InnovationRx: A Fourth Dairy Worker Has Contracted Avian Flu

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Today, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced it had identified a human infection of avian flu. The person in question, a dairy worker who worked with infected cattle, only had mild symptoms. This is the fourth avian flu infection associated with the multi-state outbreak being seen in cattle. So far, there are no signs of the flu spreading from person-to-person.

The news comes as movement is happening in the world of avian flu vaccines. On Tuesday, Moderna announced that it has secured $176 million in federal funding to develop mRNA vaccines against H5N1. Earlier today, GSK announced that it was acquiring several mRNA vaccine candidates from CureVac, for Covid, seasonal flu as well as avian flu in a deal worth up to $1.5 billion. These may become necessary if avian flu adapts to humans. Although the federal government has a stockpile of avian flu vaccines, it’s only enough for about 10 million doses.

For more about avian flu – as well as other viruses spreading this summer, including new Covid variants and West Nile disease – check out this Forbes Newsroom video featuring senior editor Alex Knapp.

This Biotech Startup Raised $12.5 Million To Find Bacteria That Help Fight Cancer

Over the past two decades, immunotherapies have become a key tool in doctors’ arsenals for cancer patients. This class of drug uses the body’s own immune system to attack tumors. But despite their growing utilization, checkpoint inhibitors — a type of immunotherapy — are unsuccessful in many cancer patients.

In some cases, this lack of response has to do with a patient’s microbiome — the community of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the gut. Kanvas Biosciences aims to offer a safer and more effective solution: therapies that deploy microorganisms discovered with the startup’s novel spatial biology platform. This technology explores specific interactions between the bacteria and immune cells in a patient’s microbiome, which the company aims to use to improve cancer treatments. On Monday, the company announced it had raised $12.5 million seed round with an eye towards taking its first drug candidate to the clinic.

Read more here.

Pipeline & Deal Updates

Digital Health: K Health, which has developed an AI-powered chatbot to help doctors diagnose and treat primary care patients faster, has raised $50 million led by Claure Group at a $900 million valuation, according to Bloomberg, down from its 2021 peak valuation of $1.5 billion. Part of K Health’s strategy is working with hospitals to serve as an entry point for new and existing patients to be looped into a bigger system of care. Read more about K Health’s work with Cedars-Sinai in Katie’s story from last year.

Gene Therapy: Beacon Therapeutics, a biotech developing gene therapies to restore vision in patients with certain eye diseases, raised a $170 million Series B round led by Forbion. The funds will go towards clinical trials for two candidates for retinal diseases.

Autoimmune: Holoclara, which is developing therapies for allergies and autoimmune disorders that are derived from worm secretions, raised a $16 million series A. The funding will be used to further develop its drug candidates, based on its founder’s research that compounds excreted by parasitic worms blocked the formation of autoimmune diseases in animal models.

COPD: Last week, the FDA approved ensifentrine, marketed by Verona Pharma as Ohtuvayre, an inhaled drug for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Clinical Trials: N-Power Medicine, which developing a platform for oncologists to better manage patient care during the clinical trial process, announced it has raised a $72 million series B round led by the Merck Global health Innovation Fund.

Telehealth: Walmart is selling its virtual care business MeMD to healthtech startup Fabric for an undisclosed amount. The deal comes two months after the retail giant said it would shut down 51 health clinics and its telehealth operation.

Retail Care: Walgreens Boots Alliance is looking to reduce its investment in the medical clinic operator VillageMD after billions of dollars in losses and the need to focus on more profitable ventures. The drug store chain also said it plans to close hundreds of “underperforming” stores and that a turnaround could take several “quarters, not months.” Meanwhile, CVS Health CEO Karen Lynch told Forbes the healthcare giant is sticking with its expansion strategy for Oak Street Health to open 50 to 60 clinics for seniors next year.

FDA Approves Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s Drug Donanemab

The FDA approved Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug donanemab, following years of delays to get the experimental treatment to market. The delay followed concerns that the drug’s benefits weren’t significant enough relative to the side effects. The clinical trials found participants treated with donanemab had an up to 39% lower risk of their disease worsening compared with a placebo.

Read more here.

Other Healthcare News

The Supreme Court will consider the FDA’s tough restrictions on flavored e-cigarette products in its next term.

There is no evidence of major birth defects in babies born to mothers vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna Covid vaccines during the first trimester of pregnancy, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics.

People who use Ozempic or Wegovy may have an increased risk of developing a rare form of blindness, according to a study published in JAMA Network, which Novo Nordisk has criticized for being insufficient.

President Biden is proposing new standards to protect workers from extreme heat as 2024 could shape up to be the hottest year on record.

Across Forbes

Why Applications To Historically Black Colleges Are Surging

Why Top Nuclear Experts And Ex-CIA Brass Joined A High School Grad’s Tiny Fusion Startup

Elon Musk’s Laughable Solution To Tesla’s Child Labor Worries

What Else We are Reading

Not Everyone Loses Weight on Ozempic (Wired)

Why cancer risk declines sharply in old age (Nature)

How the Supreme Court has roiled U.S. health-care agencies (The Washington Post)