain life on Earth – is facing grave threats. A new booklet provides an easy-to-read overview examining the causes of biodiversity loss and presenting actions that can be taken to stop this decline.
National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
Upcoming Meetings/Latest Updates
National Vaccine Advisory Committee [NVAC] 2022 Meetings
February 10-11, 2022 – Agenda
[Excerpt]
NVAC TURNS 35: ADVANCING THE VACCINE SYSTEM
Dr. Walt Orenstein, Emory University
Dr. Robert Hopkins, NVAC Chair
Amy Finan, Sabin Vaccine Institute
Dr. Alejandro Cravioto—Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and SAGE Chair
Dr. Kathy Edwards, Vanderbilt University
PROTECTING THE WORLD THROUGH IMMUNIZATION
Dr. Anita Shet, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Peter Hotez, Texas Medical Center
Dr. Garrett Mehl, World Health Organization
NIH [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
News Releases
Gene expression profile could enable rapid identification of anti-tumor immune cells for personalized immunotherapy
February 3, 2022 — Technique appears to have promise in stomach, esophageal, ovarian and breast cancers, among other types of tumors.
NIH supports Valley Fever research with new award
February 2, 2022 — Teams will collaborate to investigate potential diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for this fungal disease.
NIAID Pandemic Preparedness Plan targets ‘prototype’ and priority pathogens
February 2, 2022 — Preemptive approach designed to identify viral threats before they emerge.
Trial tests strategy to augment response to COVID-19 vaccines in transplant recipients
January 31, 2022 — NIH study will reduce immunosuppressive medication before, after extra vaccine dose.
OECD [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/publicationsdocuments/bydate/
Newsroom
Services trade liberalised in 2021, showing significant decrease in volume and effects of new measures, OECD says
Global services trade regulations showed signs of liberalisation in 2021, slowing the steady build-up of trade barriers identified in previous years, according to a new OECD report
1-February-2022
PATH [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
UNAIDS [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
4 February 2022
UNAIDS Solidarity Fund helps female sex workers in Ghana
3 February 2022
Consultation calls for the global AIDS response to build on emergency adaptations to COVID-19, tackle structural barriers and ensure that country programmes fully recover from COVID-19 disruptions and end AIDS
2 February 2022
The importance of engagement of community organizations to ensure the sustainability of HIV services in eastern Europe and central Asia
UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/media-centre.htmlS
Selected News Releases, Announcements
No new digest content identified.
UNICEF [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Press Releases, News Notes, Statements [Selected]
Press release
01/31/2022
Catherine Russell assumes functions as new UNICEF Executive Director
[See Perspectives above for detail]
Unitaid [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://unitaid.org/
Featured News
No new digest content identified.
USAID [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/2021
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Announcements
News
USAID Announces $400,000 for People Affected by Flooding in Republic of the Congo
February 2, 2022
The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), provided approximately $400,000 in humanitarian assistance in Fiscal Year 2021 that is now being used to support populations affected by widespread flooding in the Republic of the Congo (RoC). Since late 2021, heavy rainfall and resultant flooding have adversely affected communities in the RoC’s Cuvette, Likouala, Plateaux, and Sangha departments.
USAID Announces $1 million in Additional Funding for People Affected by Super Typhoon Rai in the Philippines
February 2, 2022
The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing an additional $1 million in humanitarian assistance to support people affected by Super Typhoon Rai in the Philippines. The typhoon—known locally as Typhoon Odette—caused heavy rains, landslides, and widespread flooding, affecting more than 9.5 million people since making landfall in mid-December. This new funding brings total USAID humanitarian assistance for typhoon-affected people in the Philippines to more than $21 million.
Vaccine Equity Cooperative [nee Initiative] [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://vaccineequitycooperative.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.
Vaccination Acceptance & Demand Initiative [Sabin) [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.vaccineacceptance.org/
Announcements
No new digest content identified.
Vaccine Confidence Project [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
News, Research and Reports
No new digest content identified.
Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
News
No new digest content identified.
Wellcome Trust [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News. Opinion, Reports
Opinion
Author: Bilal Mateen
Develop digital tools that will catalyse the next generation of climate-sensitive infectious diseases research
1 February 2022
New funding call will support the development of digital tools that will catalyse the next generation of climate-sensitive infectious diseases (CSID) research.
The Wistar Institute [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
Feb. 4, 2022
Wistar Scientists Move HIV Vaccine Research Forward by Developing an Immunogen that Produces Tier-2 Antibodies—the Kind That Matter for Combatting HIV
The vaccine delivery system uses DNA to encode genetic instruction in vivo, producing a more efficacious immune response.
Press Release
Feb. 1, 2022
Novel Nanoparticle SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Combines Immune Focusing and Self-assembling Nanoparticles to Elicit More Potent Protection
Engineered to use DNA to instruct cells to make vaccine in vivo and can be stored at room temperature, easily transported to remote locations.
WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.wfpha.org/
Latest News – Blog
No new digest content identified.
World Bank [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
Selected News, Announcements
How the World Bank Delivered COVID Vaccines in East Asia and the Pacific
Vaccines – Merriam-Webster dictionary’s “word of the year” in 2021 – were the talk of the global town last year. The World Bank has been front and center in efforts to deliver fair, broad and fast access…
Date: February 01, 2022 Type: Feature Story
Food Security and COVID-19
Jan. 31, 2022 – Many countries are facing growing levels of food insecurity, reversing years of development gains, and threatening the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Even before…
Date: January 31, 2022 Type: Brief
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.oie.int/en/media/news/
Press Releases, Statements
Interview: As the holiday season approaches, what can we do to prevent African swine fever?
News
31 January 2022
WTO – World Trade Organisation [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
WTO News and Events
WHO, WIPO, WTO heads chart future cooperation on pandemic response
1 February 2022
The Directors-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the WTO met on 1 February to chart future directions for trilateral cooperation in support of an effective global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A joint news item is below.
[See Perspectives above for detail]
WTO Secretariat updates members on COVID-19 reports and new tools
28 January 2022
At the information session organized by the Committee on Market Access on 28 January, WTO members were updated on the work undertaken by the WTO Secretariat in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, including a number of reports and new tools which are particularly relevant to the work of the Committee. The information session on trade in COVID-19-related goods had been requested by members who commended the effort made by the Secretariat since the pandemic began.
WTO Secretariat updates members on COVID-19 reports and new tools
28 January 2022
At the information session organized by the Committee on Market Access on 28 January, WTO members were updated on the work undertaken by the WTO Secretariat in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, including a number of reports and new tools which are particularly relevant to the work of the Committee. The information session on trade in COVID-19-related goods had been requested by members who commended the effort made by the Secretariat since the pandemic began.
::::::
ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://alliancerm.org/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
BIO [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases, Letters, Testimony, Comments [Selected]
No new digest content identified.
DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News; Upcoming events
No new digest content identified.
ICBA – International Council of Biotechnology Associations [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://internationalbiotech.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.
IFPMA [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
Taking action on AMR: Largest life sciences sector coalition shows leadership in R&D, appropriate use
01 February 2022
R&D-based pharmaceutical industry’s innovative partnerships to meet urgent global supply needs
03 February 2022
[Excerpts]
Vaccines
IFPMA member companies are at the forefront of the global effort to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine and scale up manufacturing to ensure equitable access to people around the world. In less than a year, several vaccines candidates have been approved or are in advanced Phase III clinical trials with encouraging results. An impressive and unprecedented manufacturing scale-up is also taking place. Most collaborations – if not all – involved some sort of licensing and transfer of technology, which would not be possible in the absence of a robust global IP system.
The examples below highlight a few selected collaborations with IFPMA companies. According to Airfinity data, as of February 2022 at least 357 manufacturing and production agreements for COVID-19 vaccines – of which 239 agreements involving technology transfer- around the globe were made public…
Therapeutics
IFPMA member companies are committed to work with governments, insurers and international organizations to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 medicines. The examples below illustrate different initiatives IFPMA companies are taking to enhance access. In all of them, licensing, enabled by a well-functioning intellectual property system, is a key enabler. Sector-wide, according to Airfinity data, at least 146 manufacturing and production deals for COVID-19 therapeutics around the globe were made public (as of February 2022)…
AMR Industry Alliance 2022 Progress Report
01 February 2022
AMR Industry Alliance 2021 Survey Annex
01 February 2022
International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association [IGBA]
https://www.igbamedicines.org/
News
No new digest content identified.
International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations – IAPO [to 05 Feb 2022]
https://www.iapo.org.uk/news/topic/6
Press and media [Selected]
No new digest content identified.
PhRMA [to 05 Feb 2022]
http://www.phrma.org/
Latest News [Selected]
PhRMA Statement on White House Cancer Moonshot Event
February 2, 2022