PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Rabies treatment demonstrated as safe and effective for use in children in first pediatric trial

Study results have been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration for review

2021-02-10
(Press-News.org) A treatment, known as KEDRAB (Rabies Immune Globulin [Human]), currently used in the prevention of rabies has been demonstrated to be safe and effective for patients age 17 and under.

Results published today in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics report the first and only pediatric trial of any human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) currently available in the US. Findings have been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration for review.

In the United States, someone is treated for possible exposure to rabies every 10 minutes. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that rabies causes 59,000 human deaths annually in over 150 countries, with 95% of cases occurring in Africa and Asia - however they concede it is likely a gross underestimate of the true burden of disease.

The WHO also estimates that 40% of the global rabies disease burden occurs in children under 15 years of age, and that most encounters of the disease follow a dog bite. Once clinical symptoms appear; rabies is virtually 100% fatal. The current treatment for previously unvaccinated people potentially exposed to rabies is called rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which includes thorough wound washing, passive neutralization of the virus with infiltration of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) into and around the wound site, and a series of 4 doses of rabies vaccine given over a 2-week timeframe.

And in this latest study carried out by a team of international experts from the US and Israel, KEDRAB® (HRIG150) has become the first HRIG shown to be safe and effective in children when administered promptly and properly as part of the rabies PEP process.

"Despite the large proportion of pediatric cases, limited safety and efficacy data had previously existed for use in pediatric patients," says senior author Dr James Linakis, from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

"Evidence from this KEDRAB US Pediatric Trial confirms that this product addresses an unmet need in children who may have been exposed to rabies, and gives healthcare providers confidence when preventing this deadly condition in countless numbers of young patients across the US," says lead author Dr Nicholas Hobart-Porter, Pediatric Emergency Physician at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children's Hospital.

The study looked at a group of 30 trial participants, with suspected or confirmed rabies exposure, over an 84-day period (as to include a 3-month follow-up). Each participant received PEP. KEDRAB was infiltrated into and around detectable wound site(s) and/or given intramuscularly along with the first of a 4-dose series of rabies vaccine. Although the study did not include a placebo control group, placebo treatment of exposed patients is ethically unacceptable due to the near 100% fatality rate of rabies.

No participant showed an active rabies infection at any point, and there were no deaths and no serious adverse events. While 70% of participants experienced some form of unrelated or related side effect, all of these were mild.

"The study not only confirms the safety and efficacy of KEDRAB, but also that KEDRAB could be well tolerated by all patients who participated in this trial," says Novinyo Serge Amega, M.D., head of US Medical Affairs at Kedrion Biopharma. "It was the first and only pediatric study of any HRIG available in the United States and, as such, may provide a healthy degree of reassurance for physicians and others who treat children exposed to rabies."

In the US, rabies in humans is extremely rare; with around two deaths on average per year. The low incidence of human rabies in the US can be attributed to successful pet vaccination and animal control programs, public health surveillance and testing, and availability of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for rabies.

It is important to note, that KEDRAB is not licensed outside the United States. Therefore, the authors cannot make any connection to its use in other nations. Availability, accessibility and affordability of PEP in developing nations remains a major component of the global burden of rabies.

INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

How research on chronic illnesses will improve COVID-19 treatment

2021-02-10
A new paper in Oxford Open Immunology, published by Oxford University Press, examines prior findings in the field of neuroimmunology that suggest potential treatment strategies for patients suffering long-term symptoms from COVID-19. Though COVID-19 was initially believed to be a short-term illness, lasting between one and three weeks, it's clear that a substantial number of patients will experience symptoms beyond that, with some patients suffering from health problems for more 12 weeks. In fact, for patients who were initially hospitalized, more than 80% reported at least one symptom that persisted beyond the first month. The symptoms of long-COVID can vary widely, ...

Cataloguing genetic information about yams

Cataloguing genetic information about yams
2021-02-10
Yams are a staple food in West Africa, which produces over 90% of the world's yams each year. Yams play a key role in the food security, economic income, and traditional culture for the region. While they are commonly assumed to be the same as sweet potatoes in the U.S., yams are a completely different plant. The yam tubers are much starchier and drier compared to sweet potatoes. Yams are native to Africa and Asia, and most Americans have never had a true yam. Even though yam is a staple crop for West Africa, there has been limited research to improve the genetic diversity or productivity. Researcher Shinsuke Yamanaka focuses on improving crop breeding resources for ...

Stable armchairlike hexazine N6 ring in tungsten hexanitride

Stable armchairlike hexazine N6 ring in tungsten hexanitride
2021-02-10
Tungsten hexanitride with armchairlike hexazine N6 ring has been synthesized by a group of scientists led by Dr. Jin Liu and his former postdoc Nilesh Salke at HPSTAR (Center for High Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research). WN6 is a promising high-energy-density and superhard material. Their findings are published in the recent issue of Physical Review Letters. Diatomic nitrogen is the most abundant molecule in Earth's atmosphere accounting for almost 78% volume. The strong triple bond in nitrogen makes it very stable and unreactive at near ambient conditions. However, in the intense-pressure and high-temperature conditions, nitrogen will behave entirely differently, it can form double- or even single-bonded structure or react with other elements ...

Research reveals why plant diversity is so important for bee diversity

Research reveals why plant diversity is so important for bee diversity
2021-02-10
As abundant and widespread bees, it is common to see both bumble bees and honey bees foraging on the same flower species during the summer, whether in Britain or many other countries. Yet researchers at the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) at the University of Sussex, have found that different bees dominate particular flower species and revealed why. By studying 22 flower species in southern England and analysing the behaviour of more than 1000 bees, they found that 'energy efficiency' is a key factor when it comes to mediating competition. Bee bodyweight and the rate at which a bee visits flowers determine how energy efficient they are. Bodyweight determines the energy used while flying and walking between flowers, with a bee ...

Brazil: Air conditioning equipment days of use will double without climate action

Brazil: Air conditioning equipment days of use will double without climate action
2021-02-10
Space cooling already accounts for 14% of residential electricity demand in Brazil, and it is expected to increase further because of climate change. Very few studies investigate the relationship between climate change, cooling needs, and electricity demand. In a new study in Energy and Buildings, a team of researchers from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and CMCC@Ca'Foscari - a joint program of Ca'Foscari University of Venice and CMCC Foundation - investigate how climate and income during the period 1970-2010 shaped cooling services in Brazil. This historical relationship allows projecting the resulting energy demand for cooling services across three warming scenarios: +1.5°C, +2°C, +4°C. The study shows ...

Emerging robotics technology may lead to better buildings in less time

Emerging robotics technology may lead to better buildings in less time
2021-02-10
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Emerging robotics technology may soon help construction companies and contractors create buildings in less time at higher quality and at lower costs. Purdue University innovators developed and are testing a novel construction robotic system that uses an innovative mechanical design with advances in computer vision sensing technology to work in a construction setting. The technology was developed with support from the National Science Foundation. "Our work helps to address workforce shortages in the construction industry by automating key construction operations," said Jiansong Zhang, an assistant professor of construction ...

Dragonflies perform upside down backflips to right themselves

2021-02-10
The findings add to current knowledge of how insects fly and keep stable in the air. They could also help to inspire new designs in small aerial vehicles like drones, which can be useful for search-and-rescue attempts and building inspection. Our colourful sunny-day companions can glide, fly backwards, and travel up to 54 km/h when hunting prey or escaping predators - but like any flying creature, they can be thrown off balance and even find themselves upside down. Many land-based animals like cats, and aerial animals like hoverflies, rotate themselves around a head-to-tail ...

Baby vampire bat adopted by mom's best friend

2021-02-10
During a study with captive vampire bats at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama, a young vampire bat pup was adopted by an unrelated female after its mother died. Although this observation was not the first report of adoption in vampire bats, it is uniquely contextualized by more than 100 days of surveillance-camera footage. This footage captured by STRI research associate Gerry Carter's lab at Ohio State University reveals intimate details about the changing social relationships between the mother, the pup and the adoptive mother throughout their time in captivity. "The adoption took place after a very sad but ultimately serendipitous occurrence," ...

The Lancet Planetary Health: Millions of lives saved annually by 2040 if countries raise their climate ambitions to meet Paris Agreement targets, modelling study suggests

2021-02-10
Adopting policies that are consistent with achieving the Paris Agreement and prioritise health, could save 6.4 million lives due to better diet, 1.6 million lives due to cleaner air, and 2.1 million lives due to increased exercise, per year, across nine countries. New research from The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change published in a special issue of The Lancet Planetary Health journal highlights the benefits to health if countries adopt climate plans - Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - that are consistent with the Paris Agreement aim of limiting warming to "well below 2°C". [1,2] The countries considered in the study represent ...

Social distancing in the natural world: Strategies to detect and avoid disease

Social distancing in the natural world: Strategies to detect and avoid disease
2021-02-10
The notion of social distancing rose to public prominence approximately a year ago, when health officials began recommending it as a way to slow the spread of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus. Despite the novelty of the concept among many contemporary human audiences, social distancing has considerable precedent among animals. Writing in BioScience, Mark Butler of Florida International University and Donald C. Behringer of the University of Florida outline the role of social distancing in nature and compare it with its human counterpart. They describe numerous animals in which distancing has evolved, including guppies, chimpanzees, birds, ants, and mice, among many others. ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Deaf male mosquitoes don’t mate

Recognizing traumatic brain injury as a chronic condition fosters better care over the survivor’s lifetime

SwRI’s Dr. James Walker receives Distinguished Scientist Award from Hypervelocity Impact Society

A mother’s health problems pose a risk to her children

Ensuring a bright future for diamond electronics and sensors

The American Pediatric Society selects Dr. Maria Trent as the Recipient of the 2025 David G. Nichols Health Equity Award

The first 3D view of the formation and evolution of globular clusters

Towards a hydrogen-powered future: highly sensitive hydrogen detection system

Scanning synaptic receptors: A game-changer for understanding psychiatric disorders

High-quality nanomechanical resonators with built-in piezoelectricity

ERC Synergy Grants for 57 teams tackling major scientific challenges

Nordic research team receives €13 million to explore medieval book culture 

The origin of writing in Mesopotamia is tied to designs engraved on ancient cylinder seals

Explaining science through dance

Pioneering neuroendocrinologist's century of discovery launches major scientific tribute series

Gendered bilingualism in post-colonial Korea

Structural safety monitoring of buildings with color variations

Bio-based fibers could pose greater threat to the environment than conventional plastics

Bacteria breakthrough could accelerate mosquito control schemes

Argonne to help drive AI revolution in astronomy with new institute led by Northwestern University

Medicaid funding for addiction treatment hasn’t curbed overdose deaths

UVA co-leads $2.9 million NIH investigation into where systems may fail people with disabilities

With the help of AI, UC Berkeley researchers confirm Hollywood is getting more diverse

Weight loss interventions associated with improvements in several symptoms of PCOS

Federal government may be overpaying for veterans’ health care in Medicare Advantage plans

Researchers awarded $2.5 million grant to increase lung cancer screenings in underserved communities

New trigger proposed for record-smashing 2022 Tonga eruption

Lupus Research Alliance announces Lupus Research Highlights at ACR Convergence 2024

Satellite imagery may help protect coastal forests from climate change

The secrets of baseball's magic mud

[Press-News.org] Rabies treatment demonstrated as safe and effective for use in children in first pediatric trial
Study results have been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration for review