First human trial backs AI-designed 'universal' vaccine

 An AI-designed vaccine against all variants of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 – designed using an AI-powered platform developed at University of Cambridge spinout DIOSynVax – has shown promising results in its first clinical trial.

The researchers behind the project say it is the first time that a vaccine entirely designed using AI and computer simulations has been tested in humans.

The pEVAC-PS DNA plasmid-based, needle-free vaccine was developed using all the available genetic sequence data logged by surveillance programmes around the world relating to Sarbeco coronaviruses, which includes the COVID-19 virus, with the AI used to design a "super-antigen" containing features common to the whole group.

Testing in 39 human volunteers has shown not only that the vaccine is safe, but also that it triggered immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, the SARS virus (SARS-CoV-1) that emerged in the early 2000s, as well as Sarbeco viruses in bats that scientists fear could cross the species barrier and cause a future pandemic.

The results suggest that a similar super-antigen approach could be used to develop vaccines against other virus families, including Ebola, which is causing a worrying outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda involving a species not covered by the current, WHO-recommended vaccine.

"Viruses like influenza, coronaviruses, and the Ebola group are evolving continuously, and by the time vaccines are rolled out, they may be poorly matched – the current 'reactive' vaccine system struggles to keep pace," said lead trial investigator Prof Saul Faust, director of the NIHR unit in Southampton.

"If we can develop and clinically advance this new class of vaccines before a virus outbreak begins, millions of lives could be saved, lockdowns avoided, and the economy preserved."

The trial was conducted at UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) facilities at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge and the University of Southampton, and demonstrated immunogenicity that was "modest but variable," which may reflect the varied exposure to COVID-19 vaccines among the subjects.

The authors – who have published their work in the Journal of Infection – said that while pEVAC-PS hasn't shown "broad or robust neutralising activity," the evidence of cross-reactive binding to antigens on sarbecoviruses supports the design concept, and the potential to develop next-generation shots with greater efficacy.

"We've converted vaccine development from being reactive to being future proof," said research lead Prof Jonathan Heeney of Cambridge's Lab of Viral Zoonotics. "Our vaccines will continue to provide protection against viruses even as they mutate into new strains."

A larger phase 2 trial is now planned to assess the vaccine's ability to induce immune responses in a wider and more diverse population, and confirm that it generates strong, broadly protective immune responses.

Founded in 2017, DIOSynVax's pipeline includes vaccine candidates for seasonal and pandemic influenza, haemorrhagic fever viruses, and coronaviruses.

https://pharmaphorum.com/news/first-human-trial-backs-ai-designed-universal-vaccine

Roche develops Bundibugyo Ebola test in six days

 A PCR diagnostic developed by Roche for the Bundibugyo form of Ebola is being offered to health systems at the front lines of the current outbreak in central Africa.

The diagnostics giant said it developed the test within a week of the Bundibugyo genome sequence being identified, and while it is suitable only for research use at present, is being made available to laboratories to help them validate and establish their testing capacity.

The emergence of the rare Bundibugyo form of Ebola has prompted the WHO to declare the current outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, although it has scaled back some former estimates of its scale, saying some suspected cases are likely to be other infections.

The latest figures from the UN's health agency are 397 confirmed cases of the disease and 65 confirmed deaths, with a fatality rate of around 16%, and WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said the response is now "catching up" with the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring Uganda.

He added, however, that there are still significant challenges in testing, surveillance, and vaccine development, as well as problems building community trust amid reports of attacks on teams assisting with the safe burial of people who have died from Ebola, whose bodies can remain highly infectious.

Roche said its PCR test – developed by its TIB Molbiol subsidiary – could assist with diagnostic challenges and help bring testing closer to outbreak settings where speed of response is critical to ensure effective quarantine to prevent transmission, as well as the speedy start of potentially life-saving supportive care and treatment.

That is even more important in outbreaks where there are no available vaccines or targeted treatments, and conventional control methods are the main form of defence. There are no approved medicines for Bundibugyo, although efforts are underway to accelerate the clinical development of likely candidates, including three vaccines.

PCR specialist TIB Molbiol maintains a 'rapid response' library of 15,000 test pre-designs across a wide range of pathogens and more than 3,000 positive control materials, which allowed it to come up with a Bundibugyo test in just six days.

"In outbreak situations, we recognise the ability to respond quickly is critical, and diagnostics are among the first vital tools needed," said TIB Molbiol's chief executive, Dr Marcus Droege.

"Research-use assays play a crucial role in the first phase of the outbreak response, and our focus is on working closely with laboratories to establish testing capability quickly, support surveillance and response efforts, and enable faster, more informed decision-making when it matters most," he added.

https://pharmaphorum.com/news/roche-develops-bundibugyo-ebola-test-six-days

New wave of weight-loss therapies aims to be better than today's GLP-1s

 Retatrutide is one of those drugs. It helped people lose a massive amount of weight in clinical trials. It also improved sleep apnea and knee pain.

Wegovy is the first GLP-1 approved for weight loss, but there are several new GLP-1 drugs in development.

One of the most anticipated new weight-loss drugs also helped people struggling with common obesity-related conditions like sleep apnea.

The drug is retatrutide, which pairs GLP-1, GIP and glucagon in a powerful combination that produces more weight loss than any other therapy. It's currently in Phase 3 trials, and Wall Street expects Eli Lilly's (LLY) once-weekly drug to launch in the U.S. next year if it's approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Retatrutide is the most effective weight-loss drug so far, producing 28.3% weight loss in people who are obese or overweight over about a year and a half, according to new data released Saturday at the American Diabetes Association's annual meeting in New Orleans. The data aligns with another recent readout. Even the lowest of the three doses in the trial produced 19% weight loss.

In front of a full room at the conference, the researchers also said for the first time that the drug helped improve blood sugar, knee osteoarthritis pain and obstructive sleep apnea, all of which are common conditions for people with obesity.

"For decades, we've treated obesity and its complications one at a time - diabetes, knee osteoarthritis pain, moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea - as if they were unrelated," Lilly CEO David Ricks wrote on LinkedIn.

The experimental drug is the undisputed leader in the next wave of weight-loss therapies that could soon come to market. Compared to the currently available drugs - Lilly's Zepbound and Foundayo and Novo Nordisk's (NVO) (DK:NOVO.B) comprehensive Wegovy franchise - the therapies in development are designed to be more effective, require fewer doses, improve cardiometabolic measures like blood pressure and sleep apnea, or even reduce the gastrointestinal side effects that patients hate dealing with.

They also fit in with a more personalized approach to weight loss. With its powerful weight-loss capabilities, retatrutide may be more suited to people with severe obesity, while the pills are increasingly viewed as a maintenance option or for people with less weight to lose.

"It's reasonable to expect in this large and growing market and opportunity in obesity with the number of patients around the world living with overweight or obesity numbering, perhaps in the billions, that many of them are going to want different types of medicines that are tailored to their individual needs and preferences," Kenneth Custer, president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, told investors in April.

That includes fewer doses, and that's why Pfizer (PFE) is working on a GLP-1 shot that could be taken once a month. Right now, the available medications have to be dosed much more frequently. The Wegovy and Foundayo pills have to be taken daily, and the standard dosing for the Zepbound and Wegovy injections is once a week.

The drugmaker on Saturday shared new data showing that people taking 4.8 milligrams of berobenatide once a month lost 12.3% of their body weight in a Phase 2b study.

During an investor call on Saturday, Navin Katyal, a Pfizer executive, noted that patients and doctors now view these drugs as tools that address a chronic disease, not as a one-and-done medication. "Do I want to be tethered to something 50 times a week for perpetuity? Do I want to be tethered to something 365 days a year for perpetuity? Or can I do this in a sustainable way just 13 times a year?" he said.

Pfizer is hopeful that the experimental drug can lessen the side effects like nausea and diarrhea that occur with GLP-1s. That said, one study had a discontinuation rate of about 20%. But in a separate less rigorous study also examining berobenatide in obesity, less than 10% of people discontinued treatment. That's a good sign for this drug.

There are also several pills in development, including AstraZeneca's (AZN) elecoglipron and Structure Therapeutics' (GPCR) aleniglipron. In a note to investors, BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan David Seigerman described aleniglipron as a "potentially best-in-class" pill for its weight loss, which is about 16%. The Wegovy pill produces about 17% weight loss, while people taking a high dose of Foundayo lost about 11% of their body weight in clinical trials.

AstraZeneca is set to share the first weight-loss data for elecoglipron on Monday. The British drugmaker so far has only said the drug was successful in a mid-stage trial.

One last thing: There's more data coming for Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma's (DK:ZEAL) late-stage GLP-1 injection. What's unique about this drug is the weight loss that survodutide triggers is fat, not muscle. This has been a long-standing concern about weight loss associated with GLP-1s.

https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/2026060718/a-new-wave-of-weight-loss-therapies-aims-to-be-better-than-todays-glp-1s

Eli Lilly posts new positive Phase 3 obesity drug data for oral GLP-1 Foundayo and retatrutide

 

• Post-hoc Phase 3 ATTAIN-1 and ATTAIN-2 analyses show Foundayo weight loss benefits across all stages of menopause.
• Post-hoc analyses show Foundayo delivers significant weight loss even in women with type 2 diabetes.
• Additional Phase 3 retatrutide results from TRIUMPH-1 and TRANSCEND-T2D-1 demonstrate large, sustained weight loss outcomes.

https://finviz.com/stock?t=LLY&p=d

100 Day Mark: Iran Threatens Renewed Attacks On US-Israeli Bases, Citing IDF Escalation In Lebanon

 

Summary

• Sunday is day 100 since President Trump launched Operation Epic Fury.
• Ghalibaf warns after IDF escalation in Lebanon: US & Israeli bases, assets in region are 'legitimate targets'.
• Talks stuck on unfreezing assets: "Twenty-four billion dollars is not much for America if he wants to reach an agreement with Iran," Iranian Gen. Mohsen Rezaei told CNN. "This is our own, not America's money."
• Defying Washington, Iran has been collecting $1.5 million to $2 million per vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz (Fars).

US x Iran permanent peace deal by June 15, 2026?
Yes 7% · No 94%
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US, Israeli Bases are 'Legitimate Targets': Iran Issues Fresh Threat

On Sunday Tehran ramped up its threats to renew ballistic missile and drone attacks on Israel and America's Gulf allies, describing that the Israeli military's ongoing deadly attacks on Lebanon could obliterate the extended ceasefire with the US

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced on X that the ongoing American naval blockade against the Islamic Republic, with Washington having given a green light to Israel for its attacks on Hezbollah and Lebanon, turns both countries' bases and assets in the region into “legitimate targets.” The last days even saw a Lebanese general and other officers killed by IDF airstrike in south Lebanon.

"They neither abide by a ceasefire nor believe in negotiations," Ghalibaf wrote.

Below is the latest Bloomberg summary on where stalled negotiations stand... to be expected it cites "little progress":

"The US and Iran appear to be making little progress toward an interim deal to end the war Washington and Israel began 100 days ago, as fresh attacks pile pressure on a fragile ceasefire," Bloomberg writes, and continues:

• The past week saw the worst flare-up in tensions since the truce started around April 8.
• Negotiations between Washington and Tehran are bogged down over the fate of billions of dollars of frozen Iranian assets and a parallel conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
• US Central Command said early Sunday it downed two Iranian attack drones that threatened international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway crucial to global energy exports that’s also been at the heart of discussions.
• On Friday, six ballistic missiles fired at Bahrain and Kuwait were intercepted and another failed to reach their intended target, hours after four unmanned craft headed to Hormuz were shot down, Central Command said. The US struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island, it added.

Talks Stuck on Unfreezing Iran's Assets

The U.S. and Iran remain stuck in preliminary talks to end the war, with the main obstacle being Tehran's demand for access to billions of dollars in frozen assets and the Trump administration's refusal to provide upfront cash or broader sanctions relief. Tehran is seeking about $12 billion upfront and $24 billion during a proposed 60-day negotiation window.

"Twenty-four billion dollars is not much for America if he wants to reach an agreement with Iran," Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, a senior adviser to Iran's top official, told CNN on Friday. "This is our own, not America's money."

For the Trump administration, releasing frozen funds for Tehran is optically displeasing because the president spent years blasting the Obama administration over the $1.7 billion Iran payment tied to the 2015 nuclear deal, and later criticized the Biden administration's move to allow Iran access to $6 billion in assets during a prisoner swap.

The U.S. government estimates that Tehran has $100 billion in inaccessible assets, mostly oil revenue trapped abroad, including funds in China, Qatar, Oman, and Iraq.

Iran FM Complains of 'Moving Goal Posts'

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei spoke with CNN's senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen about the ongoing negotiations with the U.S.

Baghaei stated, "The main problem of negotiating with this administration is that you have to face so many changing positions, moving the goal posts, different statements, contradictory remarks by different officials, so it makes the whole process very cumbersome."

He outlined one of the main problems is that "the Americans must understand that they have to recognize Iran's rights," including its right to peaceful nuclear enrichment under the international non-proliferation treaty.

"At the same time, when they are talking about our blocked assets, they're not going to give us any concession," he said. CNN reported earlier on Sunday that the US plans to allow Iranian assets to be used for rebuilding projects in Gulf countries impacted by the war, according to a source close to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Baghaei added that the US must "simply stop their sanctions" and "need to let Iranian assets be released and be available for the Iranians."

Iran Implements Toll System as US Balks

Beyond US-Iran talks, IRGC-linked Fars News reports that Iran has been collecting $1.5 million to $2 million per vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Fars said the payments are deposited into Iran's treasury under the budget law and directed toward designated spending areas. Some payments are reportedly settled not in cash but in USDT/Tether or through barter arrangements.

Top Overnight Headlines (courtesy of Bloomberg):

US-Iran Conflict Flashpoints

• US Central Command shot down two Iranian attack drones over the Strait of Hormuz early Sunday that threatened international maritime traffic
• US forces intercepted multiple Iranian missiles and drones in the Persian Gulf late Friday and responded with attacks on radar sites in Iran
• Six ballistic missiles fired by Iran at Bahrain and Kuwait were intercepted, with a seventh not reaching its intended target
• US attacked Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island early Saturday
• Iran condemned US attack on its radar and coastal surveillance facilities as a clear violation of the April 8 ceasefire

Peace Negotiations Status

• The US and Iran appear to be making little progress toward an interim deal to end the war 100 days after it began
• Negotiations are bogged down over the fate of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets
• Pakistan's interior minister was in Tehran on Sunday in a fresh bid to restart negotiations between Iran and the US
• Iran's Baghaei said the US needs to let Iranian assets be released and must stop their sanctions
• The Trump administration is seeking to steer Iranian assets toward helping US allies in the Persian Gulf rebuild from damage inflicted by Tehran

War Damage and Infrastructure

• About 7,000 megawatts of Iran's power-generation capacity was damaged in the war, with some 2,500 megawatts restored to service so far
• Despite 4,000 megawatts of damaged power plant capacity remaining offline, there are currently no plans to implement planned blackouts this summer
• Kuwait's airspace was temporarily closed for two hours early Saturday as a precautionary measure due to Iranian missile and drone attacks

Economic Impact

• Italy extended a fuel tax cut until July 3, cutting pump prices by €0.05 per liter for diesel while keeping it unchanged for unleaded fuel
• India raised prices of domestic cooking gas for the second time since the Iran war started, with a 14.2-kilogram LPG cylinder increasing by 29 rupees
• Container shipping spot rates from Asia to northern Europe rose 27% to $3,649 as of Friday, while rates to the US West Coast increased 20% to $3,933
• Crude oil remains below $100 a barrel despite the Strait of Hormuz being effectively blocked for over three months, defying forecasts for prices as high as $200

Previous US-Iran Wrap

• US Intercepted Fresh Iranian Ballistic Missile Attacks Overnight As Tehran Blasts 'Ceasefire Violations'

Institutional Market commentary:

• Goldman analyst Johann Cohen: Markets appeared to suffer from headline fatigue, alongside fading expectations of any near-term agreement between the US and Iran.
• UBS analyst Zeynep Akkok: European equities are resilient, with SX5E trading off earlier lows and price action is largely unchanged into the weekend as markets pause after recent moves. The focus remains on US-Iran negotiations, with US President Trump flagging talks are in their final stages, but the continued lack of tangible progress caps upside. The tone remains constructive, but increasingly conditional on delivery.
• Goldman analyst Chris Hussey: But as we saw back in 2021, global supply chain shortages are plentiful. The prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is still cutting off about 10% of the world's oil supply with a bigger impact on things like jet fuel, diesel, and aluminum.

Global Supply Chain:

• Alarming Supply-Chain Stress Sends Transport Cost Soaring, Fueling Inflation Fears
• UBS Reactivates Supply-Chain Stress Watch After Detecting Alarmingly Rapid Deterioration

Energy Market:

• Goldman Explains Why Oil Refuses To Rise Despite Continued Hormuz Closure
• Oil Prices Hold Gains As Gasoline Stocks Hit 12 Year Lows, Cushing 'Tank Bottoms' Loom

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-fm-blames-us-contradictions-stalled-peace-talks-tehran-slaps-million-dollar

Iran lawmaker tells protesting students to stop and ‘go study’

 

An Iranian lawmaker told protesting students on Sunday to stop their demonstrations and return to their studies, saying there was no other option.

“Our advice is that students should stop protesting and go study, because there is no other choice and protests are useless,” said Abdolvahid Fayyazi, a member of Iran parliament’s education and research committee.

High school students in about 20 Iranian provinces have been holding protests against education policies, final exam rules and changes affecting the national university entrance exam, with some gatherings met by violence and arrests.

Trump will not accept bad Iran deal: Lankford

 

President Donald Trump will not agree to a bad deal with Iran despite pressure to conclude negotiations quickly, Republican US Sen. James Lankford told Fox News.

"(Iran is) definitely trying to string us along, and Donald Trump is not going for it at all," Lankford said.

"It’s interesting to see how many folks on the left, and some folks on the right, even, are trying to be able to push President Trump to be able to make a bad deal just to be able to get it over with," he added.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202606062776