Publications by authors named "Robert J Hopkins"

Background: has the ability to exhibit resistance to a broad range of antibiotics, highlighting the importance of identifying alternative or adjunctive treatment options, such as phages.

Patients And Methods: We report the case of a 25-year-old male who experienced an accidental electrocution resulting in exposed calvarium in the left parieto-temporal region, complicated by a difficult-to-treat (DTR-) infection. Cefiderocol was the sole antibiotic with consistent activity against six bacterial isolates obtained from the infected region over a 38 day period.

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The availability of a licensed anthrax vaccine that is safe, effective, and easy to administer for both pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis is critical to successfully manage and prevent potential anthrax attacks. BioThrax® (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed; AVA) is the only licensed anthrax vaccine in the US. Areas covered: Recent licensed improvements to BioThrax vaccine for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have included an intramuscular (IM) five-dose schedule (in 2008) and a three-dose IM primary series at 0, 1 and 6 months (in 2012).

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Article Synopsis
  • The AV7909 vaccine may require fewer doses and less antigen to stimulate a faster immune response compared to BioThrax, which is currently used for anthrax prophylaxis.
  • A phase 2 study involving 168 healthy adults tested different dosing schedules and levels of AV7909, finding that all vaccination groups were well tolerated with no serious adverse events related to the vaccine.
  • Groups receiving the two and three-dose schedules of AV7909 showed stronger immune responses, leading researchers to suggest further studies on a two-dose regimen based on its safety and effectiveness compared to BioThrax.
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Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Timely administration of antibiotics approved for the treatment of anthrax disease may prevent associated morbidity and mortality. However, any delay in initiating antimicrobial therapy may result in increased mortality, as inhalational anthrax progresses rapidly to the toxemic phase of disease.

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Background: This study was conducted to support licensure of a post-exposure prophylaxis indication for BioThrax(®) (anthrax vaccine adsorbed) concurrent with antimicrobials for individuals exposed to aerosolized anthrax spores.

Methods: The immunogenicity and safety of a three-dose regimen (0, 2, and 4 weeks) of BioThrax administered subcutaneously (SC) were evaluated in 200 healthy adults 18-65 years of age. Toxin-neutralizing antibody (TNA) was expressed as 50% neutralization factor (NF50) at predetermined time points through Day 100.

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NuThrax™ (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed with CPG 7909 Adjuvant) (AV7909) is in development. Samples obtained in a phase Ib clinical trial were tested to confirm biomarkers of innate immunity and evaluate effects of CPG 7909 (PF-03512676) on adaptive immunity. Subjects received two intramuscular doses of commercial BioThrax(®) (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed, AVA), or two intramuscular doses of one of four formulations of AV7909.

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Bacillus anthracis toxins can be neutralized by antibodies against protective antigen (PA), a component of anthrax toxins. Anthrivig (human anthrax immunoglobulin), also known as AIGIV, derived from plasma of humans immunized with BioThrax (anthrax vaccine adsorbed), is under development for the treatment of toxemia following exposure to anthrax spores. The pharmacokinetics (PK) of AIGIV was assessed in naive animals and healthy human volunteers, and the efficacy of AIGIV was assessed in animals exposed via inhalation to aerosolized B.

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A new anthrax vaccine that could accelerate the immune response and possibly reduce the number of injections needed for protection would be desirable in a post-exposure setting. This Phase 1 study compared the safety and immunogenicity of 2 IM doses (Days 0 and 14) of 4 formulations of AV7909 (AVA plus CPG 7909) with 2 IM doses of BioThrax(®) (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed) and 2 IM doses of saline placebo administered on Days 0 and 14. A total of 105 healthy adults 18-50 years of age were randomized to 1 of 6 study groups: BioThrax (0.

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Antimicrobials administered postexposure can reduce the incidence or progression of anthrax disease, but they do not protect against the disease resulting from the germination of spores that may remain in the body after cessation of the antimicrobial regimen. Such additional protection may be achieved by postexposure vaccination; however, no anthrax vaccine is licensed for postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). In a rabbit PEP study, animals were subjected to lethal challenge with aerosolized Bacillus anthracis spores and then were treated with levofloxacin with or without concomitant intramuscular (i.

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Immunization with BioThrax(®) (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed) is a safe and effective means of preventing anthrax. Animal studies have demonstrated that the addition of CpG DNA adjuvants to BioThrax can markedly increase the immunogenicity of the vaccine, increasing both serum anti-protective antigen (PA) antibody and anthrax toxin-neutralizing antibody (TNA) concentrations. The immune response to CpG-adjuvanted BioThrax in animals was not only stronger, but was also more rapid and led to higher levels of protection in spore challenge models.

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Background: US government organisations have identified the need for a new smallpox vaccine to replenish limited stocks of the approved, calf-lymph derived vaccine, the manufacture of which is no longer acceptable. We aimed to compare the safety and immunogenicity of the new cell-cultured smallpox vaccine (CCSV) to that of the calf-lymph derived vaccine (as a positive control) in 350 healthy, adult volunteers.

Methods: We did a randomised controlled study at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

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Background: Numerous literature reports describe clinical efficacy of intramuscular vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) for complications of smallpox vaccination, prophylaxis of individuals with contraindications to vaccination, and prevention of smallpox among close contacts of patients with smallpox.

Methods: We reviewed the literature regarding VIG treatment and prophylaxis of smallpox vaccine complications and the use of VIG as a preventative measure for close contacts of patients with smallpox.

Results: Data regarding intramuscular administration of VIG for treatment of smallpox vaccine complications occurred in 16 articles, none of which reported formal controlled trials.

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Background: Vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) administered via the intramuscular route has historically been used for the treatment of complications of smallpox vaccination. Intravenous formulations of VIG are required to improve tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile.

Methods: We conducted 2 separate studies to evaluate the feasibility of administration of an intravenous formulation of antivaccinia immune globulin (VIGIV).

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A phase 1 smallpox vaccine trial involving 350 adult volunteers was conducted. Of these subjects, 250 were naive to vaccinia virus vaccine (i.e.

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Immune tolerance to beta-amyloid (Abeta) was broken in NORBA transgenic mice presenting Abeta plaques on their pancreases. Vaccination of Black C57, BALB/c, and NORBA mice with the synthetic Abeta(1-16) sequence modified by covalently attaching two palmitoyl residues at each end of the peptide, subsequently reconstituted in liposomes-Lipid A elicited titers of 1:5,000 of anti-Abeta(1-16) antibodies within 10 weeks after the first inoculation. On direct interaction, sera with antibody titers of 1:5,000 solubilized in vitro up to 80% of preformed Abeta(1-42) aggregates.

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Background: Pretreatment antimicrobial resistance has an important impact on the efficacy of many Helicobacter pylori treatment regimens.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of H. pylori resistance to antimicrobials in the United States, to characterize risk factors associated with H.

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