The FDA, NIH, and CDC will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to summarize progress toward developing vaccines against fungal diseases, with an emphasis on our current understanding of the epidemiology, biology, and immunology of Valley fever
Dr. John Galgiani is the founding director of the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona. Dr. Galgiani was honored in 2023 with the AZBio Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement for his work to help people and animals living with Valley Fever.
This joint workshop will also include a focus on essential diagnostics, and regulatory pathways; and identify remaining gaps and opportunities to support the successful development of a vaccine against Valley Fever and other fungal infections.
Valley fever, also called coccidioidomycosis, is one of the most common endemic fungal infections in the United States with over 20,000 cases reported to the CDC annually and over 200,000 estimated symptomatic infections. Due to similarities with other respiratory illnesses and nonspecific symptoms, Valley fever is often misdiagnosed. The course of infection may be self-limited, but in some cases, Valley fever can affect previously healthy individuals, cause severe or life-threatening illness, and require prolonged antifungal therapy. Natural infection confers protection against future disease, suggesting that a vaccine is possible. Several vaccine strategies and platforms are in early stages of development, but more research and support are needed to realize the goal of a Valley fever vaccine.
Arizona has the highest incidence of Valley Fever cases each year based on CDC data.
Dr. John Galgiani, founding director of the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona will provide an update on the current vaccine candidates in a dog model and how it can be developed for human use.
Additional Arizona thought leaders presenting at the meeting include:
- Fariba Donovan, MD, University of Arizona College of Medicine
- Eric Settles, PhD, Northern Arizona University
- Janis Blair, MD, Mayo Clinic-Arizona
- Neil Ampel, MD, University of Arizona