In our Coffee with an Expert section, we had the distinct honor of speaking with Dr. Rajeev Venkayya, a global health leader with extensive expertise in vaccines, pandemic preparedness, and biopharmaceutical innovation. Dr. Venkayya currently serves as a venture advisor and sits on the boards of the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT), the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Most recently, he was CEO of Aerium Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing next-generation antibody therapies. Prior to that, he served as President of the Global Vaccine Business Unit at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he led a fully integrated organization spanning R&D, manufacturing, and commercialization. Under his leadership, Takeda advanced key vaccine candidates for dengue, norovirus, and Zika (with U.S. government support), as well as a Sabin-strain inactivated polio vaccine funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In our conversation, we explored the current and future challenges of CEPI’s ambitious “100-Day Mission” to develop a vaccine against pathogen X in the event of a new pandemic. Dr. Venkayya outlined the critical steps of this initiative, highlighting the progress achieved so far and identifying the toughest hurdles—particularly for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
In this edition’s Editor’s Corner, we explore “Infectious Diseases, Cancer, and the Power of Vaccination,” addressing not only pathogens known to directly cause cancer, but also those capable of triggering neoplastic processes.
Our Best Practice section presents a comprehensive overview of current rabies prevention strategies, covering both pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis, with a focus on the latest simplified vaccination schedules.
Finally, in our Guest Contributor section, we are delighted to feature an insightful editorial by Dr. Eduardo Antonio Lara-Lopez, a highly renown pediatrician and pediatric pulmonologist, member of the Mexican Academy of Pediatrics, and CEO of the Medical Health Fraternity Doctors United for Mexico. In this piece, Dr. Lara-Lopez takes us on a journey through the history of immunization—from its origins to the challenges we face today.
As always, this issue features carefully curated and up-to-date information on the ‘Latest Scientific Publications’ along with the most recent and important ‘News and Alerts’.
We hope you find this August issue both informative and engaging, and we look forward to continuing this shared commitment to advancing global health and building a healthier planet.
