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Contraceptive offers new option for women

A first-of-its-kind contraceptive developed at the University of Illinois Chicago has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The new contraceptive, called Phexxi, is a non-hormonal vaginal gel that can be used on-demand to prevent pregnancy.

The contraceptive is the fourth drug developed by researchers at UIC to achieve FDA approval. This milestone solidifies the university’s role as a leader in innovation and drug development in Chicago, according to UIC Vice Chancellor for Innovation TJ Augustine.

“This is a great examDon Waller stands outside the College of Pharmacy building on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. ple of UIC’s tremendous Joshua Clark/University of Illinois Chicago strength in drug discovery and innovation, to penetrate the egg parallel the multi-drug resistant HIV, was building on the success of the ability of pathogens to infect cells,” approved by the FDA in 2006. Its other three UIC-developed drugs Waller said. development was led by UIC’s Arun on the market. It really illustrates Waller said that semen, when Ghosh, from the College of Liberal that our faculty members not only introduced into the vagina, has the Arts and Sciences, in collaboraconduct groundbreaking research, effect of neutralizing the natural detion with the National Institutes but are also passionate about fenses of the vagina. This neutralizof Health. In 2011, UIC and the taking that research to the point ing effect maintains sperm viability NIH donated the patent rights to where it can have a positive impact and also lowers the vagina’s natural Medicines Patent Pool, a United on people’s lives,” Augustine said. barriers against infections. Nations-backed public health orga

The gel — which is a combi“With this formulation — which nization that grants licenses for genation of lactic acid, citric acid relies on common non-hormonal neric manufacturing and purchasand potassium bitartrate —works ingredients like lactic acid — we ing of therapeutics to encourage by keeping vaginal pH levels in a found a way to use one of the improved access and affordability range that is inhospitable to sperm. vagina’s natural defenses: its acidic in developing countries. The drug is

UIC’s Donald Waller developed pH,” Waller said. licensed to Janssen Therapeutics. the contraceptive in collaboration Waller’s gel, which is co-patentUsing the royalty income genwith Lourens Zaneveld of Rush ed by UIC and Rush, was licensed erated by the Prezista patent, the University Medical Center. Develto Evofem Biosciences, Inc. in college has established four new opment of the contraceptive gel 2003. Evofem developed the gel for endowed chairs in order to recruit began more than 20 years ago. commercial use through clinical and retain highly accomplished

“The driver behind this innovatrials and FDA approvals. natural sciences faculty. tion was to provide women with According to an Evofem news Shingrix was approved by the more control and more options for release, Phexxi is expected to hit FDA in 2017 as a vaccine against safely preventing pregnancy and the market early next month, shingles, a form of chickenpox in sexually transmitted infections,” alongside a telehealth program to adults. Its development was origisaid Waller, professor of pharmasupport access for women. nated by UIC’s Abbas Vafai, from cology and toxicology at the UIC Waller said the FDA’s approval the College of Medicine, before a College of Pharmacy. “There are of Phexxi shows the strength of the third party under contract with the many women who feel that horconcept that inspired the gel. university licensed the vaccine to monal, long-acting birth control “There is a need for in-thepharmaceutical company GSK. is not a viable option, and there moment options that give women Tice BCG, originally a vaccine are women who struggle to access control, and I think many women for tuberculosis, was approved in prescription or implanted birth will appreciate that such an option 1990 for the treatment of bladder control due to lack of insurance or does not rely on steroid horcancer. Its original development access to health care. mones,” Waller said. “My hope is as a TB vaccine was led by UIC’s

“We started by looking at that women feel empowered with Sol Rosenthal, from the College of natural defenses — both against options to protect themselves.” Pharmacy, before the university pregnancy and against pathogens, Phexxi joins Prezista, Shingrix contracted exclusive manufactursuch as gonorrhea and other and Tice BCG in UIC’s portfolio of ing rights to the immunotherapy STDs. We found that many of the FDA-approved therapies. to Organon Teknika, a subsidiary mechanisms that allow sperm Prezista, the first treatment for of Merck.

NEWS

Because phishing emails are so common and successful, Summit partners urge tax professionals to educate all office personnel about the dangers and risks of opening suspicious emails – especially during the COVID-19 period.

Working Virtually: Avoid phishing scams

The Internal Revenue Service and the Security Summit partners are warning tax professionals to be alert to new phishing scams that try to take advantage of COVID-19, Economic Impact Payments and increased teleworking by practitioners.

The IRS, state tax agencies and the nation’s tax industry urged tax firms to review and heighten their data protection plans this summer as cybercriminals step up efforts to steal client tax information. Crooks are targeting tax professionals as well as taxpayers.

Avoiding phishing emails is the fourth in a five-part Security Summit series called Working Virtually: Protecting Tax Data at Home and at Work. The Security Summit initiative by the IRS, state tax agencies and private-sector tax industry spotlights basic security steps for all practitioners, but especially those working remotely in response to COVID-19.

“The coronavirus has created new opportunities for cybercriminals to use email to try stealing sensitive information,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “The vast majority of data thefts start with a phishing email trick. Identity thieves pose as trusted sources – a client, your software provider or even the IRS – to lure you into clicking on a link or attachment. Remember, don’t take the bait. Learn to recognize and avoid phishing scams.”

Phishing emails generally have an urgent message, such as your account password expired. They direct you to an official-looking link or attachment. The link may take you to a fake site made to appear like a trusted source and request your username and password. Or, the attachment may contain malware, which secretly downloads malware that tracks keystrokes and allows thieves to eventually steal all the tax pro’s passwords.

This year, IRS identified a highly sophisticated attack against tax firms where thieves gained remote access either through phishing or malware and were able to enter the cloud storage accounts that held client files. In one case, thieves spent 18 months quietly downloading and accessing taxpayer information before they were discovered.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently issued a warning to all organizations to educate employees, especially those teleworking, about increased activity related to phishing scams.

These scams focused on COVID-19 fears by presenting themselves as providers of face masks or personally protective equipment in short supply. Thieves also used other tactics against taxpayers, impersonating the IRS and calling or emailing requests for bank account information to send the Economic Impact Payments.

Tax professionals should beware of emails from criminals posing as potential clients. As people practice social distancing these days, criminals may exploit this process to try to trick tax practitioners into opening links or attachments. The Security Summit continues to urge tax professionals to create “trusted customer” policies, and contact potential clients by phone or video conference.

Taxpayers and tax preparers can forward suspicious emails posing as the IRS to phishing@irs.gov.

Because phishing emails are so common and successful, Summit partners urge tax professionals to educate all office personnel about the dangers and risks of opening suspicious emails – especially during the COVID-19 period.