Inside EU Health: World Tuberculosis Day; Lyme disease; Roche's major investment
EU/EEA falls short on TB detection as one in five cases go unnoticed; Lyme disease vaccine shows promising results in late-stage trial; Roche announces €1.5 billion investment in its Swiss base
EU/EEA falls short on TB detection as one in five cases go unnoticed
A new joint report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the EU/EEA is not on track to meet its 2030 tuberculosis (TB) targets. Despite a 33% drop in cases and a 17% reduction in deaths over the past decade, major gaps in detection and care persist.
In 2024, 38,249 TB cases were reported across 30 EU/EEA countries, yet one in five cases remains undiagnosed or unreported. Treatment follow-up is also a concern, with 22% of patients not evaluated after one year. These gaps increase the risk of ongoing transmission, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children and prisoners.
Drug-resistant TB presents an additional challenge. Although only 3.5% of cases are multidrug-resistant, treatment success is just 56%, allowing resistant strains to spread.
Experts stress that TB is still a serious threat in Europe. The disease can remain dormant for years and requires lengthy treatment, making adherence difficult. Without stronger detection, improved care, and better access to medicines, preventable infections and deaths will continue.
Catherine Feore
Lyme disease vaccine shows promising results in late-stage trial
Pfizer and French company Valneva reported positive results from a Phase 3 trial, showing their Lyme disease vaccine candidate achieved more than 70% efficacy in preventing Lyme disease in individuals aged five and older.
“Lyme disease can cause potentially serious consequences… and there is currently no vaccine available,” said Pfizer’s Chief Vaccines Officer, Annaliesa Anderson. “The efficacy shown in the study of more than 70% is highly encouraging and creates confidence in the vaccine’s potential to protect against this disease that can be debilitating.”
Lyme disease can cause flu-like symptoms, but it can also lead to serious neurological dysfunction. In Europe, there are over 130,000 cases reported annually. Currently, the only measures that can be taken are preventative.
There are concerns that, because the trial recorded fewer Lyme disease cases than expected, it narrowly missed one threshold in part of its analysis, but the companies are confident that the overall results remain clinically meaningful.
A previous vaccine was withdrawn from the market in 2001 by the manufacturer, largely due to a lack of demand, due to concerns that it might have adverse side effects.
Roche announces €1.5 billion investment in its Swiss base
Roche has announced plans to invest €1.5 billion in a new research facility in Basel for its Institute of Human Biology, advancing its strategy to transform drug discovery. CEO Thomas Schinecker said the institute “reinforces our commitment to Switzerland as a global innovation hub” and aims to make R&D “more predictive and more efficient” by combining organoid models with artificial intelligence.
Institute head Azad Bonni said that by pioneering human model systems, researchers will gain a better understanding of human disease: “We will move beyond the limitations of traditional research to predict if and how new treatments will work in people. This new research facility allows our scientists to make and translate discoveries at the intersection of fundamental and industry sciences, changing how we understand and tackle human disease."
The facility will host up to 250 researchers and focus on advanced human disease models, including organoids and organ-on-chip systems, to accelerate innovation and bring new therapies to patients faster.