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This is the fourth bird flu infection linked to the multi-state outbreak in cattle.
Getty Images
Ttoday, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment announced it had identified a human infection bird flu. The person in question, a dairy worker those who worked with infected cattle had only mild complaints. This is the fourth avian flu infection associated with the multi-state outbreak in cattle. So far there are no signs of the flu spreading person to person.
The news comes as there is movement in the world of bird flu vaccines. On Tuesday, Modern announced that it has secured $176 million in federal funding for the development of mRNA vaccines against H5N1. Earlier today, GSK announced that it was acquiring several mRNA vaccine candidates from CureVac, for Covid, seasonal flu and bird flu in a deal worth up to $1.5 billion. These may become necessary if bird flu adapts to humans. Although the federal government is a stock of bird flu vaccines, this is only sufficient for about 10 million doses.
For more information about bird flu – and other viruses spreading this summer, including new Covid variants and West Nile disease – visit this Forbes Newsroom video with editor-in-chief Alex Knapp.
This biotech startup has raised $12.5 million to find bacteria that help fight cancer
Host microbiome visualization example from the Kanvas platform.
Kanvas Biosciences
Over the past two decades, immunotherapies have become an important tool in the arsenal of physicians for cancer patients. This class of drugs uses the body’s own immune system to attack tumors. But despite its increasing use, checkpoint inhibitors – a form of immunotherapy – are not successful in many cancer patients.
In some cases, this lack of response is related to a patient’s response microbiome — the community of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the intestines. Kanvas Biosciences aims to provide a safer and more effective solution: therapies using microorganisms discovered with the startup’s new spatial biology platform. This technology examines specific interactions between the bacteria and immune cells in a patient’s microbiome, which the company plans to use to improve cancer treatments. On Monday, the company announced that it had raised $12.5 million in seed funding toward bringing its first drug candidate to the clinic.
Read more here.
Pipeline and deal updates
Digital Health: K Health, which developed an AI-powered chatbot to help doctors diagnose and treat frontline patients faster, has raised $50 million at a $900 million valuation, led by Claure Group, according to Bloomberg, down from its peak valuation of $1.5 billion in 2021. Part of K Health’s strategy is to partner with hospitals to serve as an access point for new and existing patients so they can be integrated into a larger healthcare system. Read more about K Health’s work with Cedars-Sinai in Katie’s story from last year.
Gene therapy: Beacon Therapeutics, a biotech developing gene therapies to restore vision in patients with certain eye diseases, increased a $170 million Series B round led by Forbion. The money will go to clinical trials for two candidates for retinal diseases.
Autoimmune: Holoclara, which is developing therapies for allergies and autoimmune diseases derived from worm secretions, increased a $16 million Series A. The funding will be used to further develop the drug candidates, based on the founder’s research that compounds secreted by parasitic worms block the formation of autoimmune diseases in animal models.
COPD: Last week, the FDA approved ensifentrinemarketed by Verona Pharma as Ohtuvayre, an inhaled drug for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Clinical trials: N-Power Medicine, which is developing a platform for oncologists to better manage patient care during the clinical trial process, announced that it a $72 million Series B round led by the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund.
Telehealth: Walmart is selling its virtual care business MeMD to healthtech startup Fabric for an undisclosed amount. The deal comes two months after the retail giant said it would close 51 health clinics and its telehealth operation.
Retail: Walgreens Boots Alliance is looking to reduce its investment in medical clinic operator VillageMD after billions of dollars in losses and the need to focus on more profitable ventures. The drugstore chain also said it plans to close hundreds of “underperforming” stores and that a turnaround could take several “quarters rather than months.” Meanwhile, CVS Health CEO Karen Lynch told Forbes that the healthcare giant is sticking to its expansion strategy for Oak Street Health to open 50 to 60 clinics for seniors next year.
FDA approves Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug Donanemab
Eli Lilly’s Donanemab will be sold under the brand name Kisunla.
NurPhoto via Getty Images
The FDA approved Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug donanemab after years of delays in bringing the experimental treatment to market. The delay followed concerns that the drug’s benefits were not significant enough compared to its side effects. The clinical trials found that participants treated with donanemab had an up to 39% lower risk of their disease getting worse compared to a placebo.
Read more here.
Other healthcare news
The High Council will consider the FDA’s strict restrictions on flavored e-cigarette products in her next term.
There is no evidence of serious birth defects in babies born to mothers vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna Covid vaccines during the first trimester of pregnancy, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics.
People who use Ozempic or Wegovy may be at increased risk of developing a rare form of blindness, according to a study published in JAMA Network, which has been criticized by Novo Nordisk for being insufficient.
President Biden is proposing new standards to protect workers from extreme heat as 2024 could be the hottest year on record.
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What else we read
Not everyone loses weight on Ozempic (wired)
Why the risk of cancer decreases sharply in old age (Nature)