Latest news with #Epstein-BarrVirus
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Common Virus Found To Increase Cancer Risk
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Those who have a specific antibody that is produced following infection from a common virus may be at greater risk of developing certain cancers, a new study from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has found. Individuals who test positive for Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) capsid antigen (VCA-IgA) antibodies were found to have a higher risk of developing cancers such as lung cancer, liver cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and lymphoma, according to a study shared by IARC with Newsweek. Newsweek has contacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) via email for comment. What Is Epstein-Barr Virus? The Epstein-Barr virus is one of the most common and persistent human viruses in the world, according to the CDC, and is member of the herpes virus family. EBV infects approximately 95 percent of the global population, the IARC said. It is the usual cause of infectious mononucleosis, otherwise known as "mono"—a contagious disease common among teens and adults that is usually spread through saliva, so by kissing or sharing drinks and food. After an individual is infected with EBV, the virus becomes inactive in their body, but may reactivate in some cases, with the potential for symptoms to resurface. "It's a latent virus that resides inside of certain cells," Dr. Henry Balfour Jr., a professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, told Newsweek. "So, when your immune system is challenged, let's say you get a flu shot or COVID, you're likely to see reactivation of EBV," he said. Usual symptoms of EBV include fatigue, fever, inflamed throat, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, an enlarged spleen and swollen liver, as well as others. The virus was previously classified as carcinogenic to humans, in the IARC's highest risk category (Group 1), in 1997. To date, it has been directly linked to a few specific types of cancer, with studies estimating EBV-related cases accounted for between 239,700 to 357,900 new cases of certain cancers in 2020. EBV has also been linked with rare diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic and autoimmune neurological disorder, Lawrence Steinman, a professor of neurology and neurological sciences, and pediatrics at Stanford University, told Newsweek. He also said that EBV, as a virus, may "trigger cancer itself," but that the antibodies one gets from EBV infection, may actually fight against certain cancers. "In fact, strengthening the immune response to EBV is a way that the immune system fights the virus, and in doing so helps kill the cancer or attenuate its spread," he said. "The trade off comes with developing an autoimmune response to self proteins that may be contained in the cancer." File photo: a computer illustration of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). File photo: a computer illustration of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Dr_Microbe/Getty Images What Did The Study Find? The IARC study evaluated the cancer risk in two cohorts in Southern China of just under 74,000 adults. Over the course of around eight to 10 years, 964 cases of cancer were identified in the Zhongshan cohort and 1,026 in the Wuzhou cohort. Researchers found that those who tested positive for EBV VCA-IgA antibodies were nearly five times as likely to develop cancer compared with individuals who tested negative. There were also higher risks of developing certain cancers—for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, EBV VCA-IgA antibody positive individuals were found to be 26 times as likely to develop the disease. Meanwhile, for lung cancer, they were 1.76 times as likely to develop the disease, for liver cancer, they were 1.70 times as likely to, and for lymphoma, they were 3.20 times as likely to. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a type of cancer affecting the part of the throat that connects the back of the nose to the back of the mouth, had the highest risk among the cancer types investigated. Authors of the study noted there was an increased cancer risk associated with higher levels of EBV VCA-IgA antibodies—an elevated risk that persisted even up to 10 years before diagnosis, which the IARC said suggested that EBV infection "may play a long-term role in cancer development." Overall, the study estimated that 7.8 percent of the total cancer burden in Southern China could be attributed to EBV VCA-IgA antibody positivity in individuals. Are Experts Concerned? "I am not concerned about this finding," Luis Schang, a professor of chemical virology at Cornell University, told Newsweek, because it has been "long known" that EBV is associated with certain cancers. "The major contribution of this study is linking the increase in cancer risk to likely reactivation," he said. Before this study, he said that it would be argued the risk of developing cancer was "independent" of virus reactivation. Schang said that the study could also indicate that "antiviral, or vaccine, suppressive treatment could have a protective effect against the cancers produced by EBV." Antiviral treatment can "inhibit" virus reactivation, Schang said, although it is still "extremely challenging" to treat, as the virus persists in human cells for a prolonged period. He added that a vaccine that "could elicit strong immune responses" to curtail reactivation at early stages, potentially having an impact oncogenesis, the process where cells are transformed into cancer cells. While the findings are notable, experts told Newsweek that more research still needs to be done on the issue. "Most people, almost everybody who is infected with EBV, doesn't get cancer and doesn't get multiple sclerosis, so there's something else going on," Balfour Jr said. He said that there is evidence of the effects of EBV, and its potential to cause long-term chronic diseases like cancer or autoimmune diseases, being "specific to geographical area and possibly the socioeconomic status of the people." While it is not yet clear why this is the case, he said that "over and over again, socioeconomic status and race ethnicity are associated with the prevalence of EBV." As a result, "I would be cautious in interpreting these findings to be of any concern to people in the U.S. - depending on your age and your socioeconomic status, about 90 percent of young adults and adults are positive for EBV and almost all of them are not going to get cancers or autoimmune diseases such as MS," Balfour said.
Business Wire
17-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Atara Biotherapeutics Appoints James Huang and Nachi Subramanian to Board of Directors
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a leader in T-cell immunotherapy, leveraging its novel allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases, announced the appointment of James Huang and Nachi Subramanian to its Board of Directors, effective following the completion the Company's previously announced $16 million offering that was announced on May 15, 2025. The offering closed on May 16, 2025. Mr. Huang has over 37 years of biotech experience and is the Founder and Managing Partner of Panacea Venture. Prior to Panacea Venture, Mr. Huang was a Managing Partner at Kleiner Perkins (KPCB) China where he focused on the firm's life sciences practice, and a managing partner at Vivo Ventures where he led numerous investments in China. He was also the president of Anesiva, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on pain-management treatments. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles in business development, sales, marketing, and research and development with Tularik Inc. (acquired by Amgen), GlaxoSmithKline LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb and ALZA Corp. (acquired by Johnson & Johnson). Additionally, Mr. Huang serves as a member of the board of directors of Kindstar Globalgene Technology, Inc., Connect Biopharma Holdings Limited, Lee's Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited and several private companies. He received an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Nachi Subramanian has served as a Managing Director at the Redmile Group since December 2021. He previously spent fourteen years at J.P. Morgan, where he held senior roles across the Private Markets and Global Cash Equities businesses. Nachi began his career in Institutional Equities at Bear Stearns. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the University of California, Irvine. About Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. Atara is a leader in T-cell immunotherapy, leveraging its novel allogeneic Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. Atara is headquartered in Southern California.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Atara Biotherapeutics Appoints James Huang and Nachi Subramanian to Board of Directors
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., May 17, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a leader in T-cell immunotherapy, leveraging its novel allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases, announced the appointment of James Huang and Nachi Subramanian to its Board of Directors, effective following the completion the Company's previously announced $16 million offering that was announced on May 15, 2025. The offering closed on May 16, 2025. Mr. Huang has over 37 years of biotech experience and is the Founder and Managing Partner of Panacea Venture. Prior to Panacea Venture, Mr. Huang was a Managing Partner at Kleiner Perkins (KPCB) China where he focused on the firm's life sciences practice, and a managing partner at Vivo Ventures where he led numerous investments in China. He was also the president of Anesiva, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on pain-management treatments. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles in business development, sales, marketing, and research and development with Tularik Inc. (acquired by Amgen), GlaxoSmithKline LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb and ALZA Corp. (acquired by Johnson & Johnson). Additionally, Mr. Huang serves as a member of the board of directors of Kindstar Globalgene Technology, Inc., Connect Biopharma Holdings Limited, Lee's Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited and several private companies. He received an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Nachi Subramanian has served as a Managing Director at the Redmile Group since December 2021. He previously spent fourteen years at J.P. Morgan, where he held senior roles across the Private Markets and Global Cash Equities businesses. Nachi began his career in Institutional Equities at Bear Stearns. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the University of California, Irvine. About Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. Atara is a leader in T-cell immunotherapy, leveraging its novel allogeneic Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. Atara is headquartered in Southern California. View source version on Contacts Investor and Media Relations Amber DaughertySr. Director, Strategy and Operationsadaugherty@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Atara Biotherapeutics Announces Pricing of $16 Million Offering
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a leader in T-cell immunotherapy, leveraging its novel allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases, today announced the pricing of an offering of 834,237 shares of its common stock at an offering price of $6.61 per share and pre-funded warrants to purchase 1,587,108 shares of its common stock at an offering price of $6.6099 per pre-funded warrant share in an underwritten registered direct offering to a limited number of existing institutional investors, including entities affiliated with Adiumentum Capital Management, EcoR1 Capital, Panacea Venture and Redmile Group. The pre-funded warrants will have an exercise price of $0.0001 per share and will be immediately exercisable upon issuance. The offering is expected to close on or about May 16, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The gross proceeds from the offering are expected to be $16 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by Atara. Atara currently intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund its ongoing activities required to achieve biologics license application (BLA) approval for tab-cel, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. TD Cowen is acting as the sole bookrunner for the offering. The securities described above are being offered by Atara pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-275256), including a base prospectus, that was previously filed by Atara with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') on November 1, 2023 and was declared effective on November 13, 2023. A prospectus supplement containing additional information relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC's website located at Copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering, when available, may also be obtained by contacting TD Securities (USA) LLC, 1 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017, by telephone at (855) 495-9846 or by email at This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. Atara is a leader in T-cell immunotherapy, leveraging its novel allogeneic Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. Atara is headquartered in Southern California. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains or may imply 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. For example, forward-looking statements include statements regarding the completion, timing and size of the offering and the anticipated use of proceeds of the offering. Because such statements deal with future events and are based on Atara's current expectations, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties and actual results, performance or achievements of Atara could differ materially from those described in or implied by the statements in this press release. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including without limitation risks and uncertainties related to market conditions and satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the offering, as well as those discussed in Atara's filings with the SEC, including in the 'Risk Factors' and 'Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations' sections of the prospectus supplement and Atara's most recently filed periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and subsequent filings and in the documents incorporated by reference therein. Except as otherwise required by law, Atara disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bavarian Nordic Publishes Annual Report 2024
Audited results confirm full-year revenue of DKK 5,716 million and EBITDA of DKK 1,603 million. Two new early-stage pipeline programs, Lyme disease and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), introduced. COPENHAGEN, Denmark, March 5, 2025 – Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA) today published its Annual Report for 2024. The consolidated, audited results were in line with the preliminary results announced on February 3, 2025. The full report is attached as a PDF file and can be found on the Company's website, 'We delivered strong results in 2024 after an extraordinary performance in our Travel Health business, demonstrating 22% growth year-over-year, combined with additional mpox vaccine orders, as we made significant strides in strengthening the public health response in Africa and other regions during the current outbreak,' said Paul Chaplin, President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic. 'Our portfolio continues to grow, and we are truly excited to launch our chikungunya vaccine for travelers over 12 years later this year upon our recent approvals in both Europe and the US, while also continuing to expand our partnerships to improve access to critical vaccines for vulnerable populations around the globe. We are also pleased to advance two promising early-stage pipeline programs from our own research in Lyme disease and Epstein-Barr virus, both to enter clinical trials in 2026.' Significant events after the balance sheet date In January, Bavarian Nordic launched and completed a share buy-back program of DKK 150 million as planned, with the purpose of adjusting the capital structure. In February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved VIMKUNYA™, the first virus-like particle single-dose chikungunya vaccine in the US for persons 12 years of age and older. Upon approval, Bavarian Nordic received a Priority Review Voucher, which the Company intends to monetize when appropriate. In February, Bavarian Nordic entered a strategic partnership with Biological E. Limited, initially signing a contract manufacturing agreement with the aim to provide capacity for the future supply of chikungunya vaccines to endemic low- and middle-income countries. In February, Bavarian Nordic received marketing authorization in Europe for VIMKUNYA® for persons 12 years of age and older. This followed a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in January Financial performance The consolidated, audited financial results for 2024 were in line with the preliminary financial results for 2024 which were announced on February 3, 2025. Bavarian Nordic reported DKK 5,716 million in revenue in 2024, within the range of the latest guidance of DKK 5,400-5,800 million. The revenue was comprised of DKK 3,206 million from Public Preparedness, DKK 2,287 million from Travel Health, and DKK 223 million from other revenue. The operating result (EBITDA) amounted to DKK 1,603 million. For the full financial review, see the Annual Report 2024. The table below presents the actual, audited financial results for 2024 compared to the original and latest guidance for 2024. DKK million FY 2024 guidance original, 21-Feb-2024 FY 2024 guidancelatest, 26-Sept-2024 FY 2024 actualsAudited Revenue 5,000 – 5,300 5,400 – 5,800 5,716 EBITDA 1,100 – 1,350 1,450 – 1,700 1,603 EBITDA-margin 28% Outlook 2025For 2025, Bavarian Nordic expects revenue of DKK 5,700-6,700 million and an EBITDA margin of 26-30%. DKK million FY 2025 guidance Revenue 5,700 – 6,700 EBITDA margin 26% – 30% The expected revenue is comprised of DKK 3,000–4,000 million from Public Preparedness vaccines, of which DKK 2,500 million have already been secured by contracts. Furthermore, approximately DKK 2,500 million from Travel Health vaccines, and approximately DKK 200 million from contract work are expected. Potential income from the sale of the Priority Review Voucher is not included in the outlook1. Travel Health revenue includes DKK 50-100 million from the sale of chikungunya vaccines, which is planned for launch in the US and key European markets in the first half of 2025. The normal seasonality of the Travel Health business and the timing of revenue recognition of orders from Public Preparedness will cause variability in revenue and EBITDA throughout the year, with the first quarter of 2025 being light. The outlook is unchanged from the outlook announced on February 3, 2025 in company announcement no. 06/2025 which includes a full description of the key assumptions for the outlook, also available in the Annual Report 2024. Conference call and webcastThe management of Bavarian Nordic will host a conference call today at 2:00 pm CET (8:00 am EST) to present the full year results followed by a Q&A session. A listen-only version of the call and presentation slides can be accessed here. To join the Q&A session, please register in advance here. About Bavarian NordicBavarian Nordic is a global vaccine company with a mission to improve health and save lives through innovative vaccines. We are a preferred supplier of mpox and smallpox vaccines to governments to enhance public health preparedness and have a leading portfolio of travel vaccines. For more information, visit Forward-looking statements This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is not historical information. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law. Contact investors:Europe: Rolf Sass Sørensen, Vice President Investor Relations, rss@ Tel: +45 61 77 47 43US: Graham Morrell, Paddock Circle Advisors, graham@ Tel: +1 781 686 9600 Contact media:Nicole Seroff, Vice President Corporate Communications, nise@ Tel: + 45 53 88 06 03 Company Announcement no. 09 / 2025 1 Potential income from the sale of the voucher is subject to a one-time royalty payment of 20% to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), licensor of the rights to the vaccine, which were transferred to Bavarian Nordic upon acquisition of the chikungunya vaccine. In addition, NIH will receive low single-digit royalties on future commercial Bavarian Nordic Annual Report 2024 2025-09-en bava-2024-12-31-enSign in to access your portfolio
