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HPV Vaccination Rates Vary Widely From State to State
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates varied substantially across and within U.S. regions, according to estimates in a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis, suggesting targeted interventions should focus on the needs of individual states.
Comparing adolescents ages 13-17 years across the country against Alabama — where the 21% without at least one dose of the HPV vaccine approximates the national goal — several Northeast states did significantly better, including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Several Southern states significantly lagged Alabama in likelihood of HPV vaccination, including Mississippi, Georgia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and West Virginia, reported Chinenye Lynette Ejezie, Ph.D., of Towson University in Maryland, and colleagues in a JAMA Pediatrics research letter.
“Disparities in HPV vaccination are driven not only by broad geographic patterns but also by marked heterogeneity within regions,” Ejezie and colleagues wrote. “By identifying specific states with persistently low uptake, this state-level analysis provides a more precise framework for targeting policy, healthcare delivery, and public health interventions aimed at improving HPV vaccination coverage.”
First Lyme Vaccine in Decades Nears Approval
Lyme disease remains one of the most common vector-borne infectious diseases in the Northern Hemisphere and its prevalence continues to increase. In the US, approximately 476,000 cases are diagnosed and treated each year, while Europe reported more than 130,000 annual cases. Despite the substantial disease burden, no vaccine has been approved for human use. That may soon change.
In a press release, Pfizer and Valneva announced positive results from the phase 3 VALOR trial of their VLA15 Lyme disease vaccine. Researchers evaluated the Lyme disease vaccine candidate PF-07307405 (LB6V, formerly VLA15) in the phase 3 VALOR trial, a randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded study conducted in endemic regions across the US, Canada, and Europe.
According to ClinicalTrials.gov, the NCT05477524 trial enrolled approximately 9400 participants aged 5 years or older.
Moderna and Merck Terminate mRNA Skin Cancer Trial, Raising Fresh Questions About Personalized Cancer Vaccines
Moderna and Merck & Co. have halted a closely watched Phase 2/3 clinical trial evaluating the personalized mRNA cancer vaccine intismeran autogene (mRNA-4157/V940) in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, marking a notable setback for one of the biotechnology sector’s most closely followed oncology programs.
The adaptive study tested whether combining the individualized mRNA therapy with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and surgery could reduce recurrence and disease progression following tumor removal. But according to recent updates to the ClinicalTrials.gov record, enrollment has stopped, the planned Phase 3 expansion has been abandoned, and the trial has officially been terminated.
Importantly, neither company has publicly clarified whether the decision stemmed from insufficient efficacy, safety concerns, enrollment challenges, biomarker limitations, manufacturing complexity, or strategic reprioritization. That absence of detail leaves investors and oncology observers confronting critical unanswered questions.
Mark Zuckerberg-Backed AI Startup Takes Over Parkinson’s Treatment From the Maker of Ozempic
Cellular Intelligence, an AI drug startup backed by Mark Zuckerberg, said Monday that it has reached a “defining moment.” The Boston-based startup announced that it has acquired global rights to STEM-PD, an experimental Parkinson’s disease cell therapy program from Novo Nordisk, the Danish drugmaker best known for its blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
The deal gives Cellular Intelligence control of a clinical-stage therapy designed to restore the dopamine-producing nerve cells that are lost in Parkinson’s disease. The treatment uses stem cells from donors that are transformed into early-stage brain cells meant to become dopamine-producing neurons. It is currently being tested in a first-in-human Phase 1/2 clinical trial and has received FDA Fast Track Designation.
