Key Points Question What is the efficacy and safety of berdazimer gel, 10.3%, in the treatment of molluscum contagiosum (MC)? Findings This phase 3 randomized clinical trial of 891 patients with MC found greater complete lesion clearance in patients treated with berdazimer gel vs vehicle (32.4% vs 19.7%). Mild transient application-site pain was the most frequently reported adverse event; mild to moderate erythema was the most commonly observed local skin reaction. Meaning Berdazimer gel, a novel topical nitric oxide–releasing medication, appears to demonstrate favorable efficacy and safety in patients with MC who are 6 months or older.

As an obligate salt marsh species, Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima) are vulnerable to numerous threats including climate change, coastal erosion, sea-level rise, and both natural and anthropogenic disasters. Of the 9 recognized subspecies, 2 are extinct and 1 is endangered. Previous genetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite loci showed that current taxonomy does not accurately reflect underlying genetic diversity, with possible consequences for the distribution of conservation resources. To further inform Seaside Sparrow management, we comprehensively describe genetic structure among 24 range-wide sampling locations that include all extant subspecies. We inferred population structure from several thousand single-nucleotide polymorphisms collected from 272 individuals via restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing. Principal components, pairwise FST values, and clustering approaches suggest that Seaside Sparrows on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts are distinct and consist of at least 5 genetic clusters: 1 in southern Texas, 1 ranging from Aransas County, Texas, to Mississippi; 1 in western Florida; and 2 or 3 genetic groups intermixed along a gradient on the Atlantic Coast. These genetic clusters are not consistent with current subspecies taxonomy and could be used as distinct population segments (DPSs) to inform the most efficient allocation of resources to Seaside Sparrow conservation. Our results regarding the endangered subspecies, A. m. mirabilis, from southern Florida are inconclusive due to low sample size, but indicate that it is distinct and may represent a sixth DPS. Based on our genetic results, we recommend additional song and morphometric analyses in western Florida and a closer study of the boundary between the breeding distributions of A. m. maritima and A. m. macgillivraii to ensure the proper identification of DPSs.

Bats are natural reservoirs of coronaviruses and other viruses with zoonotic potential. Florida has indigenous non-migratory populations of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) that mostly roost in colonies in artificial structures. Unlike their counterparts in Brazil and Mexico, the viruses harbored by the Florida bats have been underexplored. We report the detection of an alphacoronavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene sequence in the feces of two of 19 different T. brasiliensis that were capture/release bats that had been evaluated for overall health. The RdRp sequence is similar but not identical to previously detected sequences in the feces of two different species of bats (T. brasiliensis and Molossus molossus) in Brazil. In common with the experience of others doing similar work, attempts to isolate the virus in cell cultures were unsuccessful. We surmise that this and highly related alphacoronavirus are carried by Brazilian free-tailed bats living in a wide eco-spatial region. As various coronaviruses (CoVs) that affect humans emerged from bats, our study raises the question whether CoVs such as the one detected in our work are yet-to-be-detected pathogens of humans and animals other than bats.

Background: Berdazimer (SB206) gel, 10.3% is a novel, topical, nitric oxide-releasing agent intended for molluscum contagiosum (MC) treatment. Methods: A 12-week, open-label, multicenter trial evaluated the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of berdazimer gel, 10.3% applied topically once daily for the treatment of MC. Patients were aged ≥6 months with >20 molluscum lesions. The primary endpoint was the PK profile of the hydrolyzed N-methylaminopropyl-trimethoxysilane (hMAP3) monomer and nitrate during a 2-week period of once-daily berdazimer gel, 10.3% application (PK period) under maximal use conditions. Safety and tolerability were evaluated throughout the 12-week study period. Results: Half of the 34 enrolled patients (17) were female and most (97.1% [33/34]) were white. Patients were 2 to 12 years old (mean, 5.3 years) with a mean of 50 MC lesions at baseline (mean time since MC awareness, 12.4 months). No patients had quantifiable plasma hMAP3 concentrations on day 1. On day 15, 2 patients had quantifiable plasma hMAP3 concentrations; however, the maximum concentration (33.9 ng/mL) was >10-fold lower than the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) in an animal toxicology study. Mean nitrate concentration-time profiles were similar on days 1 and 15 and remained flat for all patients throughout the 2-week PK period. The highest plasma methemoglobin level observed was 3.2%. Application-site pain (13/34 [38.2%]) and application-site erythema (6/34 [17.6%]) were the most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), and most TEAEs were mild or moderate. Conclusions: Once-daily berdazimer gel, 10.3% was well-tolerated with minimal systemic absorption.

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