Capsules

The US Food and Drug Administration has allowed marketing of a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) to detect Ebola virus antigens (proteins) in human blood from certain living individuals and samples from certain recently deceased individuals suspected to have died from Ebola (cadaveric oral fluid). The OraQuick Ebola Rapid Antigen Test is the first rapid diagnostic test the FDA has allowed to be marketed in the US for the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), in a communique, acknowledged the lower price offered to the government of South Africa for newer anti-tuberculosis (TB) drug delamanid, but called for it to be significantly lower and expanded to all countries in need.

Mylan will charge $940 for a six-month treatment course as of June 1, 2020, in South Africa. Delamanid is priced at $1,700 for a six-month treatment course ($283 a month) through the Global Drug Facility.

The World Health Organization has welcomed new funding commitments made at the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference in Lyon hosted by France. The pledges, amounting to $14.02 billion will cover a three-year period (2020-2022) to finance the fight against HIV, TB and malaria. The commitment means that over 110 affected countries will receive critical financial support for health.