Keratoconus is an eye disease affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The condition causes the transparent layer on the front of the eye, named the cornea, to become progressively thinner and irregularly shaped. Keratoconus causes distorted or blurred vision, increases light sensitivity, and can severely impact one’s ability to function. The first signs of keratoconus typically emerge in children as young as 8 years old. However, the disease usually remains undiagnosed until several years later, due to a lack of reliable screening tests and the tendency of affected individuals to only seek help when their vision has become significantly impaired.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact patients worldwide, it remains crucial to explore innovative treatments that can further improve prognosis. While vaccines have been successful in providing protection for the majority of the population, recent waves of the virus have highlighted challenges such as decreased vaccine protection, leaving certain individuals vulnerable to severe illness and even death. The ongoing challenges of low vaccine uptake and public complacency emphasize the need for continued research into effective therapies for COVID-19.

In vitro fertilisation – or IVF – has allowed many couples with fertility issues to conceive. However, the relationships between different types of infertility and IVF outcomes are not yet fully understood. Male infertility can include non‐obstructive azoospermia, where sperm are not present in the ejaculate, and oligozoospermia, also known as a ‘low sperm count’. Men with these conditions can still have biological children through techniques such as surgical retrieval of sperm from the testes, in the case of azoospermia, and subsequent injection of an individual sperm into an egg cell. Identifying the effects of male infertility phenomena on subsequent IVF and pregnancy outcomes is important, so that couples can make informed decisions.

While antibiotics are an essential tool for treating disease, their effectiveness in preventing severe illness and death is under threat. Antibiotic resistance is now one of the biggest dangers to global health. When a bacterial infection is treated with antibiotics, certain bacteria in a patient may hold genetic mutations that allow them to evade destruction. These resistant bacteria can become more severe and spread further, requiring stronger antibiotics or potentially leading to the patient’s death. Around 5 million deaths were related to antibiotic resistance in 2019 alone, and cases are predicted to rise.

Osteoarthritis is a painful and debilitating condition that affects hundreds of millions of people. The condition significantly affects a patient’s mobility, sleep, and ability to work, ultimately impacting their quality of life and mental health. Treatments involve exercise or medication to reduce pain, but they don’t target underlying structural problems in the joints. Additionally, these treatments do not slow or stop the progression of the disease, and may have serious side-effects on organs such as the liver, kidneys or heart. The search for a treatment that can reduce osteoarthritis pain and treat the affected joint structures remains a ‘substantial unmet medical need’.

Modern medicine has greatly extended our life expectancy. However, elderly people tend to experience many health issues, leading to significant suffering and a greater need for healthcare services. As such, it is important to find new ways to increase the number of years that we remain healthy into old age. One simple way to achieve this is to develop treatments that are specifically designed to reduce or reverse some of the biochemical hallmarks of aging.

Pharmacovigilance is the continuous process of detecting, assessing, understanding, preventing and managing treatment-related risks throughout the life cycle of medicinal products.