The Bill & Melinda Gates foundation has awarded EPFL-based non-profit iM4TB $2.45 million to take their innovative anti-tuberculosis drug PBTZ169 into clinical trials. According to the World Health Organization, 10.4 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) and 1.8 million died from it in 2015 alone. People with HIV are 30 times more susceptible to the disease,…
Anti-Cancer Drug Gets a Boost When Combined With Antirheumatic
Scientists at EPFL and NTU have discovered that combining an anticancer drug with an antirheumatic produces improved effects against tumors. The discovery opens a new path for drug-drug synergy. One of the goals in pharmacology is to increase the efficiency of drugs by minimizing their side effects. Recently, this effort has led to combining unrelated…
A Method for Storing Vaccines at Room Temperature
Shipping vaccines in an unbroken temperature-controlled supply chain (a “cold chain”) all the way to recipients is a major logistical and financial challenge in remote areas and developing countries. According to Doctors Without Borders, the need to keep vaccines within a temperature range of 2-8°C is one of the main factors behind low immunization-coverage rates.…
Vitamin Could Help Treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Researchers are working on a new strategy to combat one of the most severe forms of muscular dystrophy. Rather than acting on the defective gene, they are using large doses of a vitamin. Duchenne is the most common and severe form of muscular dystrophy. Because of this genetic disease, one out of every 3,500 children…