“Remarkable” results for new maternal RSV vaccine in Phase 3 trial
Maternal vaccination reduced rates of severe medically attended lower respiratory tract illness due to RSV by 81.8% across the first three months of life.
Science & academia
Fish eggs make stunning comeback in Bangladesh’s Halda River following conservation efforts
The Halda River — the world’s only gene bank for pure Indian carp fishes — has resumed hosting fish eggs in recent years, after fish eggs had all but disappeared from the river in 2016.
Radioactive implant wipes tumors in unprecedented pre-clinical success
Across all the models tested, the scientists report a 100% response rate. They deployed the treatment against pancreatic cancer specifically, but believe the results bode well for its wider application.
The world’s first Phase 3 psilocybin clinical trial is about to commence
The landmark Phase 3 trial to explore the psychedelic’s ability to treat depression will enroll close to 1,000 participants and Compass is looking to U.S. FDA approval by the end of 2025.
World-first stem cell therapy trial treats spina bifida before birth
The treatment from UC Davis Health involves administering a stem cell patch to the fetus’ spine while still developing in the womb, and early results are promising one year on.
New Alzheimer’s drug slows mental decline by 27% in trial
The Alzheimer’s Association called the robust study from American biotech company Biogen “the most encouraging results in clinical trials treating the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s to date.”
China turns on the world’s largest and most efficient compressed air energy storage plant
The Chinese Academy of Sciences says the Zhangjiakou plant will save around 42,000 tons of coal from being burned in power stations, and reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by around 109,000 tons.
Indian company develops country’s first HPV vaccine
The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s biggest vaccine maker, has developed the country’s first cervical cancer shot that will hit the market within a few months.
Scientists hail autoimmune disease therapy breakthrough
A new treatment from Friedrich-Alexander University in Germany drove the disease into remission in all of its five patients, who have now been off lupus medication for between three and 17 months.
Scientists achieve the impossible, safely destroy toxic ‘forever chemicals’
Even low-level exposure to these chemicals over a sustained amount of time can lead to serious health effects, including thyroid disease, reduced immune response, and several cancers.