Weekly Rundown: From 200 snakebites to a potential antivenom

Welcome to the Weekly Rundown where the DDN editors cover this week’s biotech and pharma news.

From 200 snakebites to a potential antivenom

Typically, scientists develop new antivenoms for snakebites by injecting sheep, horses, or llamas with small amounts of venom. But in a new study, snake enthusiast Tim Friede took that concept to a whole new level — by injecting himself with snake venoms (1). As the owner of many venomous species of snakes, he initially wanted to protect himself in case any of his snakes ever bit him. Researchers at the vaccine biotech company Centivax and Columbia University reached out to him as a “venom-immune” individual, and they isolated antibodies from Friede’s blood that neutralized various toxins found in snake venom. When the researchers combined two of his antibodies with a small molecule inhibitor, they found that the 3-component cocktail protected mice from venom from 19 different elapid species of snake from all over the world. The researchers hope that this could be a starting point for a universal antivenom, although they all caution that others should not try “self-immunizing” themselves. Jacob Glanville, the CEO of Centivax, told Science, “Tim did a once-in-history style thing. Because of the success of this project, there’s no need for anyone to go and try to rerun that experiment.”– Stephanie DeMarco

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces plans to study autism causes

On Wednesday, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to create a real-world database using records from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. A statement released by RFK Jr.’s office said that the first project will use the data to identify the root causes of autism spectrum disorder, and RFK Jr. said in the statement, “We’re pulling back the curtain — with full transparency and accountability — to deliver the honest answers families have waited far too long to hear.” However, researchers have expressed concerns that the project is still related to RFK Jr.’s announcement (and then retraction) last month about creating an autism registry. Speaking to The New York Times, autism researcher David Mandell of the University of Pennsylvania said, “It’s the registry without the word ‘registry’ in it … I know a lot of researchers — and I like to think of myself as one — who have used this kind of tool for good. And I’m really concerned that that’s not what happens.” – Allison Whitten

A controversial pick to oversee vaccines at FDA

On Tuesday it was announced that hematologist-oncologist Vinay Prasad would be the new director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), which is the part of the FDA that oversees biologics and vaccines. Prasad follows Peter Marks, who was pushed out as CBER director at the end of March. Prasad is well-known for his criticisms of COVID-19 booster vaccines and mask policies during the pandemic. He represents a controversial pick, and the response from industry investors reflected that, with a more than 6 percent dip in biotech stocks following the announcement of his appointment, STAT reported. According to NBC, Prasad has advocated for placebo-controlled clinical trials for every updated COVID-19 vaccine, a policy recently supported by RFK Jr.’s HHS. – Stephanie DeMarco

Placebo-controlled trials for updated COVID-19 boosters?

Last week the Washington Post reported that RFK Jr.’s HHS will require placebo-controlled trials for all new vaccines. In a clarification to CNN, an official said, “the covid vaccines, including new ones by Pfizer and Moderna, are new and must have more gold standard science to ensure safety and efficacy for the public.” According to CNN, the HHS official said that this standard would not apply to the flu shot which they said, “has been tried and tested.” This decision alarmed researchers as it will delay COVID-19 boosters such that the strains included in the vaccine under study may no longer be circulating by the time the vaccine is approved. These trials are also expensive, which may disincentivize future vaccine development, the BBC reported. Not only that, many researchers emphasized that it is unethical to perform a placebo-controlled trial when a protective vaccine exists against a pathogen already. – Stephanie DeMarco

Diabetes drug could treat prostate cancer

A new paper published in Molecular Cancer showed that the diabetes drug Pioglitazone could be used to treat prostate cancer (2). The treatment effects are due to the drug’s action on the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) transcription factor, which plays a role in metabolism and cellular processes. The researchers demonstrated that the drug reduced tumor growth in a xenograft model, and they found that patients with prostate cancer who are diabetic and taking Pioglitazone showed no recurrence over five to 10 years compared to non-diabetic prostate cancer patients. “This suggests that drugs that target PPARγ could represent a new approach to the treatment of prostate cancer," said lead study author Lukas Kenner of the Medical University of Vienna in a press release. – Allison Whitten

Trump signs order to foster drug manufacturing at home

On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order to encourage pharmaceutical companies to manufacture critical drugs in the US. The order arrived ahead of expected tariffs on imported medicines. According to a fact sheet released by the White House, “The Order directs the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the amount of time it takes to approve domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing plants by eliminating duplicative and unnecessary requirements, streamlining reviews, and working with domestic manufacturers to provide early support before facilities come online.” The fact sheet also notes that without the new regulations, estimates suggest that getting the new manufacturing capacity up to speed could take five to 10 years. President Trump said in the fact sheet, “We don’t want to be buying our pharmaceuticals from other countries because if we’re in a war, we’re in a problem, we want to be able to make our own.” – Allison Whitten

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