Posts by Ryan M. Kane, MD, MPH

Despite the discovery of the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB) (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) by Robert Koch in 1882, there are still many questions regarding the pathophysiology of TB that remain unanswered—particularly in the differentiation and marked variability between latent (asymptomatic, non-transmissible) and active (symptomatic, transmissible) stages of infection. In 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated…

The past few years have created a paradigm shift in the way we globally respond to and address communicable diseases. Though we remain in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, several novel vaccine candidates have been developed, manufactured, studied, approved, distributed, and administered to millions of individuals around the world in less than one year.…

We recently discussed M72/AS01E and the exciting data suggesting its efficacy in preventing progression of TB disease after people had already been exposed to TB. Today, we will put these findings into context. Some of the excitement regarding this trial stems from the novelty of its findings. Dr. Ann Ginsberg is a TB researcher working…

Today, we will look at a landmark trial reporting the full results of a vaccine called M72/AS01E. This trial sought to answer the question: Can this vaccine decrease the rate of TB disease in adults who have already been exposed to TB1? Pulmonary TB, affects the lungs and is the most common form of the…