Tropical Disease

RTI International congratulates Vietnam in eliminating trachoma – a painful disease impacting the lives of millions of people around the world RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Oct. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RTI International, a nonprofit research institute and leading international development organization, is pleased to join Vietnam, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in celebrating the elimination of trachoma, a painful disease that can lead to blindness, as a public health problem in Vietnam. Globally, Vietnam is the 21st endemic country to achieve validation of elimination of this neglected tropical disease (NTD). More than 8.3 million people in Vietnam are now free from the risk of trachoma infection. The announcement came at the opening of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, being held in Manila, Philippines. "We applaud Vietnam for achieving this incredible goal, which has been over half a century in the making," said Tim J. Gabel , president and CEO at RTI International. "Solving this health problem is an important achievement in improving the human condition and we are proud to be among the partners that assisted in this effort." Trachoma, the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide, causes eyelids to scar and eyelashes to turn inwards eventually resulting in blindness if untreated. Surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness practices and environmental improvements (the SAFE strategy) is the WHO endorsed method for eliminating the disease as a public health problem, including the provision of treatment and care for those at risk for the disease. Trachoma control was first initiated in Vietnam in the 1950s; at that time, the prevalence of active trachoma in some communes was as high as 50-90%. In 1999, the Government of Vietnam established a national trachoma program and began mass treatment campaigns with donated azithromycin. USAID began partnering with Vietnam in 2011 to support their efforts to eliminate trachoma. In recent years, USAID's Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases | East program, through RTI and partner Fred Hollows Foundation, has supported the government to conduct surveys to monitor prevalence of the disease and ensure care has been provided to those impacted by the disease. These efforts and additional technical assistance have supported the Government of Vietnam to formally document their successes to WHO for validation of trachoma elimination as a public health problem. "This achievement would not have been possible without the commitment of the Government of Vietnam to trachoma elimination," says Lisa Rotondo, program director for USAID's Act to End NTDs | East Program at RTI. "The task now will be for Vietnam to continue surveillance for resurgence and to provide care for those already impacted." Additional partners that have contributed to Vietnam's success include the International Trachoma Initiative, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Tropical Data, and FHI 360, among others. Over the past 18 years, with support from USAID, RTI has partnered with governments and other countries, including Vietnam, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Cambodia and Nepal, to achieve trachoma elimination as a public health problem. Through the USAID Act | East Program, RTI will continue to support countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas in ending NTDs, such as trachoma. Learn more about RTI's work to control and eliminate NTDs around the globe  Media Contact: Kerry Branon 919-541-7300 [email protected] SOURCE RTI International WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

The Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives' (PIVI) new data published in "Vaccine" provides foundation for best practices in influenza policy development and its role in pandemic readiness ATLANTA, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives (PIVI), an Atlanta-based global health initiative that is a key program of The Task Force for Global Health (TFGH), has released a series of new research papers in Vaccine showing that countries with strong seasonal influenza programs had the necessary infrastructure that enabled them to better weather the COVID-19 pandemic. The series of 13 papers with data from 16 countries and global partners published in this month's Vaccine supplement provide important insights towards strengthening influenza vaccination programs worldwide as global health experts navigate the post-pandemic climate and prepare for the next impending global health crisis. The World Health Organization reports there are approximately one billion cases of seasonal influenza annually, including three to five million cases of severe illness that cause up to 650,000 respiratory deaths each year. Continue Reading New research shows countries with strong seasonal influenza programs enabled them to better weather COVID-19 pandemic. Post this Seasonal influenza vaccination programs play a critical role in reducing a country's disease burden. Through these annual vaccine programs, countries strengthen their health systems and bolster their capacity to respond swiftly and effectively to future pandemics and emerging health threats. The Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives (PIVI), a program of the Task Force for Global Health, is dedicated to building robust respiratory vaccination programs worldwide. "As the world responds to novel and ongoing global health crises including expanded mpox outbreaks, the avian influenza A (H5N1) outbreaks in the U.S. and recurrent Ebola outbreaks, the utility of influenza vaccination programs as a mechanism to foster the capabilities of national vaccine responses are increasingly apparent and vital," said Dr. Joseph Bresee, leads the Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives and several other teams within The Task Force for Global Health. Key learnings published in Vaccine include: New data from two reviews of Kenya's pediatric influenza vaccination program comparing year-round versus campaign approaches that provide lessons for countries with year-round influenza circulation for establishing influenza vaccination programs. Data from the COVID-19 pandemic vaccine response that demonstrates the value of adult influenza programs, including health worker vaccination, in improving national pandemic vaccine responses. These new data add to experiences from the 2009 influenza pandemic, strengthening the argument for influenza vaccination programs as a pandemic readiness tool. Focusing attention on creating health worker vaccination programs as a method, not only for pandemic vaccine preparedness, but as a key avenue to increase vaccine recommendation and acceptance among high risk groups. Progress in vaccination and delivery systems is underscored by data from the last decade. Research found that low- and middle-income countries are better positioned to combat future endemics and pandemics due to the concerted collaborative effort amongst PIVI and its partners. "The influenza program in Albania helped our COVID response, supporting service delivery, training of healthcare workers, as well as prioritization of risk groups. Having these pieces already in place with influenza allowed for a stronger and more efficient COVID vaccination program," said Dr. Silvia Bino, Director, Control of Infectious Diseases Department at the Institute of Public Health in Albania and a long-time PIVI partner. PIVI was founded in 2013 to help protect communities from the annual impact of influenza while building the vaccine delivery systems critical for endemics and pandemics. These programs supported efficient distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2020 and as a result, the CDC partnered with The Task Force for Global Health to create the COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Program (CoVIP). In addition, PIVI works with World Health Organization and its regional offices to help countries prepare for influenza and other respiratory pandemic threats by supporting efforts to control and prevent seasonal illness through ongoing, organized support of Ministries of Health throughout the world, with a primary focus on low- and middle-income country outreach. EDITOR'S NOTE: The digital media kit for PIVI can be found here. Please courtesy the "Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives" with usage. About the Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives (PIVI) The Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives (PIVI) is a key program of The Task Force for Global Health and sits within its Respiratory Virus Prevention and Preparedness unit. A public/private program, PIVI works in partnership with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Ministries of Health, corporate partners, and others to create sustainable respiratory virus vaccination programs in low- and middle-income countries. PIVI has worked with 30 countries with the mission of reducing the global disease burden from influenza and other respiratory viruses while improving national and global responses to pandemics and other epidemic threats. For more information visit . About The Task Force for Global Health The Task Force for Global Health, founded 40 years ago to advance health equity, works with partners in more than 150 countries to eliminate diseases, ensure access to vaccines and essential medicines, and strengthen health systems to protect populations. Expertise includes neglected tropical diseases and other infectious diseases; vaccine safety, distribution and access; and health systems strengthening, including supply chains for essential medicines, public health informatics for data to inform programs and policies, and training support for epidemiologists and laboratory systems to prevent and respond to outbreaks. COVID-19 activities have included helping 45 low- and middle-income countries roll out vaccines; informing vaccine safety guidelines; training epidemiologists in more than 100 countries on disease surveillance and response; distributing essential protection and treatment to hard-hit communities; advising on digital contact tracing; using existing health programs to ensure protection for vulnerable groups, such as those afflicted with other diseases; and leveraging existing supply chains for ongoing response. For more information, visit TaskForce.org and read this 2023 annual report. SOURCE Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

A Phase 2 study sponsored by Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) as part of the hospital-based clinical research program (PHRC) Evaluation of the efficacy of a local treatment with PHAXIAM’s anti- S. aureus phages added to the standard treatment by surgery and antibiotics 80 patients to be enrolled in 27 French clinical centers Validation of the study protocol by the ANSM expected in H1 2025 Lyon (France), October 9, 2024 – 06:00pm CEST - PHAXIAM Therapeutics (Euronext: PHXM - FR0011471135), a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for severe and resistant bacterial infections, today announces the validation, as part of the French Hospital Clinical Research Program (PHRC), of a new Instigator-sponsored trial (IST), PHAGOSCARPA, in extra-cavitary vascular grafts implant infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) . The number of vascular prostheses is increasing every year and vascular graft infection occurs in 1-5% of patients. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common bacterium involved (20-53%) in extra-cavitary (EC) vascular graft infection (VGI). The mortality rate is very high and estimated at 10-25% within 30 days after diagnosis and over 50% after 1 year. The risk of amputation ranges from 4 to 14%. These infections are difficult to eradicate due to biofilm formation and increasing antimicrobial resistance. The standard of care (SoC) includes surgical detersion of the surgical site and vascular graft with prolonged antibiotic treatment. VGI are difficult and costly to treat, despite advances in antibiotic management and new operative techniques. Satisfactory results have been obtained for the compassionate clinical use of PHAXIAM’s phage therapy for vascular graft infection when conventional treatment has failed. Lytic phages, unaffected by resistance to anti- S. aureus antibiotics, can be used in combination with antibiotics and have a rapid bactericidal and synergistic action against biofilm. Phage tolerance was good, with no signs of local or systemic toxicity, in clinical case series. Based on these promising results, PHAGOSCARPA was designed as a multicentric, randomized and blinded phase 2 study to evaluate the efficacy of PHAXIAM’s anti- S. aureus phages administered locally vs. SoC. The primary endpoint consists in the therapeutic success rate at 3 months, including: absence of clinical signs of infection (T°C≤38.0°C; no local inflammation), normal graft function (no infection-related bleeding, ischemia distal, major amputation), absence of radiological evidence of infection on CT, with no other explanatory causes identified. Sponsored by Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), the study received the approval from the Hospital Clinical Research Program and the Scientific Council of the National Network for Clinical Research in Infectious Diseases. The study plans to enrol 80 patients, recruited across 27 French clinical centers. The inclusion period is estimated at 24 months, with a patient follow-up for a further 12 months, i.e. an overall study duration of 36 months. The launch of the study is subject to validation of its clinical protocol by the French health authority (ANSM), expected in the first half of 2025. PHAXIAM is committed to ensuring the supply of the clinical doses required for the conduct of the study and will negotiate with the sponsor for access to the clinical data generated by this phase 2 trial. Sylvain Diamantis, MD, Head of the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department at Melun Hospital and Principal Investigator of the study, stated: “We are very pleased with the work carried out in preparation for this study involving 27 French clinical centers and targeting a severe resistant infection. The number of vascular graft implants increases every year and Staphylococcus aureus is the most common bacterium involved in case of graft infection. We think that the use of phage therapy in combination with standard treatment could contribute to improve the treatment of patients who often face a therapeutic impasse, and we are thrilled to start this new trial.” Pascal Birman, MD, Chief Medical Officer of PHAXIAM , concluded: “This validation of a new investigational-sponsored trial, based on the data from compassionate treatments, once again reflects the added value that phage therapy could bring to the treatment of severe and resistant bacterial infections. We are proud to support the AP-HP in this study by providing clinical batches of our anti-S. aureus phages which have already shown promising results in compassionate use. We look forward to starting as soon as possible the enrolment in this new indication with high unmet medical needs.” As a reminder, two other investigator-sponsored trials, in which PHAXIAM is involved, are also planned in high-value indications: Phase 2 study (60 patients) in Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) sponsored by Nîmes Hospital (France), targeting DFU infections due to mono-bacterial S. aureus infection and ready for First Patient-In, expected before the end of 2024. Phase 2 study (180 patients) targeting nosocomial pulmonary infections due to P. aeruginosa , sponsored by La Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris (France), including patients with ventilator-associated pneumopathies (VAP). The filing of this study is planned in France (ANSM) in Q1 2025. About PHAXIAM Therapeutics PHAXIAM is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for resistant bacterial infections, which are responsible for many serious infections. The company is building on an innovative approach based on the use of phages, natural bacterial-killing viruses. PHAXIAM is developing a portfolio of phages targeting 3 of the most resistant and dangerous bacteria, which together account for more than two-thirds of resistant hospital-acquired infections: Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . PHAXIAM is listed on the Euronext regulated market in Paris (ISIN code: FR0011471135, ticker: PHXM). PHAXIAM is part of the CAC Healthcare, CAC Pharma & Bio, CAC Mid & Small, CAC All Tradable, EnterNext PEA-PME 150 and Next Biotech indexes. For more information, please visit Contacts PHAXIAM Thibaut du Fayet CEO +33 4 78 74 44 38 investors@phaxiam.com NewCap Mathilde Bohin / Dušan Orešanský Investor Relations Arthur Rouillé Media Relations +33 1 44 71 94 94 phaxiam@newcap.eu Forward-looking information This press release contains forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates with respect to the clinical programs, development plans, business and regulatory strategy and anticipated future performance of PHAXIAM and of the market in which it operates. Certain of these statements, forecasts and estimates can be recognized by the use of words such as, without limitation, “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “seeks”, “estimates”, “may”, “will” and “continue” and similar expressions. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Such statements, forecasts and estimates are based on various assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable when made but may or may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict and may depend upon factors that are beyond PHAXIAM’s control. Therefore, actual results may turn out to be materially different from the anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements, forecasts and estimates. Investor should carefully read the risk factors section of the Company which can be found in the Company’s regulatory filings with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), including in the Company’s 2023 Universal Registration Document (Document d’Enregistrement Universel) filed with the AMF on April 5, 2024 and future filings and reports by the Company. Given these uncertainties, no representations are made as to the accuracy or fairness of such forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates. Furthermore, forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates only speak as of the date of this press release. PHAXIAM disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statement, forecast or estimates to reflect any change in PHAXIAM’s expectations with regard thereto, or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement, forecast or estimate is based, except to the extent required by law. Attachment PR_PHAXIAM_Phagoscarpa_09-04-2024_EN