Blog
Stopping TB in its tracks with long-acting injectables: A war of attrition
Posted on: 23 March 2023 | Category: LONGEVITY Blog
World TB Day 2023, themed 'Yes! We can end TB!', is set to inspire a renewed sense of hope in the fight against the TB epidemic. The campaign seeks to encourage leaders to take bold steps, increase funding, adopt innovative solutions, and act faster to curb the spread of the disease.
Creating Dissolvable Microneedle Arrays as an Alternative Drug Delivery System to Treat Glaucoma
Posted on: 22 February 2023 | Category: Developing the Long-acting Pipeline
I’m Elliot Croft, a PhD student based in the Department of Chemistry. I obtained an MChem degree in Medicinal Chemistry with Pharmacology at the University of Liverpool. During my undergraduate studies, I undertook research projects focusing on polymer synthesis and controlling the size of inorganic nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery. Now, my research focuses on the development of bespoke dissolvable microneedle arrays (DMNs) for the treatment of glaucoma which provide sustained drug delivery which cannot be achieved using the typical treatment method – eye drops.
Assessing the preclinical development of long-acting biodegradable implants
Posted on: 31 January 2023 | Category: Developing the Long-acting Pipeline
I’m Dr Meg Neary, a postdoctoral research associate at the Centre of Excellence for Long-acting therapeutics (CELT). My work involves pre-clinical development of long-acting antiretroviral therapy (LA ART). LA ART provides exposure to a drug over a long period of time. This means instead of taking oral tablets, the contents of which are eliminated by the body over a very short period of time, patients can take LA ART and have effective exposure to the same drug concentration for a period of weeks, months or years.
Data analysis, Modelling and accelerating development of Long-acting therapeutics
Posted on: 13 January 2023 | Category: Developing the Long-acting Pipeline
Data analysis and modelling in pharmacology is an essential technique for understanding and predicting the effects of different drugs on the human body. It allows researchers to interpret large amounts of data from clinical trials, lab experiments, and other sources, in order to understand how drugs interact with different biological systems and how they might be used to treat various diseases or conditions. It is an important part of the drug development process, and helps researchers optimise drug therapies and improve patient outcomes.
Taking control of the HIV epidemic – How long-acting injectables can help reach ambitious targets
Posted on: 12 September 2022 | Category: Developing the Long-acting Pipeline
HIV continues to be a global public health concern with approximately 40 million people living with HIV infection in 2021 globally – the epidemic has sadly claimed millions of lives all over the world.
Community engagement – shaping the long-acting technologies pipeline
Posted on: 28 July 2022 | Category: LONGEVITY Blog
The latest World Health Organisation (WHO) reports estimate 58 million people globally have chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, with about 1.5 million new infections occurring per year. 75% of these cases occur in low- and middle-income countries. It is estimated that oral drugs at the point of diagnosis provide a 98% cure rate if an entire oral regimen is completed. However, in LMICs, access to medication can be complex with issues around stigma and pill burden resulting in poor completion rates.
Developing a single-injection cure for hepatitis C virus for low- and middle-income countries
Posted on: 28 July 2022 | Category: LONGEVITY Blog
Dr. David Lee Thomas is a professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is trained in internal medicine and infectious diseases and cares for patients with chronic viral hepatitis. Dave leads the Hepatitis C programme for the Unitaid funded LONGEVITY project for CELT. From 2006-2022, Dr. Thomas served as the director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Stanhope Bayne-Jones Professor of Medicine. He remains a Professor of Medicine in the School of Medicine and of Epidemiology in the Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is a co-director of the Centre for AIDS Research Clinical Core. For world Hepatitis Day 2022, Dr Thomas shared his expertise on Hepatitis C virus as a world-leading clinical researcher.
Saving lives through long-acting injectable innovation
Posted on: 24 April 2022 | Category: LONGEVITY Blog
Professor Steve Rannard is Co-director of the Centre of Excellence for Long-acting Therapeutics. Steve leads a team of chemists in developing long-acting formulations for malaria prevention. For World Malaria Day, Steve and his group spent some time to explain how their innovative technology can revolutionise malaria prevention in low- and middle-income countries.
Reducing the burden of TB in the world’s most in need communities with long-acting injectables
Posted on: 24 March 2022 | Category: LONGEVITY Blog
Ketho Angami is a member of the Global TB Community Advisory Board and Long-Acting Technologies Community Advisory Board. In 2016 he received the National Leadership AIDS Award in India, and also the Nagaland State Governor’s award in 2021. Ketho has been engaged in the field of community led advocacy for more than 15 years, working actively in the field of Tuberculosis, HIV and Viral Hepatitis by holding governments accountable for preventable deaths from infectious diseases. He has been engaged with the grassroots population and generating community demands for quality of service on a human rights-based approach.