Welcome to the October edition of IslandWatch! As the summer season turns the corner in the northern hemisphere, a tally from the World Health Organisation showed that dengue cases have doubled in the past year, with 12.7 million cases in 2024, compared to 6.5 million reported cases in 2023. The Guardian reportsthat this huge increase has been caused by a dangerous combination of warm weather and humidity, which has accelerated mosquito breeding, and the rapid spread of tiger mosquitoes – a type of mosquito that is well adapted to urban and more temperate settings.
As the warm weather approaches in the southern hemisphere, mosquitoes and the diseases they carry are back on the watch list. This month, the state of Western Australia issued an urgent warning over mosquito-borne disease, after a virus was found in sentinel chickens.
Earlier this month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the Global Strategic Preparedness, Readiness and Response Plan (SPRP) to tackle dengue and other Aedes-borne arboviruses. The Plan aims to reduce the burden of disease, suffering and deaths from dengue and other Aedes-borne arboviral diseases.
October was also a month full of important milestones for Island, as we advanced our ISLA-101 Phase 2a/b clinical trial, while securing additional funding to support our clinical program moving forward. Island also announced this month that the company’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, 19 November 2024 at 9:00 am (AEDT). You will find more details later in this newsletter.
Dengue Live Map, as of 28 Oct 2024
Credit (click to check live dengue status): https://www.healthmap.org/dengue/en/
HEADLINES OF THE MONTH
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PAHO calls for action
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) urges nations to enhance dengue response as the region hits over 11.7 million cases in 2024, emphasising early diagnosis, care, and community engagement.
Read more
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Heightened mosquito risks in Phuket
Dengue cases in Phuket have reached 1,999 in 2024. Local health officials intensify efforts to curb mosquito breeding as the outbreak escalates.
Read more
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Taiwan strengthens measures
Taiwan battled over 20,000 dengue cases last year, and now they are focusing on public education and stricter control measures to combat the current escalating outbreak.
Read more
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Los Angeles: Officials sound alarm
Dengue fever reported in Los Angeles raises concerns about mosquito-borne diseases in California, prompting heightened surveillance and preventive measures.
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LATEST ISLAND PHARMACEUTICAL UPDATES
October was an eventful month for Island. This month, Island released the September Quarterly Activities Report, highlighting activities in this quarter including the execution of a binding Letter of Intent for galidesivir, new appointment to the board, and clinical updates of the Phase 2a/b PROTECT challenge study.
Read the full Quarterly Activities Report here>>
Clinical and corporate updates
Earlier in the month, Island announced the commencement of dosing of subjects for the ISLA-101 Phase 2a/b PROTECT clinical trial in dengue disease. Data readout of the 2a prophylactic (preventative) cohort can be expected by the end of this calendar year, and Phase 2b is on track to commence in January 2025.
Concurrently, Island announced a $3.5 million Placement. The Placement was supported by investors who approached the company to offer cornerstone support, including biotech investor, Dr Daniel Tillett and prominent Hong Kong-based fund manager, Angus Walker, together with Island co-founder and major investor, Dr Bill Garner, substantial shareholder Jason Carroll, and recently appointed Non-Executive Director, Chris Ntoumenopolous (subject to shareholder approval). Island is now funded on current programs, which will take the company through key inflection points.
Read more and watch an interview with Dr David Foster here>>
Investor briefing
Post these announcements, Island hosted an investor briefing where CEO and Managing Director, Dr David Foster discussed key updates, including the ISLA-101 Phase 2a/b trial, the ongoing due diligence program for the potential acquisition of an antiviral asset galidesivir, and the company’s funding position. The presentation was followed by a Q&A session with Dr Foster and Island Chair Dr Paul MacLeman, with Non-Executive Director Chris Ntoumenopolous present on the call.
Watch the full webinar here>>
Read the full presentation here>>
New analyst report
In a new report published this month by Pitt Street Research, Island has been valued at 31 to 41 cents per share. The report noted that Island has a company-defining 12 months ahead, with a substantially undervalued asset in ISLA-101. The report also highlighted the significant potential of galidesivir as an antiviral asset.
Read the full report here>>
Bioshares reports Island's shares surge
In a recent edition of BIOSHARES, the publication discussed Island’s share price increase, and included a detailed report on ISLA-10’s clinical and pre-clinical history. The report stressed the market potential of both ISLA-101 and galidesivir, with both drugs addressing urgent viral diseases and eligible for Priority Review Vouchers (PRV).
Read the full report here >>
Island's 2024 AGM
Island Pharmaceuticals announced this month that The Company’s Annual General Meeting is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, 19 November 2024 at 9:00 am (AEDT) at K&L Gates 31/1 O'Connell St Sydney NSW 2000. For those who wish to join us virtually, they may do so using Automic’s online meeting platform via this link.
Interview with Professor Stephen Thomas
This month, we sat down with world-renowned virologist and vaccinologist, Professor Stephen Thomas to chat about challenges of developing a dengue vaccine, and the significance of applying a human challenge model to Island’s Phase 2a/b clinical trial in dengue.
Watch the full interview here>>
Island is a rising star!
This month, Dr David Foster was invited to the 10th Annual iC³ Life Science & Healthcare Innovation Summit as one of the Rising Star 2024 award winners. Hosted by BioNTX, the iC³ Life Science & Healthcare Innovation Summit is a platform for the biotech and life science community to celebrate cutting-edge research and innovation in the sector together.
DID YOU KNOW?
Mosquitoes are actually slow flyers! While mosquitoes may seem quick and elusive when they're buzzing around you, they are quite slow compared to many other flying insects. On average, mosquitoes fly at a speed of about 1 to 1.5 miles per hour (1.6 to 2.4 km/h). This relatively slow speed might surprise you because their rapid wing beats (about 300-600 beats per second) give the illusion that they are zipping around much faster.
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