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Research
Edaravone for the Treatment of Motor Neurone Disease: A Critical Review of Approved and Alternative Formulations against a Proposed Quality Target Product ProfileEdaravone is one of two main drugs for treating motor neurone disease (MND). This review proposes a specific quality target product profile (QTPP) for edaravone following an appraisal of the issues accounting for the poor clinical uptake of the approved IV and oral liquid edaravone formulations. This is followed by a review of the alternative oral formulations of edaravone described in the published patent and journal literature against the QTPP.
Research
Development of a sustained release implant of benzathine penicillin G for secondary prophylaxis of rheumatic heart diseaseRegular intramuscular (i.m.) benzathine penicillin G (BPG) injections have been the cornerstone of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) secondary prophylaxis since the 1950s. Patient adherence to IM BPG is poor, largely due to pain, the need for regular injections every 3-4 weeks and health sector delivery challenges in resource-limited settings. There is an urgent need for new approaches for secondary prophylaxis, such as an implant which could provide sustained penicillin concentrations for more than 6 months.
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Stability of benzylpenicillin for continuous intravenous infusions: An isotonic formulation for therapeutic use and a low-dose formulation for clinical trialThe objectives of this study were to develop a stability-indicating high performance liquid chromatography assay for benzylpenicillin in pharmaceutical fluids, and to investigate the stability of (i) isotonic citrate-buffered BPC solutions at the clinically relevant concentration of 30 mg/mL, and (ii) low concentration citrate-buffered BPC intravenous infusions (5–30 μg/mL).
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The risk of intramuscular haematoma is low following injection of benzathine penicillin G in patients receiving concomitant anticoagulant therapyOur local data supports continuing intramuscular injection of BPG in patients with rheumatic heart disease receiving anticoagulant medication
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The role of children in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern within households: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis, as at 30 June 2022Meta-analyses and single-site studies have established that children are less infectious than adults within a household when positive for ancestral SARS-CoV-2. In addition, children appear less susceptible to infection when exposed to ancestral SARS-CoV-2 within a household. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) has been associated with an increased number of paediatric infections worldwide.

The Strep A & ARF Therapeutics research team are working to accelerate research and clinical trials to improve penicillin formulation and treatment methods, to end RHD.
Research
Net Promoter Score Model for Evaluating Paediatric Medicine Acceptability: Validation and Feasibility StudyMedicine acceptability is crucial for paediatric drug development, yet its assessment remains challenging due to the multifaceted nature of sensory attributes like taste, smell, and mouthfeel. Traditional methods of acceptability evaluation often involve complex questionnaires and lack standardisation, leading to difficulties in a comparative analysis across studies.
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Factors influencing adult and adolescent completion of treatment for late syphilis: a mixed methods systematic reviewTo identify factors influencing the completion of a three-dose course of weekly intramuscular benzathine penicillin G injections by adults and adolescents with syphilis of unknown duration or late syphilis.
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Randomized Trial of BCG Vaccine to Protect against Covid-19 in Health Care WorkersThe bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has immunomodulatory "off-target" effects that have been hypothesized to protect against coronavirus disease 2019.
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Artemisinin combination therapy at delivery to prevent postpartum malaria: A randomised open-label controlled trialAlthough the incidence of malaria is increased in women in endemic areas after delivery compared to non-pregnant women, no studies have assessed the benefit of presumptive antimalarial treatment given postpartum.