Latest news with #AmeshAdalja
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Health
- Express Tribune
Moderna bird flu vaccine: US cancels over $700 million funding, prompting concerns
Listen to article The United States has cancelled over $700 million in funding allocated to Moderna Inc. for the late-stage development of its bird flu vaccine, citing concerns over scientific standards and safety. The decision, which halts a key project targeting the H5N1 avian influenza strain, marks a notable policy reversal in the nation's pandemic preparedness efforts. The contract, originally awarded under the Biden administration, included $590 million in January to expand Moderna's clinical trials and explore up to five new influenza subtypes. An additional $176 million had previously been committed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2024 to complete development and testing of the mRNA-based vaccine. Today we announced an update on our investigational pandemic influenza program. Learn more: — Moderna (@moderna_tx) May 28, 2025 Moderna confirmed the cancellation on Wednesday, stating that it still intends to pursue alternative paths for advancing the vaccine's development and manufacturing. Shares of the company remained flat in after-hours trading. A spokesperson for HHS said a 'comprehensive internal review' had determined the Moderna project no longer met the federal agency's 'scientific standards or safety expectations' to justify continued public investment. The spokesperson did not provide further detail on the nature of the review's findings. The decision comes as the H5N1 strain continues to circulate globally, having infected at least 70 people in the past year—primarily farm workers—while also spreading through cattle herds and poultry flocks. Dr Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, criticised the cancellation, warning that the government was 'discarding what could be one of the most effective and rapid tools' to contain a potential outbreak. He contrasted the move with former President Donald Trump's Operation Warp Speed, which expedited COVID-19 vaccine development. BREAKING: HHS just killed a $600M Moderna contract for pandemic flu vaccines. The platform: mRNA—the fastest we have against threats like H5N1. The reason? RFK Jr.'s skepticism. The risk? Deadly delays when the next pandemic hits. — Carolyn Barber, MD (@cbarbermd) May 28, 2025 Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also drawn criticism in recent months for his scepticism of vaccine deployment. In a controversial television appearance earlier this year, he suggested that poultry farmers should allow avian flu to spread unchecked to observe natural resistance in chickens. Despite the setback, Moderna reported encouraging interim results from an ongoing mid-stage trial evaluating the safety and immune response of its H5 vaccine candidate. The company has been relying on revenue from next-generation mRNA vaccines—including its bird flu and COVID-flu combination shots—as demand for its COVID-19 vaccine continues to decline. The cancellation reflects shifting priorities within the federal government and highlights growing scrutiny of pandemic-related funding decisions made during the previous administration.
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
US cancels over US$700mil funding for Moderna's bird flu vaccine
Moderna was awarded the contract to advance the development of its bird flu vaccine by the Biden administration. (Reuters pic) WASHINGTON : The Trump administration has cancelled a contract awarded to Moderna for the late-stage development of its bird flu vaccine for humans, as well as the right to purchase shots, the drugmaker announced on Wednesday. Shares of Moderna were flat in after-market trading. Moderna in January was awarded US$590 million by the Biden administration to advance the development of its bird flu vaccine, and support the expansion of clinical studies for up to five additional subtypes of pandemic influenza. This was in addition to US$176 million awarded by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last year to complete the late-stage development and testing of a pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccine against the H5N1 avian influenza. HHS told Reuters earlier this year that it was reviewing agreements made by the Biden administration for vaccine production. 'The cancellation means that the government is discarding what could be one of the most effective and rapid tools to combat an avian influenza outbreak,' said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, adding that it is the opposite approach Trump took with Operation Warp Speed to combat Covid-19. Bird flu has infected 70 people, most of them farm workers, over the past year as it has spread aggressively among cattle herds and poultry flocks. Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has questioned the use of vaccines and earlier this year drew censure from some in the US Congress after he suggested in a television interview that poultry farmers should let the bird flu spread unchecked through their flocks to study chickens who did not contract it. Moderna said it plans to explore alternatives for late-stage development and manufacturing of the vaccine. The company has been banking on revenue from newer mRNA shots, including its bird flu vaccine and experimental Covid-flu combination vaccine, to make up for waning post-pandemic demand for its Covid vaccine. Moderna also said on Wednesday that it had received positive interim data from a mid-stage trial set up to test the safety and immunogenicity of its bird flu vaccine targeting the H5 avian influenza virus subtype.
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
The Prototype: New Bacteria Discovered On Chinese Space Station
In this week's edition of The Prototype, we look at whether we should worry about spaceborne bacteria, a clinical trial for regenerating nerves after a traumatic injury, a new class of electronics and more. You can sign up to get The Prototype in your inbox here. A Chinese spacecraft returning from the Tiangong space station A previously unknown strain of bacteria is living on Chain's Tiangong space station, according to a study published this week. The new microorganisms were discovered on swabs taken from the station. The news immediately brought the novel (and movie) The Andromeda Strain into my brain, which is about a disease that makes it to Earth from space by way of a government satellite. Luckily, Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, reassured me that any microorganisms found in space aren't likely to cause a new pandemic. 'It's important to remember that the vast, vast majority of bacterial organisms are not going to cause any harm,' he said. One thing to consider about these types of microbes, he said, is that their ability to adapt to one extreme environment does not mean they will thrive in another environment that it's not adapted to.' And to determine whether such an organism might pose a disease risk, it's important to consider whether they can survive in human bodies. If they can, do they even cause any harm? Odds are, they don't, he said. 'Most bacteria that live on or in us aren't harmful,' he said. Even if a new microorganism adapted to space or some other environment were to cause disease, humans still wouldn't necessarily be helpless, Adalja said. That's because lots of microorganisms share characteristics with each other, meaning the study of a new pathogen's data, like its DNA, can help researchers determine ways to find a treatment or vaccine. Stay tuned. Auxilium Biotechnologies Over 300,000 people every year experience an accident that causes damage to their peripheral nerves–those that exist outside of the brain and spinal cord. These injuries can be serious and lead to disability in some cases. There's no easy way to treat them, either. When repairs are possible, they often require surgically grafting a portion of a healthy nerve from another part of the body to the injured one. Sometimes that canlead to difficult complications and side effects like chronic pain. San Diego-based Auxilium Biotechnologies has a different approach. It's developed a device it calls a NeuroSpan Bridge, which it hopes will enable damaged nerves to regenerate into health. It does this by physically guiding the nerves to grow in a single direction to repair the damage. The company announced this week that it will begin a clinical trial of 80 nerve trauma patients with its device. Nerves do actually regenerate naturally, CEO and cofounder Jacob Koffler, who is also a professor of neuroscience at UC San Diego, told me. But the problem is that 'the nerve goes wherever it wants,' he said. It doesn't necessarily reconnect with the rest of the healthy nerve. 'What we bring to the table is a technology that organizes regeneration' by guiding the regenerated nerves directly to the healthy one. The company has already successfully demonstrated the device in mice, so humans are the next step. The clinical trial will take about a year, Koffler said. If results are good, the company would then work to seek a green light from the FDA to commercialize its device. Scientists at Rutgers University have created 'intercrystals' - a new substance that could power the electronics of the future. It consists of two layers of graphene, each one atom thick, which are laid on top of a crystal made from boron and nitrogen. The result is a structural pattern in the chemistry that allows a very efficient transmission of electrons that can be refined on the atomic level. The researchers behind the discovery say it could someday lead to more efficient electronics materials such as sensors or transistors. Even more importantly–all the components are cheap. 'Because these structures can be made out of abundant, non-toxic elements such as carbon, boron and nitrogen, rather than rare earth elements, they also offer a more sustainable and scalable pathway for future technologies,' researcher Eva Andrei said in a press release about the discovery. NASA says that a 'cumulative multi-year budget reduction' will force cutbacks in crew size and scientific research on board the International Space Station. NASA is currently considering operating the U.S. portion of the station with a three person crew, rather than four. There are also fewer planned cargo flights to the International Space Station, which will reduce revenues for contractors like SpaceX and Northrop Grumman. It's not clear yet whether NASA will be able to continue to support private missions to the ISS, such as those from SpaceX purchased by Axiom Space. I wrote about Abel Avellan, whose company AST SpaceMobile is taking on SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Project Kuiper in the battle to provide broadband satellite internet directly to your smartphone. This would enable connectivity in remote areas and help the over 2.6 billion people who currently lack regular internet access o get online. In my other newsletter, InnovationRx, Amy Feldman and I looked at the FDA's new COVID-19 vaccine rules, Novartis's acquisition strategy, Medtronic's diabetes spinoff, Regeneron's purchase of 23AndMe, and more. Recycling electronics might get easier thanks to researchers at the University of Helsinki, who figured out a way to extract silver from old electronics with used cooking oil. Funding for scientific research is at its lowest point in 35 years, reports the New York Times, with nearly every field being impacted by the slowdown in grants from the National Science Foundation. Energy infrastructure projects tend to be over budget and behind schedule, a new study finds. Nuclear power plants are the worst offenders. If you want the best bang for your energy investment buck, build a solar power project–they tend to finish under budget or ahead of schedule. Researchers built a new kind of lithium battery that works by pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Previous attempts at this kind of chemistry tended to be expensive and not work well, but the new version could allow them to scale cheaply. And good news for Elon Musk–they're ideal for Mars, where the atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide. One of the downfalls of restrictive dieting to lose weight is that pretty soon you start craving certain foods–and once you give in after prolonged abstinence, you may start binging, which can derail your diet completely. A new study suggests a better way: eat what you crave. During the study, a group of people on a diet were encouraged to include the foods they love, even junk food, into otherwise balanced meals. That group of people not only lost more weight, they also reported fewer food cravings than those who didn't incorporate such foods into their meal plans. One of the comforts of the streaming era is the chance to finally get around to shows that you missed the first time. Right now, for example, I'm watching Boardwalk Empire, which aired on HBO from 2009 to 2014. The series is centered on organized crime and corruption in Atlantic City during the Prohibition era, using real-life characters like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. Steve Buscemi is excellent in the lead role and it's a great watch for anyone who's into a good mob drama. All episodes are streaming on Max–or HBO Max–or whatever we're calling it now.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Person in Kyle tests positive for measles
A person in Kyle has tested positive for measles, according to the Hays County Health Department, which was notified by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The individual was contagious beginning May 11 until Monday. The person has received care, and public health officials are identifying and notify people who may have been exposed. No other information is available at this time. This case is not part of the now 722-case outbreak in West Texas, or the 15 other cases throughout Texas, including two in Travis County. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases. It spreads by airborne particles and has a 90% infection rate among unvaccinated people exposed to a person with measles. The virus can live on the surfaces of a room for two hours after an exposure. Funding to fight measles outbreak in Texas hit by DOGE cuts Measles also has long-term consequences. "Measles is not just an acute illness," said Dr. Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. It causes "immune amnesia," which means people lose their immune protection against other diseases. They also can develop swelling of the brain and other complications years later. RFK Jr.: MMR vaccine 'most effective way' to prevent measles after 2nd Texas child dies After seven to 14 days of being exposed, measles starts with: Cough Runny nose Conjunctivitis Usually a fever of 103 to 104 Four days later: A rash starting at the head and working its way down the body appears. The rash can start as sore spots in the mouth. In severe cases: Inflammation of the lungs Pneumonia from a secondary infection Inflammation of the brain People born before 1957 are presumed to have immunity because of the amount of measles that was present during that time. People born after that time need to make sure they have been vaccinated with two doses. If you were born between 1957 and 1968, you might not have immunity because the vaccine at the time didn't use a live virus. Vaccine protection does wane over time. You can get a blood test to check your immunity level to be sure. If you have been pregnant in the last 30 years, you have already had your titer check for rubella, which is in the MMR vaccine, and you would have been told if you did not have immunity. Children are typically vaccinated at 1 years old and then again between 4 and 6 years old with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. For vaccinations, contact your primary care provider or you can go through Austin Public Health or other public health authorities in your county. You can get vaccinated as an adult if you have not been vaccinated previously. Austin Public Health offers vaccinations for free or at reduced rates for children and adults who do not have insurance, have Medicaid or are underinsured. The typical cost is $13 for children and $25 for adults. You can make an appointment at 512-972-5520 for the clinics at 405 W. Stassney Lane in South Austin or 7500 Blessing Avenue in Northeast Austin. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Person in Kyle tests positive for measles
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Measles cases in Pennsylvania remain low amid national outbreak, but vaccine hesitancy lays groundwork for spread
This story first appeared in How We Care, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring original reporting and perspectives on how we care for one another at all stages of life. Sign up for free here. This year marked the first death from measles in the United States since 2015 — and the second and third too. Amid a major outbreak in the Southwest, the CDC has confirmed over 700 cases of the highly contagious viral illness since the beginning of 2025, the most in five years. Pennsylvania hasn't seen any deaths, but nine measles cases have been reported across at least five counties — Bucks, Erie, Lancaster, Montgomery, and Philadelphia — as of last week. To learn more about the illness and how an outbreak would impact Pennsylvania, Spotlight PA spoke with Amesh Adalja. The doctor and Johns Hopkins professor, who lives near Pittsburgh, is an expert on pandemics and infectious diseases. The following conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Spotlight PA: The United States has seen twice as many measles cases this year than it did all of last year. What's causing this? Amesh Adalja: Predominantly, the cause has been a major outbreak in Texas involving a very under-vaccinated population, the Mennonite. That outbreak accounts for the bulk of the cases that we're seeing in the United States right now. How do you think that we should be responding to this? Both in a broad sense, but also as individuals who might be feeling concerned by this news? There's no magic to measles. This is a problem that science and medicine had solved in the 1960s. The way that you extinguish a measles outbreak is by getting a high percentage of the population in a given community vaccinated. So the key message from everyone has to be that those individuals who are not vaccinated against measles — anywhere in this country, but particularly in these outbreak zones — need to get vaccinated. That's how we put this to an end. It's not challenging in the sense that there's not some specific solution that needs to be created. I want to ask about vaccination here in Pennsylvania. The kindergarten vaccination rates for measles have been dropping — the rate was 96.4% in the 2019-2020 school year, but as of the 2022-2023 school year, it was 94%. Why are we seeing this drop? The drop is multifactorial. Some of it had to do with catching up because of disruptions that occurred during COVID-19, and some children fell off of the routine childhood immunization. But also an aspect of it has to be the growing anti-vaccine sentiment that has been increasing over time and really accelerated during COVID-19. That vaccine hesitancy was initially directed against COVID-19 vaccines, but it has basically metastasized and now affects all vaccines. Which parts of Pennsylvania would be most vulnerable to the impact of an outbreak if one were to happen? Certain select populations where we know that they have lower than average vaccination rates — which would be, for example, Orthodox Jewish communities, Mennonite, Amish, and related groups where the vaccination rates may be suboptimal as well — those are going to be the most susceptible to the outbreaks occurring. But that's not always the case. The cases that we had back in 2024 and 2023 were related to people who voluntarily didn't vaccinate, and that was in the Philadelphia metro area. What happens is, the virus is gonna spread really efficiently if it finds a population that's under-vaccinated, and that population is geographically cloistered, like the Mennonites in Gaines County, Texas. Anywhere you see that kind of concentration of low vaccination numbers, that's going to be a hyper-susceptible area. It will be kindling. If you think of the virus as kind of a fire, that's a lot of kindling that's in one given area. Pennsylvania's Department of Health doesn't make all measles cases public, but rather does so in situations where it isn't able to reasonably identify people who are possibly exposed. Is this a typical approach? What are the benefits and drawbacks? It's not as if the numbers aren't tallied. It's that they don't … put a press release out for every case. In general, the more transparency we have, the better it is, and the more situational awareness health care providers have of measles cases in their area, the better. Because … it's not something that's part of the everyday experience of physicians. So I think it's really important that when there is a measles case that it's announced publicly, and not just kind of added to the number and part of a graph somewhere. Even if it's a one-off case … I think it's important that people have awareness, because one of the things that's fueled vaccine hesitancy is that we sort of live in a luxury of not having to think about measles. There have been major cuts at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC, the NIH, and then there were also some attempted cuts to federal funding for Pennsylvania health departments that have been put on hold by a judge for now. Do any of these — or the uncertainty created by them — affect the work of tracking measles cases or providing care? Yes, because a lot of times certain grants that are being given to local and state health departments from the federal government are going to be used for some of their ordinary operational activities. When that funding is not there, they have less resources to be able to respond to these outbreaks, to perform their daily operations. I think it's important to keep in mind that most local health departments are underfunded and understaffed, and they rely upon some of those federal grants in order to do their core functions. So when there's disruptions in that funding or uncertainty about that funding, it does directly impact their ability to perform these activities, which could include contact tracing, it could include press releases, it could include setting up vaccination clinics, diagnostic testing. All of those things that are essential to the response are going to be jeopardized when there's not a clear source of funding or when that funding is uncertain. What does a measles case look like, and if somebody suspects that they or someone they're caring for might be infected, what's the next step? Measles is a respiratory virus, so it will usually begin with what we call the three C's: that stands for cough, coryza — which is a fancy word for runny nose — and conjunctivitis, which means a red eye. And then you get that characteristic rash. If someone thinks someone they're caring for has measles, first of all, as long as they're vaccinated — the carer, or the person that's exposed — they're fine. If they're not vaccinated or only partially vaccinated, there's going to be actions to take. If you suspect someone that you're around has measles, you should encourage them or arrange for them to get testing to actually confirm that it is measles. That's the key thing. Obviously, if they're running into trouble — if they have unremitting fever, they're very fatigued, they're short of breath — those are things that are going to require immediate medical attention. If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
