The US Department of Defense and Deinove will present impactful R&D results during the coming ASM 2019

·  L'USAMRIID (United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases) evaluated DNV3681 against Bacillus anthracis that triggers anthrax and Francisella tularensis that triggers tularemia or rabbit fever, both bacteria being classified in the "high priority" category of biothreat agents ·  DNV3681 demonstrated a superior in vitro efficacy compared to Ciprofloxacin which is the product of reference when exposed to Bacillus anthracis ·  These data will be presented during ASM 2019 which will take place from the 20th to the 24th of June 2019 in San Francisco ·  DNV3681 is the active molecule of DNV3837, developed in parallel by DEINOVE as a potential treatment for gastrointestinal infections caused by Clostridium difficile DEINOVE (Euronext Growth Paris: ALDEI), a French biotech company that uses a disruptive approach to develop innovative antibiotics and bio-based active ingredients for cosmetics and nutrition, announces that Maj. Steven Zumbrun, Ph.D. from the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) will present, at the annual congress of the American Society of Microbiology, results of the DNV3681 in vitro evaluation against Bacillus anthracis and Francisella tularensis: SESSION P442 - AAR08 - New Antimicrobial Agents (pre-Phase 2): Novel Inhibitors of Protein and DNA Synthesis - Poster AAR-789 - DNV3681 is a Novel Quinolonyl-Oxazolidinone Antibacterial with Potent Activity against Biothreat Pathogens. S. D. Zumbrun, S. A. Halasohoris, L. L. Miller, L. M. Pysz & G. Gaudriault Bacillus anthracis and Francisella tularensis are classified as two of the most dangerous possible biological weapons. Such research could lead to another application for DNV3681, the active molecule of DNV3837 currently being tested by DEINOVE as a treatment targeting Clostridium difficile, the bacterium that causes gastrointestinal infections. The standard of care against Bacillus anthracis and Francisella tularensis is currently Ciprofloxacin, a synthetic large spectrum antibiotic from the fluoroquinolones' family. Several pathogenic bacterial species have already developed a resistance against this family of antibiotics and the long treatment needed for Post-exposure Prophylaxis of Anthrax very often triggers a major intestinal microbiota imbalance leading to likely Clostridioides difficile infections. Therefore, there is an urgency to make efficient and validated alternatives available. The fact that the DNV3681 is precisely very active against both Bacillus anthracis and Clostridioides difficile makes it an ideal candidate to fulfill that need.

IFC, EBRD Help Aversi Pharma Expand Access to Quality Healthcare Services in Georgia

 IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are supporting Aversi-Pharma, one of Georgia’s leading healthcare providers, in expanding access to affordable, high-quality medical care.

IFC will provide a €13 million loan to Aversi, supporting a drive by the company to expand its network of healthcare facilities and provide advanced medical services across Georgia. The EBRD will contribute a €5 million loan to the company’s development. The loans will finance the construction of an advanced oncology center in Tbilisi and an outpatient clinic in Telavi, East Georgia. They will also support the acquisition of state-of-the-art medical equipment for both clinics. Many of those services are scarce in Georgia, especially in the country's outlying regions.

“Accessibility to affordable, high-quality healthcare services is vital for Georgia,” said Paata Kurtanidze, Aversi's founder. “It contributes to the well-being of our society, promotes the country’s development, and reduces poverty. With support from international finance institutions, we plan to meet increased demand for quality healthcare services in Georgia.”

Bruno Balvanera, EBRD Director for the Caucasus, Moldova, and Belarus said: “We are proud to continue our successful cooperation with Aversi. This project is extremely important for the welfare of the population and will help to improve the healthcare infrastructure of the country. EBRD strives to support Georgia in all its aspects of economic development. This project is also important as it fits with EBRD’s strategy to promote higher energy efficiency, competitiveness, innovative product development, and corporate governance standards among local private companies.”

Jan van Bilsen, IFC Regional Manager for the South Caucasus, said, “Companies like Aversi demonstrate the impact that the private sector can have on the healthcare industry in developing countries. As the world’s largest multilateral investor in private health care in emerging markets, with over $1.6 billion committed portfolio in health services and life sciences, we provide private companies with long-term financing and global expertise. That enables them to improve the reach and quality of medical care, making life better for people in countries, like Georgia.”

As a result of its expansion, Aversi, which is one of the largest employers in the country with over 8,000 full-time workers, is also expected to create new jobs. As part of the project, Aversi Pharma will also receive up to $127,000 in grants under the EBRD’s FINTECC capital improvement program. The grants will help the company install insulation, efficient heating systems, improved ventilation, and building management system in its hospitals. In 2015, the EBRD provided the company with financing to expand a hospital in Marneuli and to renovate the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Tbilisi.

Private companies are a key part of Georgia's healthcare system, providing more than 80 percent of the health services in the country. Patients pay only the difference between the fee of the healthcare providers and state's universal health coverage, which makes healthcare services more affordable for the population. The government reimburses hospitals for the services they provide to patients.

Georgia became an IFC member in 1995. Since then, IFC has committed more than $1.2 billion in long-term financing, of which $436 million was mobilized from partners. Those investments covered 55 projects in the financial services, agribusiness, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors. In addition, IFC has supported more than $331 million in trade through its trade finance program, and implemented a number of advisory projects focused on developing the private sector in Georgia. In fiscal year 2016, IFC invested almost $19 billion in developing countries worldwide.

Northern Irish women have only half the recommended iodine levels at critical stage of pregnancy

Pregnant Northern Irish women do not get enough iodine through their diet and do not know enough about how to address their deficiency, according to preliminary research presented today at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Brighton. The researchers call for better public health initiatives to advise women on optimising their iodine intake in pregnancy.

Iodine is an essential nutrient needed to make thyroid hormones, which control the body’s metabolism and growth. In the UK, dairy products are the primary source of iodine, but egg yolks and seafood are other good sources. Thyroid hormones also play a critical part in normal brain development of the foetus, and up until the second trimester of pregnancy, babies cannot make any of their own thyroid hormones and are reliant on the mother to provide for them. If a mother is seriously deficient in iodine and thyroid hormones, the unborn baby may be at risk of life-changing complications, including low IQ and stunted physical growth. Other studies suggest that even mild maternal iodine deficiency is associated with lower intellect and reading ability in offspring. Previous work has shown that Northern Ireland had the lowest iodine intake of the UK.

In this study, researchers from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast monitored iodine levels in the urine of 241 women in Northern Ireland throughout pregnancy. During the first trimester, a critical time in foetal development, the median iodine concentrations were 72µg/L, less than half the 150µg/L recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Although iodine levels increased throughout the pregnancy, they were consistently lower than recommended. The study also found that women were not getting adequate iodine intake in their diets, with an average of 133µg/day consumed out of the minimum of 250µg/day recommended by WHO.

The study also investigated a separate group of 183 women in order to assess how aware they were of iodine importance in pregnancy. When interviewed, only 5% of women felt they had adequate knowledge about iodine and only 10% were aware that dairy products were a good source.

“Our study suggests that pregnant women living in Northern Ireland are iodine deficient and have not been provided with the knowledge to improve this,” said Dr Paul McMullan, lead researcher of the study.

“Pregnant women are warned about the dangers of folic acid deficiency and foetal development but few appear to be aware of the effect of iodine deficiency. 90% of the women we interviewed felt informed about folic acid whilst only 5% had knowledge regarding iodine.”

“Although levels in the infants of this study were adequate, probably due to concentrating ability of iodine in breast milk and adequate levels in formula feed, the impact of low levels at the start of pregnancy, when brain and nerve health is most critical, is uncertain and therefore of concern.” 

This study is in line with a series of other studies which show mild iodine deficiency in pregnant women in various regions of the UK.

“Iodine deficiency is common in many countries. In the US, Canada and Australia food iodine fortification programs have been implemented, where iodine is added to table salt. At the very least we should advise women living in the UK how to optimise their iodine status in pregnancy by increasing their intake of iodine rich foods or using an iodine supplement”, said Dr McMullan.

Simmons & Simmons advises the UK Department of Health on a world first dementia fund

International law firm Simmons & Simmons has advised the UK Department of Health on the launch of the global Dementia Discovery Fund.

The Dementia Discovery Fund is the world’s first venture capital fund dedicated to funding pre-clinical research for a cure or treatment of dementia and is a collaboration between the UK Government (Department of Health), six global pharmaceutical companies (Biogen, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company) and the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK. Simmons & Simmons, working as a team with the Government Legal department, advised the Department of Health on all matters related to the launch of the fund, including the competitive tender to appoint the fund manager, which resulted in the appointment of venture capital firm SV Life Sciences.

The new fund is a significant collaboration that brings together the combined expertise of government, financial, industry and charity partners. Simmons & Simmons has a long standing track record of acting for the UK Government on high profile, innovative matters. Its market leading sector expertise in both Life Sciences and Asset Management and Investment Funds enabled it to help navigate simultaneously the complex regulatory framework in both of these sectors.

Commenting on the transaction, partner Charles Mayo, said:

“Supporting our clients on innovative projects such as the Dementia Discovery Fund reinforces the rationale for our sector approach: by combining excellence in asset management with in-depth knowledge of life sciences research and development, together with the Government Legal Department, we have been able to advise the UK Government in taking a critical step towards addressing one of the substantial public health challenges of the 21^st century.”

Partner Matthew Pitman also added:

“Investment funds continue to be an important source of capital in a complex regulatory environment – innovative funding structures are certainly on the increase.  We were delighted that our experience had a valuable contribution to the Department of Health for such an important project and significant development in this sector.”

The Simmons & Simmons team was led by partners Charles Mayo and Matthew Pitman, assisted by Victoria Hewitt and George Metcalfe. The team also included partners Koen Platteau (EC/Competition), Darren Oswick (Tax), Richard Binns (IP) and Julian Perlmutter (US Securities).

Can you avoid hangovers after heavy drinking?

Are some people immune to hangovers, and can eating or drinking water after heavy drinking prevent a hangover? The answers appear to be ‘no’ and ‘no’ according to new research presented the ECNP conference in Amsterdam.

Excessive alcohol consumption has familiar consequences, many of them quite damaging. If a person does not experience a hangover – and 25% to 30% of drinkers regularly claim this - they may be more likely to continue drinking, so good research into the outcomes of drinking to excess is needed.

A group of international researchers from the Netherlands and Canada have surveyed drinking habits to see what can be understood about ‘the morning after’.

789 Canadian students were surveyed about their drinking in the previous month, and questioned about the number of drinks, the timeframe of consumption, and the severity of their hangover. The researchers calculated the estimated Blood Alcohol Concentration in those who experienced hangovers and those who didn’t.  In fact, four-fifths (79%) of those who claimed not to experience hangovers had an estimated blood alcohol level of less than 0.10% (*see note below).

According to lead author Dr Joris Verster (Utrecht University);

‘We have been working with Canadian and Dutch students on this issue. In general, we found a pretty straight relationship; the more you drink, the more likely you are to get a hangover. The majority of those who in fact reported never having a hangover tended to drink less, perhaps less than they themselves thought would lead to a hangover’.

In a further refinement, the group looked at whether eating or drinking water directly after drinking alcohol made you less likely to experience a hangover. They questioned 826 Dutch students on their latest heavy drinking session, and whether they had food or water after the alcohol. 449 students (54.4%) ate after drinking. The students were asked to rate their hangover (from absent to extreme). In fact, hangover severity was not very different between the two groups.

As Joris Verster said

‘Those who took food or water showed a slight statistical improvement in how they felt over those who didn’t, but this didn’t really translate into a meaningful difference. From what we know from the surveys so far, the only practical way to avoid a hangover is to drink less alcohol’.

He added ‘These are early questionnaire-based studies, and are amongst the first of their kind. This means they have limitations, but they do give us an indication of what happens. Our next step is to move forward with more controlled trials’.

Commenting for the ECNP, Dr Michael Bloomfield (University College, London) said:

"Throughout the world the economic and social costs of alcohol abuse run into hundreds of billions of euros per year.  It’s therefore very important to answer simple questions like 'how do you avoid a hangover?'  Whilst further research is needed, this new research tells us that the answer is simple - 'drink less'."

*This is around twice the safe driving limits of 0.05% in many European countries such as the Netherlands, France and Germany. England and Wales, and many states in the USA, have a 0.08% limit. For European figures, see http://etsc.eu/blood-alcohol-content-bac-drink-driving-limits-across-europe/).

Expert report highlights urgent action needed to lessen the future impact of Atrial Fibrillation in Europe

Launched in Brussels today at the start of Heart Rhythm Week (1-7 June 2015) the Future of Anticoagulation Report highlights that urgent action is critical to lessening the potential impact of Atrial Fibrillation (AF). With an aging population in Europe and the prevalence of atrial fibrillation expected to double in the continent by 2060², AF looks likely to become a future health issue for millions of people in Europe.

Researched and written by RAND Europe, with contributions from a panel of leading European medical, patient group and health economic experts, the Future of Anticoagulation Report explores how decisions made today can change and reshape the landscape of tomorrow and have the potential to make a significant difference in changing the direction of this disease in terms of prevalence and impact. The Future of Anticoagulation initiative was supported financially and in kind by Daiichi Sankyo Europe.

Atrial fibrillation, a disorder of the rhythm of the heart, is expected to be a leading health burden in the EU in the coming years. AF is the most common sustained arrhythmia in the general population affecting approximately 1.5-2% of the population in the developed world. A heart rhythm disorder may remain ‘silent’, asymptomatic and undiscovered for months or even years. However, its eventual consequences can be very damaging and are associated with significant morbidities and mortality. AF is associated with a five times higher risk of stroke and a three times higher risk of heart failure. Strokes that result from AF are more severe and are associated with a high risk of mortality (32.8%) and with a 50% probability of remaining disabled or handicapped within 3 months of having a stroke⁶. Therefore, the increasing number of adults with AF will have major public health implications across Europe over the forthcoming decades. Although new medical therapies have been developed and recommendations for diagnosis and treatments aligned in Europe in the last few years, AF is still under or not treated in many cases.

The Future of Anticoagulation Report outlines three primary short-term recommendations; improve AF awareness amongst the public and policy makers, support education about AF management for healthcare professionals and patients, and maintain AF related research across the health services to be able to monitor what works best in terms of healthcare interventions.

“This report is a wake-up call for healthcare professionals and policy makers across Europe to work together to better manage AF, as its burden looks set to double as our population ages,” explains Professor John Camm, Chair of the Future of Anticoagulation Steering Committee, Professor of Clinical Cardiology, St. George’s, University of London and Professor of Cardiology, Imperial College London, United Kingdom. “I would especially like to highlight that we need to improve healthcare policies related to AF, including improving diagnosis and supporting earlier treatment interventions, such as effective modern anticoagulant medicines, to ensure that we can ultimately prevent avoidable deaths across the continent.”

The study aims were to assess the current landscape and challenges for the management of AF in Europe, and explore how this landscape could evolve. It focused on six key countries in Europe; Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. The two main goals of the study were to develop an evidence base on the current reality of AF-related anticoagulation management in these six countries and to develop an understanding of actions that could be taken today to improve the outlook for future AF management. The methods of research comprised a literature review and assessment, and 60 interviews carried out with a range of experts representing various stakeholder groups such as healthcare professionals, patient representatives and policymakers.  In addition, a Steering Committee made up of 10 experts in cardiology and related areas from the six European focus countries and an international patient group representative were actively involved in the development of the report.

 “Through the research we conducted and the insights gathered from the broader AF community, one overriding message has crystallised: there will be significant human and economic consequences in the coming years if clear steps are not taken now to stem the rising burden of atrial fibrillation,” commented Professor Joanna Chataway, Research Group Director, Innovation, Health and Science, RAND Europe.

Detecting an irregular heart rhythm might be as simple as a manual pulse check, with any unusual rhythm verified with an electrocardiogram (ECG). Trudie C. Lobban MBE, Founder & CEO of Atrial Fibrillation Association (AFA) explained, “Lives can be saved if only people begin to regularly check their pulse. Early diagnosis is more challenging if few people know about AF or its symptoms, and if AF goes undiagnosed, opportunities for earlier interventions and treatment to prevent AF-related stroke are missed entirely. The Atrial Fibrillation Association welcomes this timely report that underscores how important it is to Detect, Protect and Correct heart rhythm disorders across the EU.”