Sophia Abene

Assistant Editor at MJH Life Sciences

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Articles

Precision in Practice: PK/PD Modeling Advances Infectious Disease Care

4 days ago | contagionlive.com | Sophia Abene |Marc H. Scheetz

At the 2025 MAD-ID meeting, Mark Sheets, PharmD, MSc, professor of pharmacy and pharmacology at Midwestern University and director of the Pharmacometrics Center of Excellence, facilitated a conversation about the evolving role of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling in infectious diseases, and why its clinical relevance is only just beginning to take hold.
Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole and Minocycline Show Comparable Outcomes in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Pneumonia

5 days ago | contagionlive.com | Sophia Abene

A retrospective single-center chart review presented at MAD-ID 2025 by Kimberly Leuthner, PharmD, FIDSA, evaluated the use of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) versus minocycline for the treatment of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia pneumonia and found no difference in clinical outcomes between the two antibiotics. The study, conducted at Sunrise Hospital and University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, included adult patients with respiratory cultures growing only S maltophilia.
Oral Vancomycin "Tail" Offers No Added Benefit for CDI Prophylaxis

1 week ago | contagionlive.com | Sophia Abene |Jiye Park

A study presented at MAD-ID 2025 by Jennifer (Jiye) Park, PharmD, evaluated the clinical utility of oral vancomycin as secondary prophylaxis for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and found no statistically significant benefit in extending its use beyond the completion of systemic antibiotics. The retrospective analysis, conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital between January 1 and December 31, 2022, included 163 adult inpatient encounters.
Advancing C diff Management: Fidaxomicin, Microbiome Therapies, and Stewardship

1 week ago | contagionlive.com | Sophia Abene |Rachel M. Kenney

At MAD-ID 2025, Rachel M Kenney, PharmD, served as a facilitator for the accredited continuing education session, “Improving Outcomes in C difficile.” The session focused on current guideline updates, emerging treatment strategies, and the critical role of stewardship in managing C difficile infections. Kenney spoke about key changes in how clinicians are approaching C diff, especially in the context of first-line treatment and microbiome-focused therapies.
Integrating AI into Pharmacy Education and Stewardship

1 week ago | contagionlive.com | Sophia Abene |Timothy Aungst

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasing role in healthcare practice and professional education. Timothy Aungst, PharmD, professor of pharmacy practice at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Worcester, Massachusetts, discussed the use of AI in stewardship education during his keynote presentation, “Digital Health and Infectious Diseases,” at MAD-ID 2025 in Orlando, Florida.
Microbial Infections and Mental Illness: Bridging Psychiatry and Infectious Disease

1 week ago | contagionlive.com | Sophia Abene |Robert C Bransfield

A growing body of evidence is highlighting the role of microbial infections in the development and progression of various mental illnesses, according to a comprehensive review published in Healthcare by Bransfield and colleagues.
Vaxart Launches Dosing in Expanded 10,000-Participant Phase 2b Trial for Oral COVID-19 Vaccine

1 week ago | contagionlive.com | Sophia Abene

Vaxart, Inc has initiated dosing in the 10,000-participant segment of its ongoing Phase 2b trial evaluating an oral COVID-19 vaccine candidate. This randomized, double-blind, multi-center study compares the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of Vaxart’s oral vaccine to an approved mRNA vaccine in adults previously vaccinated against COVID-19.
Rethinking Mental Illness: The Overlooked Impact of Infection

1 week ago | contagionlive.com | Sophia Abene |Robert C Bransfield

For half a century, psychiatrist Robert C Bransfield, MD, has practiced psychiatry in New Jersey, dedicating his career to one of the field’s most challenging areas: treatment-resistant psychiatric illness. Over time, his curiosity and clinical observation led him to a striking and often underrecognized contributor to mental illness, infectious disease.
California Valley Fever Cases Surged in Q1 2025 Compared to Last Year

2 weeks ago | contagionlive.com | Sophia Abene

In the first quarter of 2025, California reported 3,123 cases of Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis), nearly double the 10-year average for this period. This is the highest number reported for Q1 on record, surpassing the previous record of 3,011 cases in 2024. Following a record-breaking year in 2024 with 12,637 cases statewide, experts warn California may be on track to exceed last year’s total. Updated reports are still being anticipated.
Disruption of Natural Ecosystems and Risk of Zoonotic Virus Spillover

2 weeks ago | contagionlive.com | Sophia Abene

May 21, 2025Jyothi N Purushotham, PhD, and Holly L Lutz, PhD, call for integrated immunological and ecological strategies to counter fast-evolving viral threats. According to a new article published in Immunity, the disruption of natural ecosystems from climate change and human activity is increasing the risk of zoonotic virus spillover. Over the past 20 years, repeated zoonotic outbreaks have exposed limitations in predicting epidemic trajectories and deploying effective responses.