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Gefion, a new artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputer built on an AI data center infrastructure known as NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD (1), is now operational in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Novo Nordisk Foundation announced on Oct. 23, 2024. The supercomputer was launched at an event in Copenhagen, where it was symbolically “turned on” by His Majesty King Frederik X of Denmark; Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, a US-based supercomputing company; and Nadia Carlsten, CEO of the Danish Centre for AI Innovation (DCAI).

Following its launch, Gefion is being readied for customers, beginning with a pilot phase in which select customers interested in using AI will use it to accelerate innovation in many areas, from quantum computing to drug discovery to societal challenges, such as the transition to green energy.

“Gefion provides our Danish enterprises with entirely new opportunities,” said Morten Bødskov, the Minister for Industry, Business, and Financial Affairs, Denmark, in a press release. “Gefion will drive the advancement of the green transition, enable tailor-made solutions, and strengthen the competitive standing of our companies in the global market. In a time of heightened international competition, this supercomputer acts as a vital enabler for advancing Danish businesses into the future. This ground-breaking technology represents an important opportunity for Danish companies and researchers to develop innovative solutions to future challenges.”

A public–private partnership between the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO) resulted in the establishment of the new supercomputer. This partnership funded and established DCAI, a new company that owns and will operate Gefion.

“It’s a remarkable achievement that it has taken only six months from announcement to completion of this complex state-of-the-art supercomputer,” said Carlsten. “I am extremely proud of the team that came together and collaborated to turn this vision into a reality, delivering a leading capability that is now ready for customers to start testing new use cases. Gefion is the game-changer that many innovators had been waiting for.”

Huang added in the release, “Denmark recognizes that to innovate in AI, the most impactful technology of our time, it must foster a domestic AI infrastructure and ecosystem. The Gefion supercomputer will supercharge the scientists of Denmark with local AI computing infrastructure to drive advancements in life sciences, climate research, and quantum computing.”

Gefion is powered by 1,528 graphic processing units (GPUs) (NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs) and is interconnected using networking (NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand). According to the press release, “Denmark up to now had no GPU-accelerated supercomputers, and a thorough consulting process with relevant stakeholders across the country had identified access to computing power as a key roadblock to progress in Denmark’s otherwise thriving AI-based research ecosystem.”

Digital Realty, a global data center provider, hosts the supercomputer in an AI-ready data center facility in Denmark, which is designed and built sustainably, running on 100% renewable energy, according to the press release. Gefion was assembled and installed by Eviden, a European-based high-performance computing company.

In addition to the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s funding, EIFO contributed DKK 100 million (US$15 million) and owns a 15% minority stake in DCAI.

“Establishing Gefion is a milestone, and it fits very well with the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s vision of improving people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet, as it creates new opportunities and can accelerate finding new solutions to pressing challenges,” said Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, in the release. “In the future, we must cooperate even more with exceptional partners from all over the world if we are to solve the enormous challenges facing not only our own countries but the planet.”

Researchers will have the opportunity to engage with expert teams from NVIDIA in selected flagship project areas to co-develop solutions to complex problems. These areas include pharmaceuticals and biotechnology research, accelerating the green transition; and developing fault-tolerant (i.e., error-free) quantum computing using an open-source hybrid quantum computing platform (NVIDIA CUDA-Q).

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With DKK 600 million (US$87.4 million) in funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the new supercomputer offers the potential to accelerate innovation in drug discovery.

Denmark’s First AI Supercomputer for Drug Discovery Now Operational Under Novo Nordisk Foundation Commitment

Sartorius Vivaflow SU cassette | © Sartorius

Sartorius’ Vivaflow SU tangential flow filtration (TFF) is designed to be more user-friendly and to allow for more flexibility in laboratory workflows. The new cassette offers more efficient and sustainable ultrafiltration and diafiltration processes for feed volumes in the range of 100 mL–1000 mL. Vivaflow SU is an all-in-one cassette, which reduces cost and complexity and streamlines workflows for molecule isolation. Each cassette is ready to use and has a standard laboratory pump for simple set-up, which avoids the need for expensive systems and expensive process optimization. It also allows for faster and more reliable concentration and rebuffering of any molecule. The cassette eliminates the need for cleaning and reduces contamination risk while minimizing waste. Sustainability features include a new housing that uses 30.5% less plastic. It also incorporates several eco-friendly design improvements, such as locally sourced raw materials, customized tubing kits for each cassette configuration, a digital user manual, and reduced non-recyclable packaging; all of which are meant to contribute to a lower research footprint. Vivaflow SU is the-next-generation TFF cassette that replaces the previous Vivaflow 50 model. It is applicable for research scientists who require a fast and reliable means for concentrating and rebuffering large feed volumes in molecule isolation workflows.

The new cassette offers more efficient and sustainable ultrafiltration and diafiltration processes for feed volumes of 100 mL–1000 mL.

Tangential Flow Filtration Cassette

Patrick Lavery is an Editor for the MJH Life Sciences brands 

. Previously at MJH, he filled the same role for 

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The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a final draft guidance recommending Wainzua (eplontersen) for treatment of hereditary transthyretin-related amyloidosis (ATTR) in adults with stage 1 or 2 polyneuropathy (PN) in England and Wales, AstraZeneca announced in a press release on Oct. 29, 2024 (1).

“We are delighted that eligible patients now have access to this treatment for this significant disease which can be delivered in-clinic or in their own home to support more personalized care,” Tom Keith-Roach, president of AstraZeneca in the United Kingdom, said in the press release (1).

This recommendation of Wainzua closely followed that of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Union for approval by the European Commission, 

announced by AstraZeneca on Oct. 21, 2024

 and 10 months after FDA approved eplontersen under the brand name Wainua for treatment of adults in the United States in December 2023 (2,3).

"ATTR amyloidosis is a serious, rare disease where people experience neuropathy symptoms, such as pain, discomfort, progressive weakness, and loss of sensation in the legs and arms, and mobility difficulties,” Paul Pozzo, chairman of Amyloidosis UK, said in the Oct. 29 press release. “There is no cure for ATTR amyloidosis, but today’s announcement offers an alternative treatment option to support those living with this condition in the UK ATTR community."

As with CHMP’s recommendation, NICE made its decision based on a 66-week Phase III trial (NEURO-TTRansform) (1).

“Eplontersen provides a new, disease-modifying treatment option, and this is positive news for eligible patients with ATTR-PN and the wider amyloidosis community in the UK,” Marianna Fontana, a professor of cardiology and honorary consultant cardiologist of the National Amyloidosis Centre, Division of Medicine, University College London, said in the press release. “Without treatment, ATTR-PN can lead to extreme polyneuropathy, severe disability, and premature death. In the NEURO-TTRansform Phase III clinical trial, eplontersen significantly lowered serum transthyretin concentration, resulting in less neuropathic impairment and an improved quality of life for patients.”

ATTR-PN, according to AstraZeneca, is caused by a mutation in the transthyretin (TTR) gene responsible for TTR production in the liver (1). The mutation causes the TTR protein to misfold, leading to amyloid fibril accumulation, in turn damaging peripheral nerves in the body. AstraZeneca said ATTR-PN is “frequently under-recognized” because its clinical manifestations are frequently heterogeneous and non-specific (1).

Left untreated, the severe polyneuropathy and motor disability that develops within five years of the onset of ATTR-PN can result in death within a decade (1).

1. AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca Secures Accelerated NICE Recommendation for Wainzua (eplontersen) in England and Wales Following MHRA License to Treat Hereditary Transthyretin Amyloidosis in Adult Patients with Stage 1 or 2 Polyneuropathy. Press Release. Oct. 29, 2024.
2. AstraZeneca. Wainzua (eplontersen) Recommended for Approval in the EU by CHMP for the Treatment of Adult Patients with Polyneuropathy Associated with Hereditary Transthyretin-Mediated Amyloidosis. Press Release. Oct. 21, 2024.
3. AstraZeneca. Wainua (eplontersen) Granted First-Ever Regulatory Approval in the US for the Treatment of Adults with Polyneuropathy of Hereditary Transthyretin-Mediated Amyloidosis. Press Release. Dec. 21, 2023.

The treatment for ATTR in certain adults with polyneuropathy had just been recommended for approval across the European Union and had gained regulatory approval in the United States at the end of 2023.

AstraZeneca’s Wainzua Gains Another Approval in England and Wales

The Belgium-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Ardena announced on Oct. 29, 2024 that it was making a “strategic investment” in two sites in the Netherlands, one of the countries in which the company maintains good manufacturing practice (GMP) facilities, along with Belgium, Spain, and Sweden (1). Ardena said the improvements were being made with an eye toward client demand for cutting-edge services in the field of bioanalytics.

Namely, the expansion of Ardena’s footprint in the Netherlands will include a brand-new bioanalytical laboratory at its Pivot Park facility, located in the city of Oss, as well as added capacity and new, good laboratory practice (GLP) capabilities at its Bioanalytical Center of Excellence in Assen, according to a press release (1). The enhancements in the two locations are meant to complement each other, the company said.

“This expansion allows us to quickly scale our operations, leverage an additional pool of talented professionals, and bring enhanced efficiency and value to our clients, from discovery to late-stage clinical phases,” Jeremie Trochu, Ardena CEO, said in the press release.

Ardena previously expanded its headquarters in Gent, Belgium, in 2018, at which point the company was operating in that country as well as the Netherlands, Sweden, and Latvia (2). At the time, Ardena said it was seeing an increase in organic growth of more than 20% per year, crediting its merger and acquisition strategy. Shifting forward to 2024, that strategy has most recently included the company acquiring an advanced drug product manufacturing facility in the United States from Catalent (1).

There was also, in 2021, the acquisition of Idifarma, a manufacturer of niche and highly potent generic and innovative drugs based in Pamplona, Spain, from Suanfarma (3). Ardena said its offerings are designed to serve clients from small innovators in the biotech realm to large pharma companies across all stages of drug development, and with respect to small molecules, therapeutic peptides and proteins, antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates, nanoparticles, oligonucleotides, messenger RNA (mRNA), and cell and gene therapies (1).

“Together, these investments demonstrate Ardena's focus on growth and innovation, reinforcing our strategy to assist clients navigate through an ever-increasing complex drug development process and bring life-changing therapies to patients worldwide faster,” Trochu said in the Oct. 29 press release.

The Oss laboratory, which Ardena said will be functional by the first quarter of 2025, covers 3000 sq ft for both small and large molecule analytical testing, complete with an automated technology platform, fluorometric detection assays, and liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) capabilities (1). By contrast, although the Assen facility will also have its LC–MS/MS capacity increased and will add new automation systems, its focus will be more on immunochemistry, flow cytometry, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction platforms, according to Ardena.

1. Ardena. Ardena Expands Bioanalytical Services in Europe. Press Release. Oct. 29, 2024.
2. Ardena. Ardena Cements Growth and Expansion with New HQ. Press Release. Nov. 8, 2018.
3. Ardena. Ardena Acquires Idifarma from Suanfarma. Press Release. Sept. 1, 2021.

A new laboratory will be built in Oss, while additional capacity and capabilities will be added to the Bioanalytical Center of Excellence in Assen.

Ardena Expands Bioanalytical Services in the Netherlands

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ViaNautis Bio (ViaNautis), a UK-based biotechnology company specializing in delivering targeted genetic nanomedicines, announced on Oct. 28, 2024 that it has entered a collaboration agreement with Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) in which Lilly will use ViaNautis’ proprietary polyNaut platform to develop precision therapeutics carrying genetic cargos. The collaboration aims to precisely deliver these therapeutics to prioritized tissues to address significant unmet medical needs.

Under the agreement, Lilly will pay ViaNautis an initial upfront payment with the short-term potential of making additional payments, including research-based milestones. ViaNautis is eligible to receive further milestones and royalties contingent upon specific cargo-loaded polyNaut-based products entering clinical development and reaching and reaching commercialization.

“This collaboration with Lilly is a testament to our polyNaut platform, which is also driving a highly differentiated emerging pipeline for severe life-limiting diseases. Combining our scientific know-how to precisely deliver genetic nanomedicines targeting difficult-to-reach sites, with Lilly’s extensive drug development and commercialization expertise will accelerate the creation of novel therapies to improve patient outcomes,” said Francesca Crawford, PhD, co-founder of ViaNautis, in a company press release.

The company’s proprietary polyNaut nanovesicles are designed to precisely target specific tissues and cell types to deliver genetic materials. The technology aims to improve the current delivery of genetic medicines and hold the potential to transform treatment for various diseases, according to the company in the press release.

“I am very excited about our collaboration with Lilly to develop novel genetic medicines for patients in need. I want to thank [Crawford] and the team for their hard work in getting to this key milestone, and I look forward to working with Lilly to accelerate our shared vision of delivering targeted genetic medicines,” said Adi Hoess, MD, PhD, chief executive officer of ViaNautis, in the release. The company is currently working on a pipeline of therapeutics in the central nervous system and cystic fibrosis disease fields (1).

Nanovesicles are being researched as alternatives to extracellular vesicles (EVs) for various applications, including drug delivery. As mediators of intercellular communication, EVs have gained growing interest from researchers for their potential use in the field of regenerative medicines or as a drug delivery vehicle. However, because EVs are derived from stem cells or progenitor cells, their use is limited primarily due to a lack of efficient and scalable production methods (2).

As a result, researchers are turning to nanovesicles, particularly biofabricated cell-derived nanovesicles, as an alternative to EVs that are offer scalable, efficient, and cost-effective production (2). Meanwhile, further research has been underway to develop and test simplified and rapid production methods for cell-derived nanovesicles that offer advantages over traditional methods in terms of yield and cost-effectiveness (3), which are anticipated to offer new approaches to therapeutic drug delivery.

 (accessed Oct. 30, 2024).
2. Ilahibaks, N. F.; Lei, Z.; Mol, E. A.; et al. Biofabrication of Cell-Derived Nanovesicles: A Potential Alternative to Extracellular Vesicles for Regenerative Medicine. 

 (12),1509. DOI: 10.3390/cells8121509
3. Goh, W. J.; Zou, S.; Ong, W. Y.; et al. Bioinspired Cell-Derived Nanovesicles versus Exosomes as Drug Delivery Systems: a Cost-Effective Alternative. 

The partnership will use ViaNautis’ proprietary polyNaut technology platform to develop genetic medicines that can precisely target tissue types.

Lilly and ViaNautis Bio Partner on Development of Novel Therapeutics Delivering Genetic Cargo

Communication between the manufacturing plant and retail stores. | Image Credit: © Cagkan - © Cagkan - stock.adobe.com

Abzena, an end-to-end contract development and manufacturing organization, is expanding its quality control testing capabilities at its San Diego, Calif., biologics development and current good manufacturing practice site, the company announced on Oct. 30, 2024. The expansion is part of the company’s strategy to meet market demand for quality testing. According to Abzena, the additional laboratory space will enhance its existing analytical toolkit for antibodies with microbiology release testing. The expansion will also improve scalability with advanced materials separation.

The standalone microbiology lab offers separate product testing from other areas of the facility, in alignment with industry and regulatory standards. Product microbiological testing is segregated from utility and environmental microbiological testing in order to minimize cross-contamination. Production capacity is optimized by the separation of high volumes of clinical materials, which results in yields up to 99%, according to the company. “This design methodology offers superior operational efficiency and improved scalability while minimizing overall ecological impact,” the company stated in a press release (1).

“This announcement comes at a very timely moment with World Quality Month quickly approaching. As an organization focused on quality excellence, increasing our QC [quality control] footprint is a testament to our commitment to continuous improvement and innovation,” said Troy Wright, senior vice-president and global head of Quality at Abzena, in the release. “This expansion provides even greater sample integrity in the management of our microbiological testing capabilities. We are now positioned to deliver faster results and better support for our customer network, ultimately providing quality and compliant products to patients around the world.”

In other Abzena news, the company announced on Sept. 26, 2024 that its mammalian cell line development platform, AbZelectPRO, reduces timelines by more than 30% and improves overall protein production levels. The platform can bridge from DNA to research cell bank in 10 weeks and produces up to 8 g/L of high-performing titres before process development, according to the company (2).

Abzena recently attended CPHI Milan in October 2024, and 

caught up with Nicolas Camper, senior director—Bioconjugation Chemistry at Abzena, to talk about advancements in conjugation and linker technologies in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) development and manufacturing (3).

“There have been a lot of new developments in terms of conjugation and linker technologies. There is a definitive move towards site-specific conjugation technologies and away from stochastic conjugation approaches that allows [us] to prepare better-defined antibiotic-[drug] conjugates,” Camper said in the interview.

Another new development that has been observed over the past few years is that linkers are becoming more sophisticated. “Quite often, when you conjugate cytotoxic drugs, they are quite hydrophobic, and that can impact the performance of your ADC. So, there has been a lot of effort put into developing more hydrophilic linkers,” Camper noted.

Abzena. Abzena Announces Major Expansion in Microbiology Laboratory Space in Suppor of Biologic Manufacturing. Press Release. Oct. 30, 2024.

Abzena. AbZelectPRO Enables Biopharma Customers to Reach their Research Cell Bank in 10 weeks with 8g/L. Press Release. Sept. 26, 2024.

Mirasol, F. CPHI Milan 2024: New Developments in ADC Technologies. 

The company will be expanding its quality control testing capabilities at its San Diego, Calif. biologics development and manufacturing site.

Abzena Expands Microbiology Laboratory Space

Dosage forms, in particular oral solid dose, continue to evolve as new technologies enter the market, and as customer tastes and demands change. In this episode of the Drug Solutions podcast, Patrick Lavery, editor for 

®, surveys attendees from the recent CPHI Milan gathering about how fast the market is expanding, how it's evolved in recent years and even decades, and what drugs are most conducive to OSD formulations.

 is vice president, drug product division, 

 Her CPHI interview can be viewed in full 

 is head of global pharmaceutical sciences, 

 His CPHI interview can be viewed in full 

 is head of product implementation, oral solid dose, Recipharm. His CPHI interview can be viewed in full 

 is vice president and chief innovation officer, Colorcon. His CPHI interview can be viewed in full 

 presents the Drug Solutions podcast, where the editors will chat with industry experts from across the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical supply chain. Join us as experts share insights into your biggest questions—from the technologies, to strategies, to regulations related to the development and manufacture of drug products.

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In this podcast episode, we discuss trends in dosage forms, specifically oral solid dosage, as viewed by five industry experts who recently exhibited at CPHI Milan.

Drug Solutions Podcast: Dosage Forms: Roundtable on Oral Solid Dosage Trends

Chris Spivey is director of Industry Relations and Strategic Partnership, MJH Life Sciences.

Marianna Tcherpakov, PhD, director of Business Development, CMC Services, at Frontage Laboratories, spoke on the CDMO’s role in tackling complex technical challenges to enable startup biotechs solve scale up problems.

BIO 2024: CDMOs Focus on Complex Technical Challenges to Boost Startup Biotechs

Contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Frontage Laboratories founder Song Li, PhD, who currently holds the position of executive chairman, board of directors, at the company, first set up a testing laboratory in Thorofare, NJ, with a focus on analytical and bioanalytical testing that quickly established a reputation for expertise. That foundation of expertise seems to have stayed fairly well intact, and science—and scientists—driving projects forward appear to be the key selling point for this CDMO, which says of itself, “our scientific knowledge base, technical expertise and reputation for high quality services have been integral to our ability in turning our services into your solutions” (1). In speaking with the company’s staff at BIO 2024, Pharmaceutical Technology Group’s Chris Spivey discerned that the practical upshot for the company has been that Frontage Laboratories often attracts the more vexing or technically challenging projects, and as a result, the company’s teams are now well situated to deal with the more difficult of perplexing projects for which others may not be as well prepared. As an example of the company’s preparedness, it states on the resources section of its website that it uses a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based method, called the Frontage PGx NGS Test, to rapidly determine the genotype of 300+ genes involved in absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (2).

Talking with Spivey at BIO, Marianna Tcherpakov, PhD, director of Business Development, CMC Services, Frontage Laboratories, at BIO, outlined the general approach the company takes when working with clients. She emphasized that the company’s approach is always customizable and personalized to not only the science the client requires but also to their specific strengths and weaknesses as an organization. “We look at your project as our own product. We therefore offer fast delivery, fast responses to client questions, almost as if we are holding hands … Many come from smaller startups that need a lot of guidance. [This] can be technical, it might be regulatory, but it all relies on our very strong scientific base,” Tcherpakov said. “We are passionate about technology,” she added.

Many of the PhD staff at Frontage Laboratories have come from other companies in the industry, and Tcherpakov pointed out that these past experiences and learnings are often brough to bear on the current project challenge. “We understand how stressful it can be for the smaller biotech, and even middle-sized [biotechs], when you have a lot of deadlines. You have clinical trials submissions coming up, and you need to be on top of everything, and fast,” she said.

Touting their scientific backbone Frontage Laboratories advertises itself as “more than a CRO”, in that it is also a “full global pharmaceutical development organization. Frontage Laboratories offers a comprehensive suite of drug discovery and development services including chemistry, DMPK [drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics], preclinical safety/toxicology, and clinical trial services with strategic and regulatory support to effectively bring new lead candidates through the IND [investigational new drug] stage to Phase II” (3).

BIO 2024 was held on June 3–6 in San Diego, Calif.

1. Frontage Laboratories. Services & Solutions. 

 (accessed August 21, 2024).
2. Frontage Laboratories. Resource Library. 

 (accessed August 21, 2024).
3. Frontage Laboratories. About Frontage. 

Marianna Tcherpakov, PhD, is the director of Business Development, CMC Services, at Frontage Laboratories. Image courtesy of Frontage Laboratories.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Oct. 29, 2024 that it has activated the Global Health Emergency Corp (GHEC) in collaboration with Member States and other partners in response to mpox outbreaks (1). This is the first time GHEC, which was established by WHO in 2023 as a response to COVID-19, has been activated to support countries dealing with mpox. Leaders from affected and other countries met on October 22 as part of the GHEC activation to discuss effect control measures, best practices, and the coordination of efforts.

Mpox was declared as a public health emergency by WHO in August of 2024 (2). “The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo], and the reporting of cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said at the time of the announcement (2).

“WHO and partners are supporting the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries to implement an integrated approach to case detection, contact tracing, targeted vaccination, clinical and home care, infection prevention and control, community engagement and mobilization, and specialized logistical support,” said Mike Ryan, MD, executive director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, in the October 29 press release (1). “The GHEC enhances the ability of the many effective responders at national and regional levels to collaborate and ensure the success on the ground in interrupting transmission and reducing suffering.”

GHEC’s objective is to strengthen the response to health emergencies and provide a platform in which countries and health networks can collaborate the response, including deployment of experts and leaders. GHEC is assessing workforce capacities in eight countries including DRC and Burundi, which have been the most impacted by the mpox outbreak. There have been 22 areas identified by GHEC that are in need of epidemiology, surveillance, laboratory capacity, infection prevention, risk communication, and community engagement. WHO has deployed 55 experts to the impacted countries, as of October 17, that include WHO staff through the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) and the African Volunteers Health Corps. GOARN is also mapping partner support on a bilateral basis to impacted countries and the coordination structure in the region, including providing experts, supplies, financial support, and strengthening capacity.

“By mobilizing trained professionals from within the continent, we ensure that responses are not only timely but also contextually relevant,” said Abdou Salam Gueye, MD, PhD, regional emergency director for the WHO Regional Office for Africa, in the press release (1). “The dedication and expertise of these responders are essential in saving lives and building resilient health systems capable of withstanding future threats.”

In other mpox news, a report based on outcomes of a workshop held on Oct. 2, 2024 by the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities was announced by the European Medicines Agency on Oct. 25, 2024. The current epidemiological status and the availability of mpox vaccines in African countries was discussed during the workshop. Discussion at the workshop was focused on the prioritization of treatments for children because children are the most vulnerable group in the DRC and have the highest fatality ratio (3).

WHO. WHO and Partners Activate Global Health Emergency Corps for the First Time in Response to Mpox Outbreak. Press Release. Oct. 29, 2024.

WHO. WHO Director-General Declares Mpox Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Press Release. Aug. 14, 2024.

EMA. Fostering Regulatory Collaboration to Improve Access to Mpox Medicines. Press Release. Oct. 25, 2024.

WHO and its partners are providing support to countries dealing with mpox outbreaks.

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